DAMIAO DE GOIS - DESCRIPTION OF MALACCA

It appears you are referring to the writings of Damião de Góis (1502–1574), a renowned Portuguese humanist and historian, regarding the Sultanate of Melaka (Malacca) during the 16th century.

De Góis was the official chronicler for King Manuel I of Portugal.1 In his work Crónica do Felicíssimo Rei D. Manuel, he documented the Portuguese expansion and famously described Melaka's immense wealth and strategic importance.

The Quote and Context

While "richest city in the world" is a common modern paraphrase of his sentiments, Damião de Góis and his contemporaries (like Tomé Pires and Afonso de Albuquerque) described Melaka in terms that suggested it was the center of global commerce.

De Góis emphasized that:

• Global Crossroads: He viewed Melaka as the "end of one world and the beginning of another," where the riches of the East (spices, silks, and porcelain) met the traders of the West.
• The "Venice of the East": He often compared the scale of its trade to Venice, noting that the sheer volume of gold and precious goods flowing through the port was unparalleled.
• The Famous Maxim: A similar sentiment often attributed to the era's chronicles (specifically Tomé Pires in the Suma Oriental) says:"Whoever is lord of Malacca has his hand on the throat of Venice."

Why was Melaka so rich?

According to the accounts of De Góis and other 16th-century Portuguese writers, Melaka’s wealth was built on three pillars:

1. Strategic Location: Situated at the narrowest point of the Melaka Straits, it was the mandatory stopping point for ships traveling between India, China, and the Spice Islands (Moluccas).
2. Monopoly on Spices: At the time, cloves, nutmeg, and mace were worth their weight in gold in Europe. Melaka was the primary emporium for these goods.
3. Cosmopolitan Trade: De Góis noted that over 80 languages were spoken in the city, and it hosted merchant communities from Arabia, Persia, India, China, and Japan.

Historical Perspective

Damião de Góis’s descriptions helped cement Melaka's reputation in Europe as a "golden" city. However, his accounts were also used to justify the Portuguese conquest of 1511, framing the city as a prize so valuable that the Portuguese Empire had to secure it to control the global spice trade.

In the Crónica do Felicíssimo Rei D. Manuel (Part III, Chapters 24–28), Damião de Góis provides a vivid account of the Fall of Melaka in 1511. While he writes as a formal historian, his descriptions of the "spoils of war" emphasize the city's status as a global treasury.

The specific passage detailing the treasures found after the second and final assault on August 24, 1511, highlights three main categories: Artillery, Gold/Jewels, and Royal Regalia.

1. The Vast Artillery (The "Iron" Treasure)

De Góis expresses astonishment at the sheer number of bronze and iron cannons captured. He notes that the Portuguese seized 3,000 pieces of artillery, of which 2,000 were bronze. He specifically mentions:

"Among these were many large pieces of such beautiful workmanship that they could not be surpassed even in the foundries of Europe."

He recounts that one particular gun, sent as a gift to King Manuel, was so large that it required a special ship to transport it, though it was tragically lost when the ship Flor de la Mar sank.

2. Gold, Jewels, and the Sultan’s Wealth

The chronicle describes the looting of the Sultan’s palace and the homes of the wealthy Gujarati and Chinese merchants. De Góis details:

• The Golden Palanquin: A magnificent royal litter (palanquin) decorated with gold and precious stones belonging to Sultan Mahmud Shah.
• Gold and Coinage: He mentions vast quantities of gold "in dust and bars," as well as silver and the local tin coinage (caixas).
• The Sultan’s Throne: He describes a throne encrusted with jewels and gold, which the Portuguese saw as a symbol of the "pagan" wealth of the East.

3. The Royal Lions

A unique detail in De Góis’s account is the mention of two lions made of gold with eyes made of precious stones, found in the Sultan’s palace. These were intended to be sent to Lisbon as a trophy for the King, but like many of the treasures, they are believed to have been lost at sea during the return voyage of Afonso de Albuquerque.

The "Flor de la Mar" Disaster

It is important to note that De Góis concludes this section with a somber tone. He explains that despite the immense riches gathered—which he estimated to be worth millions of cruzados—the vast majority never reached Portugal. The ship Flor de la Mar, carrying the "lion's share" of the treasure (including the Sultan’s gold, the jewelry of the merchant queens, and the ornate artillery), struck a reef off the coast of Sumatra and sank, making it one of the most famous lost shipwrecks in history.

Summary Quote

Though the original text is in 16th-century Portuguese, De Góis summarizes the conquest by saying:

"No city in the world could compare to Melaka in the variety of its riches, for here was gathered all that the Earth produced from the Pillars of Hercules to the shores of China."

24/12/2025: 10.52 A.M