HSUAN-TSUNG SHIH-LU : VERITABLE RECORDS OF THE XUANDE EMPEROR (MING DYNASTY)

Hsuan-Tsung Shih-Lu, is one of the most important sources for early Melaka.

What is HSUAN-TSUNG SHIH-LU?

Xuanzong Shih-lu (宣宗實錄) is the Veritable Records of the Xuande Emperor — Zhu Zhanji, the 5th emperor of the Ming Dynasty.

• Hsuan-Tsung / Xuande = reign title, ruled 1425-1435
• Shih-lu / Shilu = "Veritable Records" — the official court diary, compiled day-by-day by court historians from memorials, edicts, tribute reports. It's not a personal diary, it's the state archive.

For Southeast Asia, scholars use the English translation project Southeast Asia in the Ming Shi-lu by Geoff Wade at NUS, which extracts all the Melaka entries.

Why it matters for Melaka: Melaka (recorded as Manlajia / 滿剌加) was founded around 1400-1402, and almost all we know about its first 30 years comes from the Ming Shilu, because Melaka itself left no contemporary written records.

What does the Xuande (Hsuan-tsung) volume say about Melaka?

The Xuande reign is especially critical because it covers the last voyage of Admiral Zheng He (Cheng Ho).

1. 1430 - The order for the 7th voyage:

"The Eunuch Director Zheng He and others were sent with an Imperial proclamation to go and instruct the various fan countries... Variegated silks, as appropriate, were to be conferred upon the rulers or chiefs of all 20 countries through which the eunuchs were to pass, including Hormuz, Sri Lanka, Calicut, Melaka, Cochin..."

This is the famous final treasure fleet that left Nanjing in 1430. Melaka was listed as a core stop.

2. 1433/1434 - New Sultan of Melaka enfeoffed:

The Shilu records a succession crisis. The old king had died, and his son came to the throne.

"The Supervising Secretary Chen Jia-you was sent as chief envoy..to enfeoff Su-dan Mang-su Sha, the son of the deceased king of the country of Melaka... You are the legitimate heir and you have been able to send an envoy to present tribute... I am thus especially sending envoys with a proclamation enfeoffing you as king of the country of Melaka."

Historians identify this as Sultan Muhammad Shah taking over from Parameswara / Megat Iskandar Shah. The Ming court did official sacrifices for the deceased king and formally recognized the new one — this is how Melaka got legitimacy to fend off Siamese threats.

3. 1433 - Tribute missions returning:

On 14 September 1433, as recorded in the Xuanzong Shilu, envoys from 20 states including Melaka, Samudera, Calicut, Cochin came to present tribute together after travelling with Zheng He's fleet.

Earlier volumes (Yongle Shilu) give even more detail that the Xuande scribes were copying — that Melaka asked to be treated like a province of China, and the Ming Emperor enfeoffed Melaka's western hill as Zhen-guo Shan (the mountain that protects the country) with a stone tablet.

In short: For Melaka, the Xuande Shilu is proof that by 1425-1435 Melaka was already a recognized, enfeoffed tributary kingdom under Ming protection, rich enough to be a mandatory stop for the treasure fleets, and undergoing its second royal succession.

Hj Zulheimy Maamor

6/9/2026: 3.43 a.m

PECA DE MALACA - PIECE OF MALACCA

The term Pecca de Malacca (correctly spelled as Peça de Malaca in Portuguese, meaning "The Piece of Malacca") refers to a historic 16th-century cannon that is one of the most significant artifacts from the Malacca Sultanate.

Today, it is housed in the Lisbon Military Museum (Museu Militar de Lisboa) in Portugal. It is widely considered one of the largest and most impressive artillery pieces ever used in the defense of Malacca before its fall to the Portuguese in 1511.

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Key Features of the Cannon

• Type: It is a 38-pounder muzzleloading bombard.

• Construction: Unlike modern cast cannons, it was built using wrought iron staves (long strips of iron) reinforced by thick iron rings, similar to the construction of a wooden barrel.

• Dimensions: It measures roughly 3.36 meters (11 feet) in length and has a caliber of 17.5 cm.

• Projectile: It was capable of firing stone or iron balls weighing approximately 17.5 kg (38 lbs).

• Artistry: The tip of the gun features a delicately carved Merong or Dragon head, which is a hallmark of the high level of craftsmanship and metalwork present in the region during that era.

Historical Context

When Afonso de Albuquerque invaded Malacca in 1511, Portuguese records claim they found between 2,000 to 3,000 pieces of artillery. Most were small-caliber guns (rantakas or lela), but the Peça de Malaca stood out for its size and power.

