NOTA ILMU: THE MALACCA

Alfonso de Alburquerque: (Comentários do Grande Afonso de Albuquerque) states that approximately 3,000 firearms were seized by the Portuguese colonizers after the Malacca army retreated. There is another note stating 8,000 firearms.

Armando Cortesao (1944):

• "The Suma Oriental of Tom Pires An Account of East, From the Sea to China and The Book of Francisco Rodrigues.pg 287" >"Whoever can control Malacca, then he is strangling Venice."
• Melaka is a better city than other cities in the world.

Artur Basilio De Sa Insulinda : In "Documents On The History of the Portuguese Patronage in the Far East" > Large ships docked in Melaka City > In Melaka there were 2 gold mines.

Barry Fell (Dr.): Western archaeologist who discovered evidence of the arrival of Malay Muslim sailors from Malacca in America based on Jawi/Arabic writing found engraved in a cave in the Corinto district, El Salvador.

Battle of Duyon River: Portuguese records of the battle on the Duyong River between the Portuguese and the Acheh Royal Armada in 1629. At the end of the battle, a giant Acheh ship named Cakra Donya was captured and taken to Malacca. The Portuguese were so impressed by the greatness of the giant ship that they called it "Espanto del Mundo" meaning "Wonder of the World."

Bras de Albuquerque: son of Alfonso de Albuquerque in "Comentarios de Alfonso de Albuquerque" :

• citing Ruy de Araujo and Nina Chatu, did claim a vast arsenal of between 3,000 and 8,000 cannons were present in Malacca during the Portuguese conquest in 1511. 
• The gun founders were as good as those of Germany, on the other hand the city was a league in length.
• 3,000 pieces of artillery with around 2/3 being made of bronze and the rest of iron. 
• Matchlocks, poisoned blowing tubes, bows and other weapons. 

Bukit Melaka / Melaka Hill: 

• Tome Pires in Suma Oriental (1515) mentioned the Melaka Hill and provided details from local oral tradition.
• Alfonso de Albuquerque's letter is the earlier recorded mentioned of the Melaka hill by a European. 
• Duarte Barbosa in his account "The Book of Duarte Barbosa" describes the city of Malacca after the Portuguese conquest in 1511, the fortress built by Alfonso de Albuquerque, which was centered on the hill (Malacca Hill), the same hill where the Sultan's palace was formerly located. 
• Gaspar Correia in his 16th century work "Lendas da India" (Legends of India), did mentions the Melaka Hill. 
• Fernao Lopes de Castanheda in his historical work "Historia do descobrimento e conquista da india pelos portuguese" mentions the hill in Malacca during his account of Alfonso de Albuquerque' conquest in 1511. 
• Joao de Barros: in his mid-16th-century work Décadas da Ásia (Decades of Asia), also mentions the hill in Malacca and its significance following the Portuguese conquest in 1511.
• Rei D.Manuel: in his work "Cronica do Felicissimo" (Chronicle of the Most Fortunate King Manuel), completed in 1566, he mentions the hill in Malacca. 

Chinese Records: Chinese records, particularly those from the Ming Dynasty, are a crucial source for understanding the history of the Malacca Sultanate in the 15th century. Primary Chinese records include:

• Ming Shilu (Record of Ming Dynasty) : contains over 100 entries referring to Malacca during the Ming Court.
• Yingya Shenglan - by Ma Huan, Zheng He's translator. 
• Xingcha Shenglan - by Fei Xin
• Xiyang Fanguo Zhi - by Gong Zhen
• T'ai Tsung , Jen-Tsung, Shih-Lu, Hsuan tsung

Damian De Goes: in "The Chronicle of the Most Happy King Dom Manuel of Glorious" states that Melaka is known as the richest city in the world.

Daniel George Edward Hall: in his book "A History of South-East Asia" which says Parameswara was the founder of the Malay kingdom of Malacca.

Diogo de Couto: Western historian who stated that the name of the first King of Malacca who was also the last King of Singapore was Raja Sabu.

Duarte Barbosa: 16th century Portuguese Writer:

• In "The Book of Duarte Barbosa" (1518) - it is stated that the Port of Malacca is one of the richest and most important trading centers in the world. He also recorded the existence of a large ship owned by the Javanese that had 4 masts.
• The port of Malacca was a magnet for traders from all over the world, including China, India, Persia and Arabia. 

