Parameswara (1344 - 1414)

Parameswara (1344 – 1414) was a Palembang prince of Hindu descent from Srivijaya that founded Malacca around 1402. Sejarah Melayu alleges that Parameswara was a descendant of Alexander the Great of Macedonia.[citation needed] In the year 1409 he married Malik ul Salih of Pasai's princess, and he adopted the Persian title Shah and styled himself as Sultan Iskandar Shah although he remained a Hindu to his death.[1] In 1414, Parameswara passed away at the age of 70. It is generally believed that he was buried on top of a hill at Tanjung Tuan (also known as Cape Rachado), near Port Dickson. A symbolic grave exists near Fort Canning in Singapore. Parameswara was succeeded by his son, Megat Iskandar Shah who in turn ruled Malacca until 1424.

Origins
Raden Wijaya, the first king (1293-1309) of Majapahit was married to Sri Gayatri Rajapatni, a daughter of Sri Kertanegara, the last king (1268-1292) of Singhasari Kingdom, and had a daughter Tribuana Tunggadewi, the third leader/queen (1326-1350) of Majapahit. She married Kertawardana, and had a daughter: Iswari. She married Singawardana, and had a daughter: Sarawardani. She married Ranamenggala, and had a son: Parameswara who was born in 1344 during the reign of his great grandmother, Tribuana Tunggadewi, the third monarch of Majapahit.

[edit] From Palembang to Malacca
In the 14th century, Srivijaya was losing its influence and faced threats from various corners of the Malay Archipelago. Around the same time, the Majapahit empire, centered in Java, was expanding its borders beyond the island. The Srivijaya empire had previously controlled Java but it was driven out of the island earlier in 1290 by Singhasari, a predecessor to Majapahit. As a result, Srivijaya had to move its court from Palembang, on the bank of Musi River in southern Sumatra, to Malayu (now Jambi province) on Batang Hari River bank. Although the royal court had moved to Malayu, Palembang remained an important imperial city. Some time in the later half of the 14th century, Majapahit sent its navy towards Palembang and Malayu, thus conquering the city. This invasion ended a 1000-year old empire.
Parameswara lived in Palembang as a prince within the Srivijayan empire but conquest forced him and many others to flee Palembang. Parameswara in particular sailed to Temasek to escape persecution and came under the protection of Temagi, a Malay chief from Patani who was appointed by the King of Siam as Regent of Temasek. Within a few days, Parameswara killed Temagi and appointed himself as regent. Some 5 years later he had to leave Temasek due to threats from Siam. During this period, Temasek was also attacked by a Javanese fleet from Majapahit.
He later headed north to found a new settlement. At Muar, Parameswara contemplated establishing his new kingdom at either Biawak Busuk or at Kota Buruk. Finding that the Muar location was not suitable, he continued his journey northwards. Along the way, he reportedly visited Sening Ujong (former name of present day Sungai Ujong) before reaching a fishing village at the mouth of the Bertam River (former name of the Malacca River). This evolved over time to become the location of modern day Malacca Town. According to the Malay Annals, it was here that he witnessed a mouse deer outwitting a dog while resting under a Malacca tree. He took what he saw as a good omen and decided to establish a kingdom called Malacca.He made all the facilities for Mallaca so that tey can trade at Mallaca.

