ABSTRACT
This chapter demonstrates under the female sovereigns, the basis of legitimacy relied less on notions of sacral and charismatic power based on prowess but on Muslim notions of piety and the just ruler. It also illustrates how in a particular political and social milieu, such as the Acehnese context of the mid-seventeenth century. There existed a complex process of negotiations where global mainstream Muslim political thought was being localized, reinterpreted, and adapted by stakeholders to suit local conditions. In the seventeenth century, Aceh was known as a pepper-producing port that rivalled the Portuguese port of Melaka, and achieved its 'golden age' under the famous Sultan Iskandar Muda. Sultanah Safiatuddin's generosity was evident from the many observations of the various Vereenigde Oost-Indische Compagnie (VOC) delegates who resided in Aceh. VOC officials such as Pieter Sourij, Peter Willemszoon and Arnold Vlamingh reported the numerous orders for gold thread and Japanese paper by the orangkaya in exchange for pepper they procured from them.
