Parameswara (King)

Parameswara (born 1344 - died around 1414), referred to as Iskandar Shah in the Malay annals , was the last king of Singapore and the founder of Malacca . According to the Malay Annals, he ruled Singapore from 1389 to 1398. The king fled the island kingdom after an invasion of the Majapahit navy in 1398 and founded his new fortress at the mouth of the Bertam in 1402. Within decades, the new city quickly grew into the capital of the Sultanate of Malacca. However, Portuguese accounts written a hundred years after his death suggest that he was from Palembang in southern Sumatra and usurped the throne of Singapura before being driven out by either the Siamese or the Majapahit and then founding Malacca.

etymology

The name Parameswara occurs in Portuguese sources such as Suma Oriental and Paramicura or Parimicura.

Parameswara is a Hindu name derived from the Sanskrit word Parameśvara (Sanskrit: परमेश्वर), a concept that literally means "Supreme Lord". The word "parama" which means "the highest" is added to Ishvara as a reinforcer. Parameśvara is also one of the names of Lord Shiva . However, the name Parameswara is not found in the Malay annals, which detail the kingdoms of Singapura and Malacca. Rather, there is the name Iskandar Shah as the last ruler of Singapura and founder of Malacca. Iskandar is Persian for " Alexander " after Alexander the Great and Shah is the Persian title for a king. It is believed that the Iskandar Shah of the Malay annals may have been the same person as Parameswara due to similarities in their biographies.

The Ming Chronicle (Ming Shilu) reported that the wife of Parameswara known as Bā-ér-mí-sū-lǐ (八 兒 迷 蘇里) ('Parameswari') together with the king Bai-li-mi-su an attended a banquet -la ('Parameswara') in the Ming court. It is more likely that 'Parameswari' ("Supreme Mistress") referred to a title rather than a first name, as evidenced by its application in the Malay annals to Sang Nila Utama's mother-in-law, Queen Parameswari Iskandar Shah - a fact that is still used today in the Malay language in the form of "permaisuri" ("queen"). Therefore, it is believed that the name Parameswara is also a small part of a longer ruler title that was common among Malay kings to this day. Besides Parameswara, the founder of Malacca, Abu Syahid Shah, the fourth Sultan of Malacca, was also called "Raja Sri Parameswara Dewa Shah".

Life

origin

In Malay annals and Portuguese sources there are different accounts of the origin and life of Parameswara. The Malay annals were written in the heyday of Malacca and were re-compiled by the Sultan's court in Johore in 1612 . They are the basis for reports about the founding of Singapore, the succession of its rulers and the possible decline. According to the report of the Malay Annals, Iskandar Shah (Parameswara) was a descendant of Sang Nila Utama, who allegedly founded Singapura. Historians, however, questioned the accuracy and historicity of the Malay annals in their accounts of Singapore. Portuguese sources such as the Suma Oriental by Tomé Pires were written shortly after the Portuguese conquest of Malacca and give another account of the origins of Parameswara.

Both the Suma Oriental and the Malay Annals contain similar stories of a fleeing Srivijayan prince arriving in Singapore and the last king of Singapore who fled to the west coast of the Malay Peninsula to found Malacca. Both accounts, however, differ markedly in the identity of the prince: the Suma Oriental identified the fleeing prince and the last king of Singapore as the same person known as "Parameswara", while the more detailed Malay annals identified the fleeing prince and the last king as identified two different people separated by five generations (Sang Nila Utama and Iskandar Shah). The Suma Oriental further notes that the fleeing Srivijayan prince usurped the throne of Singapura from a Siamese viceroy named Temagi around the 1390s.

Portuguese accounts by Tomé Pires and João de Barros, possibly based on a Javanese source, suggest that Parameswara was a prince from Palembang who tried to challenge Javanese rule over Palembang shortly after 1360. In this version, the Javanese attacked Parameswara and drove him out of Palembang, who then fled to Singapore. Parameswara soon murdered the local ruler named Sang Ali, Sangesinga. Parameswara then ruled for five years before he was driven out of the Patani Kingdom by people , possibly for killing Sang Ali, whose wife might be from Patani.

