Duarte Barbosa’s accounts from the early 16th century provide some of the most vivid descriptions of the Golden Age of the Malacca Sultanate. His observations highlight why Malacca was often referred to as the "Venice of the East."
The Global "Entrepôt"
Barbosa wasn't just exaggerating for flair; Malacca occupied a unique geographical "choke point." Because it sat at the narrowest point of the Strait of Malacca, it served as the essential link between the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea.
- Monsoon Winds: Ships from Arabia, Persia, and India arrived with the Southwest monsoon, while ships from China and the Ryukyu Islands arrived with the Northeast monsoon. Malacca was the perfect halfway house where these traders met to exchange goods.
- The 2,000 Ships: While "2,000" may be a symbolic number representing "vastness," historical records confirm that the harbor was constantly crowded with junk boats, dhows, and galleys.
- Diversity of Trade: Barbosa noted that you could hear 84 different languages spoken in the streets of Malacca.
Why it was the "Richest"
The wealth of the port didn't just come from the goods themselves, but from the taxation and services provided by the Sultanate.
| Region | Goods Traded in Malacca |
| Moluccas (Spice Islands) | Cloves, nutmeg, and mace |
| China | Silk, porcelain, pearls, and damasks |
| India (Gujarat/Bengal) | Cotton textiles, pulicat cloths, and carnelian |
| Borneo/Sumatra | Gold, camphor, and pepper |
Barbosa famously wrote that whoever was "Lord of Malacca" had their hand on the throat of Venice, implying that the entire European spice trade depended on this single port.
The Fall of the Port
This immense wealth eventually made Malacca a target. In 1511, shortly after Barbosa’s era, the Portuguese under Afonso de Albuquerque conquered the city. While the Portuguese sought to monopolize the trade Barbosa described, their heavy-handed taxation and religious conflicts eventually caused many traders to shift to other ports like Johor, Aceh, and Banten.
THE BOOK OF DUARTE BARBOSA
Duarte Barbosa’s journals, particularly The Book of Duarte Barbosa (completed around 1518), offer a rare and granular look at the Malacca Sultanate just before and during the Portuguese transition. His observations go beyond simple descriptions of ships, detailing the social fabric, the strict legal systems, and the specific commodities that made the city the center of the world.
Wealthy merchants were often assessed by their holdings in gold currency.
For smaller, everyday transactions, Barbosa observed the use of cowries (small sea shells) brought in from the Maldive Islands. He noted that these shells were "good merchandise" and were used as a form of "small change" across the Indian Ocean and into Malacca.
The city was divided into ethnic quarters. He describes the "Keling" (merchants from South India) and the "Gujaratis" (Muslim merchants from Western India) as the most influential foreign communities.
He described the Chinese merchants as "white men" who were "well-built" and lived on their ships with their wives and children, treating their vessels as floating homes. He noted their refinement, mentioning they ate at "raised tables" with "white cloths" and used silver cups—a level of luxury that impressed the Portuguese.
Barbosa and his contemporaries noted that the Javanese were the largest foreign group, often serving as the craftsmen, shipbuilders, and sailors that kept the port's infrastructure running.
Barbosa’s journals were used as a guide for Portuguese officials to understand the "bahar" (a unit of weight) used in Malacca, which was essential for ensuring they weren't cheated in the spice trade.
To manage the 2,000 ships , the Sultan appointed four "Shahbandars" (Harbor Masters), each responsible for a different group of foreigners (e.g., one for the Chinese/Ryukyuans, one for the Gujaratis, etc.). This ensured that disputes were settled by someone who understood the merchants' own language and customs.
While Barbosa mentions the 2,000 ships anchored in the harbor, he also explains that the mouth of the Malacca River was deep and lacked sandbanks, allowing even the largest ships to anchor safely close to the city. This geographical fluke is what allowed such a high volume of traffic to exist simultaneously.
Barbosa’s writing, along with that of Tomé Pires, helped establish the historical reputation of Malacca as one of the richest and most organized urban systems of the 16th century.
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3 January 2026: 12.44 a.m