[edit] Friendship with Ming

Part of original copy of Ming Dynasty history (1368-1644) - chapter 325. Parameswara visits emperor Yongle.
The diplomatic relations started in the early 1400s when Parameswara embarked on several voyages to China to visit Emperor Yongle (Chinese: 永樂)(Wade-Giles name is Yung-Lo). He was escorted by Zheng He, Yin Qing (Wade-Giles names are Cheng Ho and Ying Ching) and other envoys in his successful visits. Malacca's diplomatic relationships with Ming granted protection to Malacca against attacks from Siam and Majapahit. This encouraged the development of Malacca into a major entrepot on the trade route between China and India, Middle East, Africa and Europe.
According to the original script of Ming chronicle, chapter 325: Envoy Yin Qing was sent to Malacca in 1405 to grant golden silk plait and golden lace veil. Yin Qing reported that no kingdom had been established and there was no king, while an annual tax 40 golds was paid to Siam. Chieftain Pai-li-mi-su-la rejoiced greatly and Yin Qing brought him to China for the traditional tributary. The emperor praised and made him King of Man-la-ka, granted him the Imperial seal, colored-money, a complete set of suit and the yellow regal umbrella. The Malaccan envoy replied that the “king (Parameswara) is admiring and willing to pay annual tribute, please grant the hill as the city of the kingdom." The emperor agreed, and granted the inscription of imperial poetry embellished onto stone tablet to the hill (where hill means Malacca).
In 1411, Admiral Zheng He brought Parameswara, his wife and 540 officials to China to pay homage to Emperor Yongle. Upon arriving, a grand welcoming party was held. Animals were sacrificed, Parameswara was granted a two-piece gold-embroidered clothing with dragon motifs, Kylin robe, gold and silverwares, silk lace bed quilt, and gifts to all officials and followers. Upon returning home, Parameswara was granted the jade belt, brace, saddle, and coroneted suit to the wife. Upon reaching the heaven’s gate (China), Parameswara was again granted jade belt, brace, saddle, a hundred gold & platinum, 400,000 banknotes, 2600 cash, 300 pieces of silk brocade voile, 1000 pieces of silk, 2 pieces of whole gold plait, 2 pieces of knee-length gown with gold threads woven through sleeves….
Tributes that Malacca paid to Ming included: agate, carnelian, pearl, hawksbill, coral, crane peak, golden female crane peak, suit, white cloth, Western fabric, Sa-ha-la, rhino horn, ivory, black bear, black ape, white muntjac, turkey, parrot, pian-nao, rosebush dew, su-he oil, gardenia flower, wu-ye-ni, aromatic wood, incense sticks, gold silver incense sticks.

[edit] Parameswara's trading port

Map of 1400s Melacca.
The arrival of Zheng He (Hajji Mahmud) and his marriage with a princess of Pasai led to an unprecedented success in the history of the Malay people and Malay culture.[citation needed] Melaka grew into an international trading port and heralded the golden age of Nusantara Islam. 80 languages were reportedly spoken in Malacca: Moors of Cairo, Mecca, Aden, Abyssinians, men of Kilwa, Malindi, Ormuz, Parsees, Rumes, Turks, Turkomans, Christian Armenians, Gujarati, men of Chaul, Dabhol, Goa, of the kingdom of Deccan, Malabars and Klings, merchants from Orissa, Ceylon, Bengal, Arakan, Pegu, Siamese, men of Kedah, Malays, men of Pahang, Patani, Cambodia, Champa, Cochin China, Chinese, Lequeos, men of Brunei, Lucoes, men of Tamjompura, Laue, Banka, Linga (they have a thousand other islands), Moluccas, Banda, Bima, Timor, Madura, Java, Sunda, Palembang, Jambi, Tongkal, Indragiri, Kappatta, Minangkabau, Siak, Arqua (Arcat?), Aru, Bata, country of the Tomjano, Pase (Pasai?), Pedir, Maldives.
Malacca became an important port in the far east during the 16th century. It became so rich that the Portuguese writer and trader Duarte Barbosa said "He who is lord of Malacca has his hand on the throat of Venice".

[edit] Post-Parameswara
Parameswara's Sultanate of Malacca (as a prosperous international port) changed the entire Malay Archipelago. Its success was admired by kings from neighbouring kingdoms. Melaka's dominance in the region also influenced the spread of Islam in the Malay Archipelago. In 1447, Kertawijaya became King of Majapahit and converted to Islam on the advice of his wife, Darawati, a princess of Champa. The nephew of Kertawijaya, Sunan Ampel works to spread Islam around Surabaya, and around the same time, Palembang converted to Islam. In 1459, Sultan Mansur Shah of Malacca sent Tun Perak to conquer Kedah and Pahang. Pahang became an Islamic sultanate under Malacca. In 1470, Dai-Viet captured Vijaya, the capital of Champa, killing 60,000 Cham and caused a mass Cham emigration to Malacca and Cambodia. The Islamic Kingdom of Demak was founded in 1478 by Raden Patah, son of King Kertawijaya and his Champa wife. An Islamic Sultanate was founded at Cirebon too.

