ABSTRACT
The Melaka Sultanate (c. 1400-1511 a.d.) was an integral part of the cycle of Malay maritime empires that controlled and prospered from the trade passing through the Straits of Melaka for several centuries. A Palembang-born prince, Parameswara, of the South Sumatran-based kingdom, Sriwijaya, was the founder of the Melaka kingdom around the end of the fourteenth century. Sriwijaya, a Buddhist kingdom, that had seen its peak in the South China Sea trade cycles, was now in decline. It was caught in between two strong regional powers, Majapahit in Java and Ayudhya in Siam, now known as Thailand. Parameswara, escaping from an assault from Java-based Majapahit, fled first to Singapore, and then to Muar and Melaka. It was the site of a fishing village at the time, but it was soon to become a flourishing entrepot that brought in trade, traders, and cultures from around the world.