E.Koek (1886): a 19th century author who published a paper titled "Portuguese History of Malacca" in the Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, he drew extensively from earlier Portuguese sources, including Manuel de Faria y Sousa. 

Fernao Lopes De Castanheda: Portuguese historian and Chronicler - 

• in "History of the Exploration & Conquest of the Indies by the Portuguese" stated that Melaka was the largest port for the richest and most famous commodity trade in the world. 
• The Melaka army was the best army the Portuguese had ever faced.
• Fernao described the central complex of Malacca included the Palace, main mosque and administrtive offices as being situated at the foot of Malacca Hill (Bukit Melaka). He confirmed that the Portuguese destroyed the palace and the Grand Mosque during or shortly after the 1511 conquest. 
• The Portuguese then built their fortress A Famosa on the ruins of the Grand Mosque.  Archaeological and historical research confirms that the ruins of the A Famosa fortress and the surrounding area now occupy the site of the former Sultan's palace and the Grand Mosque.

Flor de la Mar: 

• the Portuguese ship Flor de la Mar has never been found to this day. It sank in a storm off the coast of Sumatera in November 1511 while returning to Portugal with a massive trove of treasure and loot from the conquest of Malacca. Modern studies and reports estimate the value of the Flor de la Mar cargo at between $1 billion and $2.6 billionin today's money (Wikipedia).
• a Portuguese carrack that sank in 1511, often described as one of history's greatest lost treasure and was featured in a National Geographic documentary series and History collection website. The ship was reportedly carrying a vast amoung of gold, jewels and other riches looted from the Sultanate of Malacca when it was lost in a storm.

Francisco de Sá de Meneses (not Menesis):a 17th-century Portuguese poet and soldier who wrote an epic poem entitled Malaca Conquistada ("Conquest of Malacca"). This work is not a historical record, but a poetic narrative about the conquest of Malacca by the Portuguese in 1511.

Gabriel Ferrand: 1918 theory " Malaka, le Malayu et Malayur" > French diplomat and academic: 

• suggest that Malacca existed before its conventionally founding date and was previously know as Malayur. 
• His arguments based on several historical figures who visited the region included Marco Polo, who mentioned a place named "Malaiur" in the Malay Peninsula around 1292. 

Giovani Da Empoli: an Italian merchant who witnessed and recorded the Portuguese conquest of Malacca in 1511: 

• He present in Malacca during the siege and conquest and chronicled the events in his letter. 
• confirms that the Malacca army used lances and fireboats to destroy Portuguese ships. In the coastal area, the defense of Malacca was strengthened with wooden planks. Also equipped with sharp iron or poisoned wire and various types of cannons, large and small, along with boxes containing gunpowder. 
• The war in Malacca did not occur in a short period of time. He criticize the conquest by Albuquerque is not as a heroic venture buat as the destructive and violent act. 

Godinho de Eredia: a Luso-Malaccan writer :

• In the book "Asia Portugeuza" by Manuel de Faria Y Souza in E.Koek, Portuguese History of Malacca also tells of the arrival of the Portuguese to Malacca. 
• The number of large cannons owned by the government was very large, namely 3,000 were found in the city of Malacca but another 5,000 were taken away by the Malacca army before the city began to fall.

Graham W.Irwin : In the "Pengkisahan Sejarah Melaka 2003" - 2006 organized by the Melaka Museum Corporation (PERZIM) in 2006, he stated : " The first fort built at Melaka was constructed by Malays. It consisted of a system of earthworks,surmounted by wooden stockades and, by the early 16th century, was well provided with guns. Within it defence line lay the Royal Palace of Melaka Sultans. During Alfonso de Albuquerque's attack of 1511 these Malay were much damaged, through traces of them could still be seen in 1641."

Hsing-Ch'a Sheng-Lan: Fei-Hsin's notes in 1436 regarding the prosperous socioeconomic conditions of the state of Malacca at that time. As a soldier who participated in three of Admiral Zheng He's voyages, he recorded his observations of the foreign lands visited by Ming Dynasty's treasure fleet. 

Hsuan-tsung (Hsuan-te) Shih-lu: Chinese records that mention the Malay Kingdom of Malacca in the early 15th century. The records document the strengthening diplomatic ties between the Malacca Sultanate and the Ming Dynasty during the reign of the Xuande Emperor (1426-1435). 