[edit] Chronology
1344 - Born, as a Hindu prince of Srivijaya
1396 - Fled to Temasek
1402 - Founded Melaka port
1405 - Visited Ming Emperor
1409 - Married Pasai's princess, Sultanate of Melaka founded.
1411 - Visited Ming Emperor
1414 - Died

[edit] References
^ Zain, Sabri. "A History of the Malay Peninsula." Parameswara. Retrieved on August 2, 2007.

[edit] Other references
The Encyclopedia of Malaysia: Languages & Literature, edited by Prof. Dato' Dr Asmah Haji Omar (2004) ISBN 981-3018-52-6

[edit] See also
Strait of Malacca
Orang Laut
Moken

[edit] External links
The history of spices is the history of trade
Parameswara at Sejarah Melayu
Malacca Genealogy by Christopher Buyers
Beyond the Monsoon
Genealogy of Malacca Sultanate
The Travels Of Marco Polo
The Golden Chersonese and The Way Thither - by Isabella L. Bird
Parameswara at National Library of Malaysia
Article by Muzaffar Tate in Star Online 1999

Source: Wikipedia

Malacca before 1511

Hang Tuah is a legendary Malay hero who lived during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. He was the greatest of all the laksamana, or sultan's admirals, and was known to be a ferocious fighter. Hang Tuah is held in the highest regard, even in present-day Malay culture, and is arguably the most well-known and illustrious figure in Malay history and literature.

Hang Tuah interest in the art of self-defense became apparent at a young age, and he was said to be inseparable from his four childhood friends: Hang Kasturi, Hang Jebat, Hang Lekir and Hang Lekiu. As a youth, Hang Tuah was first noticed by the Bendahara (in modern parlance, the Prime Minister) of Malacca, Tun Perak. A band of pirates ran amok, causing havoc in a village, and Tun Perak and his guards' attempts to quell the unrest resulted in further attacks on the Bendahara. The Bendahara's guards fled, but when Hang Tuah and his friends saw the commotion, they were reported to have killed the group of pirates, thus saving the Bendahara. Tun Perak was so impressed by the boys' courage that he recruited them to work at the palace, where the five youths rose in the ranks, eventually becoming feared members of the Sultan's royal guard.

