Malacca is certainly the most illustrious state in historical achievements. It was once the greatest trading port in the region, attracting Chinese emperors, Thais and even the European powers of the era – first the Portuguese, then the Dutch, the British and later the Japanese, prior to Malaysia’s independence.
It is known as a historically rich state and is recognized as one which epitomized the spirit of a nation, forged through the crucible of a tumultuous and intricate history.
The Malacca Sultanate occupies a special position in the history of Malaysia. Its inauguration marked the beginning of the emergence of a new Malay empire. The birthplace of Malay Sultanetes and Malaysia's historical city, Malacca provided the stage on which the Portuguese, Dutch and English played out their roles in shaping history.
During the era, Malacca emerged as a strong maritime trading state and began to be noticed by Muslim traders from West Asia and India, who until that period had been concentrating their activities in Aru, Pedir and Pasai en-route to the East expecially China.
Becaused of its strategic location straddling the Straits of Malacca, it thrieved as a port-of-call and a centre of entrepot trade with ships and merchants from China, Japan, India, Arab and South Africa.
Over the hundreds of years that followed, the Portuguese, Dutch and British fought for Malacca strategic position on the Straits of Malacca and its incalculable wealth generated from the Asian silk and spice trades.
The year 1511 marked a turning point in the history of Malacca and, in a larger sense, that of the Malay Peninsula. The Portuguese conquest of Melaka for close to three centuries, eventually spread to the rest of the Malay Peninsula. After 130 years of Portugues rule, Malacca came under the control of the Dutch, who governed for some 160 years before being replaced by the British.
No comments:
Post a Comment