Isabella L. Bird: In the book "The Golden Chersonese and The Way Thither" after the fall of Malacca to the Portuguese, the Malay Empire of Aceh tried to recapture Malacca with 500 warships, 100 of which were much larger than any ships ever built in Europe.

J.J.Sheehan: involved in translating Malay-language historical works, appeared in the Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society (JMBRAS) > Published work on languages like Baba Malay, Classical Malay, Bazaar Malay (Bahasa Melayu Pasar), Kristang (Malaccan Creole Portuguese) and others. 

Joao de Barros: a Prominent Portuguese historian > in "On The Deeds and Discoveries & Conquest Made by Portuguese in The Seas and Eastern Lands." :

• confirms the greatness of the City of Malacca and the Malays in Malacca used Kerosene as fuel.
• Confirm the presence of a vast and sophisticated arsenal of artillery in Malacca, much of it comparable or even superior in some aspects to European weapons. 

Johd Crawfurd: quoting De Burros's notes in his book"A Decriptive Dictionary of the Indian Islands and Adjacent Countries" > When Portuguese captured Malacca, they managed to seize up to 8,000 units of firearms.

Kaushik Roy: (2011) > War Culture and Society In Early Modern South Asia 1740-1849: Pg.12) >Melaca imported cannons from Calicut, the largest cannon found by the Portuguese in Melaka came from Ottoman Turkey.

Kurayoshi Takara (Prof.Dr.): a historian from the University of Ryukyus, Okinawa - He is confident that the keris found at Enkakuji Temple on the seabed of Okinawa Island, Japan, is from the Kingdom of Malacca because the Kingdom of Ryukyus (now Okinawa) began trading with Malacca in the 15th century.

Ludovico di Varthema: (1470-1517)

• on a voyage to Malacca and the Spice Islands in 1505, he recorded a Malay Captain of a large ship from Borneo on which he sailed guided by a nautical chart with rhumb lines and read with a magnetic compass.
• When he went to Mecca disguised as a Muslim from 1503 to 1508, he met many pilgrims from the Malay world in Mecca.

Luis Filipe Ferreira Reis Thomas: 1993: The Malay Sultanate of Malacca. Dim Anthony Reid : Southeast Asia in the Early Modern Era: Trade, Power and Belief. Pg.81): Malacca's diplomatic relations with various Governments around the world.

Ma Huan: A Muslim Chinese translator who accompanied Admiral Cheng Ho to Malacca. Ma Huan, in his notes titled "Ying Ya Shen Lan" (Beautiful Views Across the Sea), recorded Malacca as an emerging and highly strategic port with a strong alliance with Ming Dynasty in China. 

Manlajia Guo Yiyu: the first Sino-Malay dictionary, which was established in 1405 by Emperor Yongle of the Ming Dynasty.

Manuel de Faria Y Souza (1590-1649)  : In the book "Asia Portugueza" in E.Koek. The Portuguese History of Malacca records that 3,000 cannons were captured throughout Malacca after the Portuguese conquest in 1511. 

Manuel Godinho de Eredia (1563-1623): a Luso-Malay cartographer, born in Malacca in 1563 : 

• The local population living in Melaka during the Portuguese era were mostly non-Muslims, most of them were still ignorant (pagan) and Hindu-Buddhist (Bragmanes).
• In his work, "Description of Malacca, Meridional India and Cathay"  described the fortifications and weapons found in Malacca and the manufacturing capabilities of the locals.

Manuel Joaquim Pintado : 

• Arrived in Melaka in  1947 and was assigned to St.Peter's Church, Melaka.
• Collaborated with the National Archives of Malaysia to translate numerous Portuguese historical manuscripts. 
• Portuguese Documents on Malacca - 213 (1509-1511) : A solid source on the Malay Sultanate of Malacca > "The walls of the Malay Jong were so high that the Portuguese were unable to climb them, and the Jong walls were 4 layers thick and were not damaged in the slightest by cannonballs."

Mao Qiling: A Qing Dynasty Scholar : Mansi hezhi [A Comprehensive Record of the Aboriginal Chieftains]. Taipei: Guangwen Shuju, (1968) > Malacca had a strong army. The Malacca army successfully defeated 30,000 Annam troops of the Dai Viet led by Emperor Le Thanh Tong, complete with Istinggar and rantaka at Lanxang around 1483.