Pires' report also states that Iskandar Shah was the son of Parameswara who became the second ruler of Malacca. Many scholars believe that Parameswara and Iskandar Shah are the same person, although some have argued that Megat Iskandar Shah is the son of Parameswara.

The only first-hand Chinese account of Temasek from the 14th century (the old name for the island of Singapore that was used before it was changed to Singapura), Dao Yi Zhi Lue, written by Wang Dayuan, suggests that Temasek (before Parameswara) was ruled by a local chief. However, the word used by Wang indicates that the ruler of Temasek was not independent, but a vassal of some other more powerful state.

The fall of Singapura

Based on the report from the Malay Annals, Sri Maharaja of Singapore was replaced by his son Iskandar Shah in 1389. Despite the use of the peculiar Persian name and title, the Malay annals stated that he had converted to Islam. Reports in the Malay Annals trace the Islamic influence in Singapore back to the reign of Sri Rana Wikrama when he first established relations with a Muslim kingdom in Sumatra , Peureulak. It is also alleged that Parameswara had a Muslim wife and converted to her religion.

The Malay Annals account of the fall of Singapore and the flight of its last king begins with Iskandar Shah's accusation of adultery against one of his concubines. As a punishment, the king made her strip naked in public. In revenge, the concubine's father, Sang Rajuna Tapa, who was also an official at the court of Iskandar Shah, secretly sent a message to Wikramawardhana of Majapahit and promised his support should the king invade Singapore. In 1398 Majapahit dispatched a fleet of three hundred major warriors and hundreds of smaller ships of no fewer than 200,000 men. The Javanese soldiers engaged the defenders in battle outside the fortress before the defenders were forced to retreat behind the walls. The invading force besieged the city and tried repeatedly to attack the fortress. However, the fortress turned out to be impregnable.

After a month the food in the fortress ran out; the defenders were on the verge of starvation. Sang Rajuna Tapa was then asked to distribute the leftover grain to the people in the royal shop. Seeing this opportunity for vengeance, the minister lied to the king and said the supplies were empty. The grains were not distributed and the people eventually starved to death. The last attack came when the gates were finally opened on the orders of the traitorous minister. The Majapahit soldiers stormed into the fortress; there was a terrible massacre. According to the Malay annals, "blood flowed like a river" and the red spots on the laterite floor of Singapore are said to be blood from that massacre. Iskandar Shah and his followers knew defeat was imminent and fled the island.

Founding of Malacca

Parameswara fled north to start a new settlement. In Muar, Parameswara considered establishing his new kingdom in either Biawak Busuk or Kota Buruk. When he found that the Muar site was unsuitable, he drove further north. On the way he reportedly visited Sening Ujong (former name of today's Sungai Ujong) before finally reaching a fishing village at the mouth of the Bertam River (former name of the Malacca River).

Over time, this place developed into the location of today's city of Malacca. According to Malay annals, the king is said to have seen a mouse deer lure his hunting dog into the water while he was resting under the Malacca tree. He liked that and commented, “This place is excellent. Even the mouse deer is impressive. It is best if we build a kingdom here. ”Tradition says that he named the settlement after the tree he leaned against when he witnessed the event.

Today the mouse deer is part of the modern coat of arms of Malacca. The name "Malacca" itself was derived from the fruit-bearing Malacca tree (Malay: Pokok Melaka), which is scientifically referred to as Phyllanthus emblica . Another account of the origin of the name of Malacca states that during the reign of Muhammad Shah (1424–1444) the Arab merchants called the kingdom “Malakat” (Arabic for “community of merchants”) because it was home to many trading communities was.

Rule in Malacca

After establishing the new settlement in Malacca, Parameswara initiated the development of the place and ordered his men to cultivate the land with bananas , sugar cane , yams and other foodstuffs. Taking advantage of the harbor, which is protected by a hill and well protecting ships from the threat of high tides, Parameswara laid the foundation stone for a trading port by building warehouse and market facilities that serve as a meeting point for the exchange of goods. The natives of Malacca and the strait, the Orang Laut, who were also known as loyal servants of Malay rulers since the time of Singapura and Srivijaya, are said to have been the customers of the market.