Some historians believe this specific cannon may have been the "large cannon" presented to the Sultan of Malacca by the Zamorin (Samuri) of Calicut, India, as a diplomatic gift shortly before the invasion. This explains the similarities in design to other Indian cannons of the 14th and 15th centuries.

Historian C.R. Boxer noted:

"When Alfonso de Albuquerque invaded Malacca, two to three thousand guns were allegedly found. They were reported to be mostly primitive bombards and hand-guns apart from one large cannon recently presented to the Sultan of Malacca by the Samuri (Zamorin) of Calicut."

Significance

The Peça de Malaca serves as physical evidence of the sophisticated military technology possessed by the Malacca Sultanate. It challenges the colonial-era narrative that the Malays were poorly armed; instead, it shows they were equipped with heavy artillery that required a crew of up to 14 people to operate and could fire at a range of nearly 3.7 kilometers.

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The capture of Malacca in 1511 resulted in one of the most significant seizures of wealth and technology in Portuguese colonial history. While many of the most precious items were lost at sea, several significant artifacts remain documented or on display.

After the fall of Malacca in 1511, the Portuguese took it as a war trophy. The museum's official record lists it as taken from a fort in Calicut and Diu, but Portuguese historian Rui Manuel Loureiro in a 2008 ISMAT University study clarified that it was one of many Malay cannons that defended Malacca from Portuguese attack.

Along with hundreds of other pieces, it was shipped to Lisbon and eventually became part of the royal artillery collection that formed the Military Museum.

The second cannon beside it, Touro, is even bigger - a 200-pounder with a 43 cm calibre, 304 cm long, throwing a 92 kg stone ball. It is built in the same Ottoman style that the Sultan of Malacca had been importing.

Artifacts and Plunder from 1511

The Portuguese seizure of Malacca was notable for the sheer volume of military technology and royal treasure acquired. According to historical records from figures like Afonso de Albuquerque, the spoils were of a quality that rivaled anything found in Europe at the time.

• The Lost Treasure of the Flor do Mar: The most significant portion of the plunder—including the Sultan's royal treasure, gold-plated palanquins, precious stones, and Melakan embroidery—was loaded onto the flagship Flor do Mar. This ship sank in a storm off the coast of Sumatra in 1512, and the treasure remains lost on the seabed.

• Artillery and Firearms: The Portuguese captured between 3,000 and 8,000 pieces of artillery. Historical accounts highlight one particularly large brass cannon sent by the King of Calicut to the Sultan of Malacca, which was considered a masterpiece of craftsmanship.

• The Hollowed Iron Lions: Albuquerque specifically lamented the loss of two hollowed iron lions, gifts from the Emperor of China to the Sultan of Malacca, which also went down with the Flor do Mar.

• Surviving Weapons: Various traditional weapons such as keris (wavy-bladed daggers), spears, and matchlocks were taken as trophies. Some of these historical arms and armor from the Portuguese expansion are preserved today in European military collections.

Why it matters

Peça de Malaca is not just an old gun. It is evidence of three things:

• How advanced Malacca was - in 1511 Malacca was one of the best-armed cities in Southeast Asia, able to field thousands of guns.
• Indian Ocean diplomacy - the alliance between the Muslim sultanates of Malacca and Calicut against the Portuguese, sealed with a gift of artillery.
• A lost heritage - like many cannons taken from Malacca, it has never been repatriated. There are still calls in Malaysia to trace and recover these pieces under UNESCO frameworks.

Today it rests on that stone pavement, rusted but intact - the last great bombard of the Sultanate of Malacca, staring out to sea 9,000 km from where it was meant to defend.

Visiting the Museum in Lisbon

The Lisbon Military MuseumClick to open side panel for more information (Museu Militar de Lisboa) is the primary institution where you can find artifacts and artistic depictions related to the Age of Discovery and the conquest of Malacca.

• Vasco da Gama Room: This room is a highlight for visitors, featuring walls and ceilings covered in maps and paintings that illustrate the opening of trade routes between Portugal and Asia.

• The Courtyard: The museum's courtyard is famous for its large collection of bronze cannons and elaborate tile panels (azulejos) that depict famous Portuguese battles, including scenes from the expansion into the East.

• Location and Access: It is conveniently located in the Alfama neighborhood, directly facing the Santa Apolónia Station (the final stop on the Blue Metro line).

• Visiting Hours: The museum is typically open Tuesday through Sunday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM (with a brief midday closure on weekends), and it is closed on Mondays.

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9/1/2026: 8.14 a.m