M.A.P. Meilink-Roelofsz: Malacca has emerged as one of the major trading centers in Asia.Her seminal work, Asian Trade and European Influence in the Indonesian Archipelago between 1500 and about 1630, provides significant evidence for this claim.

Malacca Maritime Law (1400-1511): The Legal Code of the Sultan of Malacca, compiled by a group of Malay captains and dignitaries elected at the palace.

Malay characters : were dated from the 16th century onward, such as the one compiled by Tom Pires when Malacca was conquered by the Portuguese. Followed by another Portuguese named Duarte Barbossa in 1518  and a Spaniard Emanuel Godhino de Eredia observed the Malay in Malacca and claimed majority of them were cheerful, roguish and wanton. 

Mendam Berahi : believed to be a legendary ship, not a ship that actually existed in history. It is a fictional ship recorded in the epic Hikayat Hang Tuah and is not supported by historical or archaeological evidence. Although Mendam Berahi is a myth, this does not deny the maritime prowess of the Malay Sultanate of Malacca. The Sultanate of Malacca did indeed have a strong and advanced fleet of ships, which were used for trade and war. Various types of Malay ships, including giant jongs, existed and were acknowledged for their prowess by foreign traders and explorers.

Michael W. Charney: In "Southeast Asian Warfare, 1300 - 1900." > Cannon making in the Malay world. Alfonso de Albuquerque in 1511 was excited about the cannon making in Malacca which he described as comparable to the cannon making in Germany.

Ming Shih Lu : (veritable records of the Ming Dynasty)

• a Collection of records on events happening in Ming Court during Yongle Emperor reign (1402-1424). 
• It is the earliest reference to Malacca written anywhere.
• Malacca was mentioned more than 100 times.
• In 1403, the first official diplomatic Yin Qing was sent to Malacca to issue an imperial proclamation.
• In 1411, Malacca's ruler, Parameswara led a delegation of 540 people to visit the Ming court in China
• the last visit of Srivijaya (San Fo Qi) to China was in 30.11.1377

Nangka Island: at Melaka was the location for a highly publicised search for the fabled treasure of the Malacca Sultanate in 2014. Local folklore suggested that Sultan Mahmud Shah, the last Sultan of Melaka hid his royal treasures in cave on Pulau Nangka when he fled the Portuguese in 1511. The treasure was never found. 

Nayef R.F. al-Rodhan: in "The Role of the Arab-Islamic World in the Rise of the West." > Malacca expanded its trade to Gujarat, Dhabol, Bengal and Coromandel in India, to China and the Ryukyus and the Ottoman Empire.

Oud en Nieuw Oost-Indiën: (Old and New East India, 1724): Dutch record by Francois Valentijn (1666-1727), the establishment of Malacca as a Maritime Kingdom is said to have begun in 1160 AD and was centred in Singapore.

Pecca de Malaca: or "Piece of Malacca" in Portuguese, is the name of a large cannon that was taken from the city of Malacca by the Portuguese after their conquest in 1511. It is now housed at the Museu Militar (Military Museum) in Lisbon, Portugal. 

Pieter Van Der Aa (1706): His sketch is titled "Royal Carriage of thirty wheels pulled by twelve Elephants" - a depiction of a mobile palace in Melaka which was the size of a modern terrace house today.

R.J. Wilkinson: "The Capture of Malacca, A.D. 1511" > mentions several common words such as "Malay gun-fire" or "Heavy fire" which refers to the greatness of the Malacca army at that time.

R.W. McRoberts: author of historical paper "An Examination of the Fall of Melaka in 1511", published in the Journal of the Malaysian Branchof the Royal Asiatic Society. (1984) :

• Melaka was a critical and prosperous trading center that controlled the strategic Strait of Malacca, a key maritime route for trade between China and India.
• The Portuguese aimed to establish a footlold in the spice trade and disrupt the control of Muslim merchants in the Indian Ocean.

Rekidai Hoan: Letter from the Malay King of Melaka to the King of the Ryukyu Kingdom (now Okinawa) written by the Admiral on the orders of the Sultan of Melaka. This letter is dated 1480 and at the end of the letter the author's rank is written as "Le-Zuo-ma-na". The Rekidai Hoan records approximately 10 voyages between Ryukyu and Malacca between 1424 and the 1630s. 