The people of Singapura and Srivijaya, also known as loyal servants of Malay rulers, are said to have been employed by Parameswara to patrol the adjoining seas, repel enemies and pirates, and guide traders to the port of their Malay overlords. Ironically, Orang Lauts were known as fierce pirates themselves throughout history.

Within a few years, the news that Malacca was becoming a center of trade spread throughout the eastern part of the world and reached as far as China. The Yongle Emperor of the Ming Dynasty, who ruled from 1402 to 1424, sent his ambassador known as Yin Qing to Malacca in 1405. Yin Qing's visit paved the way for friendly relations between Malacca and China. Chinese merchants called at the port of Malacca and joined other foreign traders, particularly the Javanese, Indians, Chinese and Burmese who came to set up their trading bases and settle in Malacca. During the reign of Parameswara, the population rose to 2000.

In 1411 Parameswara, his wife, son and a royal group of 540 people traveled to China with Admiral Zheng He to pay homage to the Yongle Emperor. Yongle praised Parameswara and recognized him as the rightful ruler of Malacca. He then presented Parameswara with a seal, silk and a yellow umbrella as symbols of the royal family, as well as a letter in which Parameswara was appointed ruler of Malacca. Malacca was then recognized as a kingdom by the emperor of China. The envoy returned to Malacca with a fleet led by Zheng He.

The Chinese chronicles mention that in 1414 the son of the first ruler of Malacca visited the Ming Empire in China to inform them that his father had died. It is widely believed that he was buried on a hill in Tanjung Tuan (also known as Cape Rachado) in the Malay state of Malacca, which is near what is now the Port Dickson neighborhood.

Parameswara was succeeded by his son Megat Iskandar Shah, who in turn ruled Malacca until 1424. It is also believed that Parameswara was buried in Bukit Larangan Park in Singapore. Some others also believe that due to the Hindu ritual belief system, he may have been cremated and therefore there is no actual burial site. [1]

Religious belief

It is believed that Parameswara was a Hindu as its Hindu name suggests. The Persian name Iskandar Shah used in the Malay annals, as well as the confusion over whether Parameswara and Iskandar Shah refer to the same person in different sources, led to the speculation that Parameswara had converted to Islam and adopted a new name. In 1409, when he was sixty-five years old, he is believed to have married a Muslim princess von Pasai and assumed the Persian title of Iskandar Shah.

However, the 16th century Portuguese writer Tomé Pires explicitly mentioned that Parameswara was succeeded by his son Chaquem Daraxa or Megat Iskandar Shah and that only he converted to Islam at the age of 72. The Chinese history of Ming also considers Megat Iskandar Shah to be the son of Parameswara. This son is only referred to as Raja Besar Muda in the Malay annals. According to the Malay annals, the third king Muhammad Shah was the first Muslim ruler of Melaka to convert after a dream. Scholars believe that both Parameswara and his son received the same title, the elder named Sri Iskandar Shah and the son Megat Iskandar Shah. Based on Malay, Portuguese and Chinese scriptures, Christopher Wake concludes that Parameswara never accepted Islam, but was posthumously given the title Iskandar Shah. Although there are differing views as to when the Islamization of Melaka actually took place, it is generally agreed that Islam was firmly anchored in the court through the reign of Muzaffar Shah.

External relations with the Ming Empire in China

The relationship with Ming China began in the early 15th century when Parameswara made several trips to visit the Yongle Emperor. In 1403, the first official Chinese trade ambassador under Admiral Yin Qing arrived in Malacca. Later Parameśwara was accompanied on his successful visits by Zheng He and other envoys. Malacca's relations with the Ming Empire provided Malacca protection from attacks by Siam and Majapahit. Malacca was officially established as a protectorate of Ming China. This promoted the development of Malacca into an important trade regime on the trade route between China and India, the Middle East, Africa and Europe.

In 1411 Parameswara and his wife went to China with 540 officials from Malacca to pay homage to the Yongle Emperor (ruled 1402–1424). On arrival there was a big welcoming ceremony with animal sacrifices. The historic meeting between Parameswara and the Yongle Emperor was precisely recorded in the Ming Chronicle.

