The document provides background information on the rise of the Malacca Sultanate in the Malay Archipelago region. It discusses how the strategic location of Malacca along trade routes between India and China helped it grow prosperous under capable leaders. The adoption of systems like taxation, currency, and Malay as a lingua franca further increased its economic success. The Malacca Sultanate reached its peak in the 1400s under Sultan Mansur Shah, but was eventually conquered by Portugal in 1511, ending its Golden Era.
The document provides background information on the rise of the Malacca Sultanate in the Malay Archipelago region. It discusses how the strategic location of Malacca along trade routes between India and China helped it grow prosperous under capable leaders. The adoption of systems like taxation, currency, and Malay as a lingua franca further increased its economic success. The Malacca Sultanate reached its peak in the 1400s under Sultan Mansur Shah, but was eventually conquered by Portugal in 1511, ending its Golden Era.
The document provides background information on the rise of the Malacca Sultanate in the Malay Archipelago region. It discusses how the strategic location of Malacca along trade routes between India and China helped it grow prosperous under capable leaders. The adoption of systems like taxation, currency, and Malay as a lingua franca further increased its economic success. The Malacca Sultanate reached its peak in the 1400s under Sultan Mansur Shah, but was eventually conquered by Portugal in 1511, ending its Golden Era.
The document provides background information on the rise of the Malacca Sultanate in the Malay Archipelago region. It discusses how the strategic location of Malacca along trade routes between India and China helped it grow prosperous under capable leaders. The adoption of systems like taxation, currency, and Malay as a lingua franca further increased its economic success. The Malacca Sultanate reached its peak in the 1400s under Sultan Mansur Shah, but was eventually conquered by Portugal in 1511, ending its Golden Era.
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Introduction
As a crossroads of trade between the Indian Ocean and East Asia,
the Malay Archipelago has consistently been a wealthy, diverse, and politically important region. Islam began to spread in the region through trade not long after the life of Prophet Muhammad . Perhaps the most important of these kingdoms was the Sultanate of Malacca (Melaka in Malay), which reached its peak in the mid-1400s. As a powerful and influential kingdom, the continued spread of Islam was intricately tied with the rise of the Malacca Sultanate. Unfortunately, however, the Malacca Sultanate would not last, as the newly powerful Portugal conquered the kingdom in 1511 and began a centuries-long period of European domination.
Factors for the rise of Malacca kingdom
1 The strategic location of Malacca provided trade routes between India and China. Malacca hence became a stop by on the way for all traders from China,India or other Europe countries. 2 The monsoon winds Malacca itself is protected from monsoon winds. Enabled Arab and Indian traders from the west to travel to China in the east and vice versa 3 Capable leaders The Malacca Empire was led by many capable leaders such as Sultan Muzaffar Shah (14461459) He managed to solve the internal problems and strengthened the country. 4 The taxation system The Malacca Empire offered a reasonable taxation system according to priority to the merchants. 5 The currency system Usage of a currency system which facilitated transactions and the development of trade. 6 Efficient administrative system Malacca had efficient administrative structures and a good legal system. Sultan,the absolute ruler was assisted by four main officers namely Bendahara,Laksamana,Temenggung and Bendahari. 7 Facilities Various facilities provided such as warehouse, accommodation, boat repairs, food and beverage facilities attract ed many traders to Malacca. 8 Malay Language Over 82 languages were spoken at Malacca with more than 4000 traders trading at there. The Malay language was chosen as the lingua franca (medium of communication) 9 Economic factors Abundant natural resources such as spices, rattan and timber, gold and tin.
2) Establishment of Malay Malacca Kingdom
The series of raids launched by the Chola Empire in the 11th century had weakened the once glorious empire of Srivijaya By the end of the 13th century, the already fragmented Srivijaya caught the attention of the expansionist Javanese King, Kertanegara of Singhasari. In 1275, he decreed thePamalayu expedition to overrun Sumatra. By 1288, Singhasari naval expeditionary forces successfully sacked Jambi and Palembang and brought Srivijaya to its knees.
According to the Malay Annals, a prince from Palembang named Seri
Teri Buana who claimed to be a descendant of Alexander the Great, stayed in the island of Bintan for several years before he set sail and landed on Temasek in 1299.[9] The Orang Laut (Sea People), famous for their loyal services to Srivijaya, eventually made him king of a new kingdom called Singapura. In the 14th century, Singapura developed concurrently with the Pax Mongolica era and rose from a small trading outpost into a centre of international trade with strong ties with the Yuan Dynasty. Its wealth and success however, alarmed two regional powers at that time, Ayuthaya from the north andMajapahit from the south. As a result, the kingdom's fortified capital was attacked by at least two major foreign invasions before it was finally sacked by Majapahit in 1398.[10][11][12] The fifth and last king, Iskandar Shah fled to the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Iskandar Shah (also known as "Parameswara" in some accounts) fled north to Muar, Ujong Tanah and Biawak Busuk before reaching a fishing village at the mouth of Bertam river (modern-day Malacca River). Legend has it that the king saw a mouse deer outwit his hunting dog into the water when he was resting under the Malacca tree. He thought this boded well, remarking, 'this place is excellent, even the mouse deer is formidable; it is best that we establish a kingdom here'. Tradition holds that he named the settlement after the tree he was leaning against while witnessing the portentous event. Today, the mouse deer is part of modern Malacca's coat of arms. The name "Malacca" itself was derived from the fruit-bearing Melaka tree (Malay: Pokok Melaka) scientifically termed as Phyllanthus emblica.
Kings of Malacca:
1) Iskandar Shah (1380-1414)
initiated the development of the place and laid the foundation of a trade port 2) Iskandar Shah's son, Megat Iskandar Shah (r. 14141424) the kingdom continued to prosper. 3) Raja Tengah (1424-1444) spread the teaching of Islam. Introduced the title Sultan. Before there were kings. 4) Sultan Abu Syahid Shah (1444-1446) Was a weak ruler and had been killed 5) Sultan Muzaffar Shah ( 1446-1459) A strong political leader. Won a battle against Siamese. 6) Muzaffar Shah's son, Sultan Mansur Shah (1459-1477) the major expansion of the sultanate to reach its greatest extent of influence 7) Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah (r. 14771488) laced a great importance in maintaining peace and order during his reign 8) his son, Sultan Mahmud Shah (r. 14881511) Malacca was at the height of its power and glory. In 1511 Portugal invaded and captured Malacca. The Golden Era of Malacca came to an end. Following the 1511 conquest, the great Malay city port of Malacca passed into Portuguese hands and for the next 130 years remained under Portuguese governance despite incessant attempts by the former rulers of Malacca and other regional powers to dislodge the Europeans. 3) Sultans authority and their role
A sultan is a secular ruler, usually in an Islamic country. Sultans had
absolute power in Malacca.
The head of state is also the head of government and the
administrative, judiciary and legislative powers are held in the hands of the Sultan Though the sultan should be strongly moral and an upright person, his interest in guiding the religious thoughts of the people was minimal, and he normally deferred to the religious leaders in his country.Thus a religious leader in Malacca was Caliph and Sultan was a political leader. However, some history experts claim that in Malacca Sultan was religious and political leader at the same time.