Ruy de Araujo: The Sultanate of Malacca had approximately 8,000 firearms. He noted that between 8 and 10 large Chinese ships would dock in Melaka every year to exchange goods with the produce of the archipelago.

Salman Reis: Ottoman Turkish Admiral in 1525 reported on the Port of Malacca which was captured by the Portuguese.

Simon Elegant: in "Far Eastern Economic Review" dated 10 June 1999: 45 > Five centuries ago, Melaka was visited by 2,000 ships a day, one of the three best ports in the world at that time.

Sulalatus Salatin (Raja Bongsu Version): 

• It is recorded that the Malay Sultanate of Melaka was founded in the year 660H corresponding to 1262M.
• During the time of the Melaka Sultanate, there was a sewage system and a toilet for the disposal of feces and a place to bathe.

Suma Oriental:

• Written by Tom Pires in 1512.
• The first European account on the Malay Archipelago and Malacca.
• The 6th Book of Suma Oriental gave detailed descriptions regarding Malacca.

Sungai Batu, Kedah:  Archaeological discoveries at Sungai Batu indicate Southeast Asia's oldest iron smelting industry and a flourishing trade port. While this is one of the earliest complex societies found in the region, its origins have been dated to around 788 BCE.

Thomas John Newbold: British officials in Malacca once recorded in "Political and Statistical Account of the British Settlements in the Straits of Malacca, Volume 2" that there were many factories owned by the Malays that produced firearms such as cannons. Terengganu became the hub in the Peninsula, while Gerisik in Java and Minangkabau were the hubs for Sumatra.

Tom Pires: 

• in his Suma Oriental of 1515, in Canton, the vessel of Malacca were usually asked to anchor far from the harbour, because of their big size could be dangerous to Chinese ships which were mostly smaller. In fact, Malacca's ghalis  and jongs were also bigger compared to the Portuguese galleon.
• Tom Pires made it clear to his readers that, "Whoever is lord of Malacca shall have his hands on the throat of Venice" (Ludher, 2015).
• It is the first European record to write about the sea people, also known as the Seletar people, one of the Native Malay sub-ethnic groups.
• Acknowledges that the City of Malacca during the Malay Sultanate of Malacca was famous throughout the world.
• Hospital facilities already existed during the Malay Sultanate of Malacca.

Vladimir Braginsky:RussianScholar - he studied Hikayat Hang Tuah and write an article "Hikayat Hang Tuah: Malay epic and Muslim mirror". 

Venice of The East: Melaka was famously called "Venice of the East" by European seafarers due to its prominence as a bustling international port and the significance of the Malacca River. In the 15th and 16th Centuries, the city was the most important trading port in Southeast Asia. (Google overview).

Wang Gungwu: Australian historian Profilik has studied and verified Ming Dynasty records regarding the Malay Sultanate of Malacca.

Xian Zhong Shu Lu :

• Volume 59 : Melaka sent Minister Ba La Si and interpreter Wu Sha to meet the Emperor of China in 1468.
• Volume 65 : The King of Melaka Sultan Mansur Syah sent Duan Ya Ma La Di Na Cha and his 12 companions to meet and present tribute to the Emperor of China in 1469.

Ying Yai Sheng-Lan: Ma Huan's notes in 1451 regarding the prosperous socio-economic conditions of Malacca at that time:

• The King and the people of Malacca had embraced Islam.
• Malacca is a bustling International port, attracting merchants from Arabs, China, India and Japan. The city was a major center for commerce, with goods like porcelain and silks from China being exchanged for local products.
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Ying Zhong Shi Lu:

• Volume 306 : The Chinese Emperor recognized Sultan Mansur Syah as the King of Malacca.
• Volume 326 : The Chinese Minister of Protocol Shi Mao reported that Chen Jia You and Peng Sheng who were sent to Malacca to recognize the King of Malacca where their ship was damaged by a typhoon.

Yuan Shih: Chinese record stating that around 1295 AD, the Emperor of the Yuan Dynasty issued an 'Imperial Order' instructing Hsien (Siam) not to disturb the Ma-Li-Yu-Erh (Malays) and to stick to their promises.

Zafer Ozcan: Writer from Turkey > Trade relations were established between the Ottoman Turks and the Malay Kingdom of Malacca in 1471, during the reign of Sultan Muhammad al-Fatih and Sultan Mansur Syah.

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

Lembah Keramat, K.L

18/11/2025: 10.56 p.m