You, King (Parameswara), traveled tens of thousands of miles across the ocean to the capital, confidently and without fear, as your loyalty and sincerity secured you the protection of the spirits. I (the Yongle Emperor) was happy to meet you, King, and to feel like you should stay. Your people long for you, however, and it is appropriate that you return to reassure them. The weather is getting colder and the winds are suitable for sailing south. The time is right. You should eat well and take care of yourself on your trip to reflect my feelings of concern for you. Now I hand you, King, a gold and jade belt, ceremonial regalia, two "saddled horses", 100 liangs of gold, 500 liangs of silver, 400,000 guan paper money, 2,600 guan copper money, 300 embroidered bolts of fine silk and silk gauze, 1,000 bolts of thin silk ...

The honors Malacca paid to the Ming emperors included: agate, carnelian, pearl, hawk beak, coral, crane beak, golden female crane beak, suit, white cloth, western fabric, sa-ha-la, rhinoceros horn, ivory, black bear, black monkey, white muntjac, turkey, parrot, pian-nao, rose bush, su-he-oil, gardenia flower, wu-ye-ni, aromatic wood, incense sticks, gold-silver incense sticks.

legacy

Within decades of its inception, Malacca developed into an international trading port and heralded the golden age of Alam Melayu. 80 languages ​​are reported to be spoken in Malacca. Malacca became an important port in the Far East in the 16th century. It became so rich that the Portuguese writer and trader Tome Pires said: "Whoever is master of Malacca will have his hands on the neck of Venice." The new Malay Sultanate became the main base for the continuation of the historical battles of its predecessors, Singapura and Srivijaya against their Java-based opponents.

By the mid-15th century, Majapahit was unable to control the burgeoning power of Malacca, which was beginning to effectively control the Malacca Strait and expand its influence into Sumatra. The Malay annals report that Malacca's territory, at the height of its power after Sultan Mansur Shah's accession to the throne in 1459, covered a large part of the Malay Peninsula as well as the Riau Lingga Islands and parts of the east coast of Sumatra, namely Indragiri, Kampar, Siak, Rokan , Haru and Siantan. Malacca was still trying to expand its territory in 1506 when it captured Kelantan.

Malacca's prosperity as an international port transformed the entire maritime Southeast Asia, and its success was admired by kings from neighboring kingdoms. As an important report, Malacca attracted Muslim traders from different parts of the world and became a center of Islam that spread the religion throughout maritime Southeast Asia. The Islamization process in the Malacca region intensified gradually between the 15th and 16th centuries through study centers in Upeh, the district on the north bank of the Malacca River. Islam spread from Malacca through Jambi, Kampar, Bengkalis, Siak, Aru and the Karimun Islands in Sumatra over much of the Malay Peninsula, Java and even the Philippines. The Malay annals even reveal that the courts of Malacca and Pasai posed theological questions and problems to one another. Of the so-called Wali Sanga ("nine saints") who are responsible for the spread of Islam in Java, at least two, Sunan Bonang and Sunan Kalijaga, are said to have studied in Malacca. The expansion of Islam to interior Java in the 15th century led to the gradual decline of Malacca's longtime enemy, the Hindu Majapahit Empire, before the Majapahit Empire finally succumbed to the emerging local Muslim forces in the early 16th century.

In the period from the time of Malacca to the era of European colonization, the Malay-Muslim sultanates ultimately dominated trade and politics, which ultimately contributed to the Malayization of the entire region.

