DUARTE BARBOSA ACCOUNTS OF MALACCA

In his 1516 work, A Description of the Coasts of East Africa and Malabar (often referred to as The Book of Duarte Barbosa), the Portuguese explorer Duarte Barbosa provided one of the most famous historical accounts of Malacca.

He described Malacca as a premier global hub, stating that it was:

"...the richest seaport with the greatest number of wholesale merchants and abundance of shipping and trade that can be found in the whole world."

Why was Malacca so wealthy?

According to Barbosa and other contemporary accounts (such as those by Tomé Pires), Malacca's status was driven by several key factors:

• Strategic Location: It sat at the narrowest point of the Strait of Malacca, serving as the "funnel" through which all trade between the Indian Ocean (the West) and the South China Sea (the East) had to pass.
• Monsoon Winds: Because of the seasonal winds, traders from India and Arabia would wait in Malacca for the winds to change before returning home, making it a natural warehouse and meeting point.
• Cosmopolitan Trade: Barbosa noted that the city was filled with merchants from all over the world, including Arabs, Persians, Gujaratis, Bengalis, Chinese, and Javanese.
• The Spice Monopoly: It was the primary collection point for "fine" spices—cloves, nutmeg, and mace—from the Maluku Islands (the Moluccas), which were then sold at massive markups to European and Middle Eastern markets.

The Famous Comparison

Barbosa’s colleague, Tomé Pires, famously echoed this sentiment by writing that Malacca was so vital that "whoever is lord of Malacca has his hand on the throat of Venice," referring to the fact that whoever controlled the port controlled the entire flow of wealth to the Mediterranean.

DESCRIPTION OF SULTAN PALACE

While Duarte Barbosa’s writings are famous for describing Malacca’s incredible wealth and trade, his specific descriptions of the Sultan’s palace are often grouped with those of his Portuguese contemporaries like Tomé Pires and the chronicler Gaspar Correia.

Barbosa and the Portuguese described the palace as a structure of immense scale and symbolic power. Here are the key details from the 16th-century Portuguese perspective:

1. Location and Scale

The palace was situated atop Bukit Melaka (now known as St. Paul's Hill), overlooking the river and the harbor. By placing the palace on the highest point, the Sultan could physically and symbolically look down upon the global trade flowing through his port. Barbosa notes that the Sultan lived in a "very large and grand house."

2. Architectural Grandeur

While Barbosa focused heavily on the trade, other contemporary Portuguese accounts (which likely informed his worldview) described the palace as:

• Built of Wood: It was constructed entirely of timber (primarily Chengal or teak) but on a massive scale.
• Gilded and Painted: The interior was described as being "all of gold and paint," with intricate carvings that featured floral and geometric patterns, reflecting the Islamic influence on Malay art.
• Tiered Roofs: The palace featured multiple steeply pitched roofs, layered to represent the hierarchy of the Sultanate.

3. The "Palace of Mansur Shah"

The most detailed descriptions often refer back to the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah (mid-15th century). Historical records mention a legendary palace called the Istana Mahligai, which was said to have:

• Seven chambers.
• Roofing made of copper and zinc tiles that shone in the sun.
• A "Forbidden Garden" for the royal family.

4. The Palace as a Fortress

Barbosa observes that while the city itself lacked a stone wall before the Portuguese arrived, the palace complex served as the ultimate defensive stronghold. It was surrounded by sturdy wooden palisades (fences) and guarded by "countless" soldiers and specialized guards (often Javanese or Malay warriors) armed with spears and blowpipes.

Comparison: The Reconstructed Palace

If you visit Melaka today, there is a Cultural Museum that is a full-scale wooden replica of the palace based on these 16th-century descriptions and the Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals). It was built entirely without nails, using traditional wooden pegs, to match the architectural style Barbosa and others would have seen.

24/12/2025: 3.17 P.M