Hang Tuah's illustrious career as an admiral or laksamana includes tales of his absolute and unfaltering loyalty to his Sultan, some of which are chronicled in Sejarah Melayu (the semi-historical Malay Annals) and Hikayat Hang Tuah (a romantic collection of tales involving Hang Tuah).
Hang Tuah became the Sultan's constant aide, accompanying the King on official visits to foreign countries. On one such visit to Majapahit, Taming Sari, a famous Majapahit warrior, challenged Hang Tuah to a duel. After a brutal fight, Hang Tuah emerged as winner and the ruler of Majapahit bestowed upon him Taming Sari’s kris or weapon. The Taming Sari kris was named after its original owner, and was purported to be magical, empowering its owner with invincibility. It is said to be the source of Hang Tuah’s alleged supernatural abilities.
Hang Tuah also acted as the Sultan's ambassador, travelling on his Sultan's behalf to allied countries. Another story concerning Hang Tuah's legendary loyalty to the Sultan is found in the Hikayat Hang Tuah, and involves his visit to Inderaputa, in Pahang during one such voyage. The Sultan sent Hang Tuah to Pahang with the task of persuading the princess Tun Teja, who was already engaged, to become the Sultan's companion. Tun Teja fell under the impression that Hang Tuah had come to persuade her to marry him, not the Sultan, and agreed to elope with him to Melaka. It was only during the voyage home that Hang Tuah revealed his deception to Tun Teja.
The Hikayat Hang Tuah and Sejarah Melayu each carry different accounts of this incident, however. The Hikayat records that it was Hang Tuah who persuaded Tun Teja to elope with him, thus deceiving her. Sejarah Melayu, however, claims that it was another warrior, Hang Nadim, who deceived Tun Teja.
Perhaps the most famous story in which Hang Tuah is involved is his fight with his closest childhood companion, Hang Jebat. Hang Tuah's deep loyalty to and popularity with the Sultan led to rumours being circulated that Hang Tuah was having an illicit affair with one of the Sultan's concubines. The Sultan sentenced Hang Tuah to death without trial for the alleged offense. The death sentence was never carried out, however, because Hang Tuah's executioner, the Bendahara, went against the Sultan’s orders and hid Hang Tuah in a remote region of Melaka.
Believing that Hang Tuah was dead, murdered unjustly by the Sultan he served, Hang Jebat avenged his friend's death. Hang Jebat's revenge allegedly became a palace killing spree or furious rebellion against the Sultan (sources differ as to what actually occurred). It remains consistent, however, that Hang Jebat wreaked havoc onto the royal court, and the Sultan was unable to stop him, as none of the Sultan's warriors dared to challenge the more ferocious and skilled Hang Jebat. The Bendahara then informed the Sultan that the only man able to stop Hang Jebat, Hang Tuah, was still alive. The Bendahara recalled Hang Tuah from his hiding place and the warrior was given full amnesty by the Sultan and instructed to kill Hang Jebat. After seven gruelling days of fighting, Hang Tuah was able to kill Hang Jebat.
It is notable that the two main sources of Hang Tuah's life differ yet again on the details of his life. According the Hikayat Hang Tuah, it was Hang Jebat who avenged his friend's death, only to be killed by the same friend, but according to Sejarah Melayu, it was Hang Kasturi. The Sejarah Melayu is the more historical account, but the Hang Jebat story, as the more romantic tale, remains more popular.
Hang Tuah continued to serve Malacca after the death of Hang Jebat. Later in his life, as Hang Tuah progressed in his years, the warrior was ordered by the successive Malaccan Sultan to court a legendary princess on the Sultan's behalf. The Puteri Gunung Ledang (Princess of Mount Ledang) was so named because she resided on Mount Ledang at the Melaka-Johor border. According to legend, the Princess met with Hang Tuah, and only agreed to marry the Sultan if he satisfied a list of requirements, or pre-wedding gifts. The list included a golden bridge linking Melaka with the top of Gunung Ledang, seven trays of mosquito livers, seven jars of virgins' tears and a bowl of the Sultan's first born son's blood. Hang Tuah knew the tasks would not be fulfilled, and was said to be so overwhelmed that he failed his Sultan that he flung his kris into a river and vowed only to return to Melaka if it resurfaced, which it never did. It was also said that he then vanished into thin air. According to other sources, however, Hang Tuah lived until old age, and his body is said to be have been buried in Tanjung Kling in Melaka, where his tomb can still be seen today.

Hang Tuah is famous for quoting the words "Takkan Melayu Hilang di Dunia" which literally means "Malays will never vanish from the face of the earth" or "Never shall the Malay(s) (race) vanish from the face of the earth". The quote is a famous rallying cry for Malay nationalism.
He remains an extremely popular Malay legend, embodying the values of Malay culture at the time, when allegiance and loyalty were paramount above all else. The Hang Tuah and Hang Jebat story, whether completely true or not, represents a paradox in the Malay psyche about loyalty and justice, and remains a point of debate among students of Malay history and literature.

Hang Tuah is a prominent legendary figure in Malaysia's popular culture and his story has been adapted into several movies. The more famous of these movies include Hang Tuah, starring the late P. Ramlee, and Puteri Gunung Ledang, which starred M. Nasir as Hang Tuah.

In Malaysia
Three roads in Malaysia are named after Hang Tuah: Jalan Hang Tuah in Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Hang Tuah in Malacca, and Jalan Hang Tuah in Taman Khalidi Bharu, Muar, Johor
The Royal Malaysian Navy has a frigate named KD Hang Tuah.
A strip along Jalan Hang Tuah has been renamed Hang Tuah Mall and popularised as a tourist attraction.

[edit] In Indonesia
University of Hang Tuah in Surabaya, Indonesia
The Indonesian Navy also has a frigate named KRI Hang Tuah.

Further reading
Richard O. Winstedt, A History of Malaya.

[edit] See also
Hang Li Po
Puteri Gunung Ledang (film)
Puteri Gunung Ledang (musical)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hang_Tuah"

Source: Wikipedia.