literature

• A. Samad, Ahmad (1979), Sulalatus Salatin (Sejarah Melayu), Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, ISBN 983-62-5601-6 , archived from the original on October 12, 2013
• Ahmad Sarji, Abdul Hamid (2011), The Encyclopedia of Malaysia - The Rulers of Malaysia, 16, Editions Didier Millet, ISBN 978-981-3018-54-9
• Asmah, Haji Omar (2004), The Encyclopedia of Malaysia: Languages ​​& Literature, Editions Didlers Millet, ISBN 981-3018-52-6
• Cortesao, Armando (1990), The Suma Oriental of Tome Pires, 1512-1515, Laurier Books Ltd, ISBN 978-81-206-0535-0
• Miksic, John N. (November 15, 2013), Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300-1800, NUS Press, ISBN 978-9971-69-574-3
• Sabrizain, Sejarah Melayu - A History of the Malay peninsula, retrieved November 6, 2012
• Taylor, Nora A. (2000), Studies on Southeast Asia (Studies on Southeast Asian Art: Essays in Honor of Stanley J. O'Connor), 29, Southeast Asia Program Publications, ISBN 978-0-87727-728-6
• Tsang, Susan; Perera, Audrey (2011), Singapore at Random, Didier Millet, ISBN 978-981-4260-37-4
• Wade, Geoff (2005), Southeast Asia in the Ming Shi-lu: an open access resource, Asia Research Institute and the Singapore E-Press, National University of Singapore, retrieved 6 November 2012
• Windstedt, Richard Olaf (1938), "The Malay Annals or Sejarah Melayu", Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, The Branch, XVI

swell

1. ↑ Miksic, John N. (November 15, 2013), Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300-1800, NUS Press, ISBN 978-9971-69-574-3 , pp. 155-163
2. ^ ^{A b c} Wang, G .: The first three rulers of Malacca . In: L., Suryadinata (Ed.): Admiral Zheng He and Southeast Asia . International Zheng He Society / Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, 2005, ISBN 981-230-329-4 , pp. 26-41.
3. ^ CM Turnbull: A History of Modern Singapore, 1819-2005 . NUS Press, October 30, 2009, ISBN 978-9971-69-430-2 , pp. 21-22.
4. ^ Wade, Geoff (2005), Southeast Asia in the Ming Shi-lu: an open access resource, Asia Research Institute and the Singapore E-Press, National University of Singapore, retrieved 6 November 2012, 776
5. ↑ Miksic, John N. (November 15, 2013), Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300–1800, NUS Press, ISBN 978-9971-69-574-3 , p. 154
6. ↑ Miksic, John N. (November 15, 2013), Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300–1800, NUS Press, ISBN 978-9971-69-574-3 , p. 154
7. ↑ Miksic, John N. (November 15, 2013), Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300–1800, NUS Press, ISBN 978-9971-69-574-3 , pp = 155–156
8. ↑ Miksic, John N. (November 15, 2013), Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300-1800, NUS Press, ISBN 978-9971-69-574-3 , p. 162
9. ^ Paul Wheatley : The Golden Khersonese: Studies in the Historical Geography of the Malay Peninsula before AD 1500 . University of Malaya Press , Kuala Lumpur 1961, pp. 82-83, OCLC 504030596 : "In ancient times, when digging in the ground, a chief came upon a jeweled head-dress. The beginning of the year is calculated from the [first] rising of the moon, when the chief put on this head-gear and wore his [ceremonial] dress to receive the congratulations [of the people]. Nowadays this custom is still continued. "
10. ↑ Miksic, John N. (November 15, 2013), Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300-1800, NUS Press, ISBN 978-9971-69-574-3 , pp. 177-178
11. ↑ ^{a b} Tsang, Susan; Perera, Audrey (2011), Singapore at Random, Didier Millet, ISBN 978-981-4260-37-4 , p. 120
12. ↑ Parameswara . Sejarah Melayu. Retrieved May 21, 2013.
13. ↑ Sabrizain, Sejarah Melayu - A History of the Malay peninsula, retrieved November 6, 2012, Palembang Prince or Singapore Renegade?
14. ↑ ^{a b} A. Samad, Ahmad (1979), Sulalatus Salatin (Sejarah Melayu), Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, ISBN 983-62-5601-6 , archived from the original on October 12, 2013, pp. 69-70
15. ↑ Windstedt, Richard Olaf (1938), "The Malay Annals or Sejarah Melayu", Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asian Society, The Branch, XVI, p. 32
16. ↑ Windstedt, Richard Olaf (1938), "The Malay Annals or Sejarah Melayu", Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asian Society, The Branch, XVI, p. 32
17. ↑ George Cœdès : The Indianized states of Southeast Asia . University of Hawaii Press, 1968, ISBN 978-0-8248-0368-1 . , Pp. 245-246
18. ↑ Origin of Malacca  ( page no longer available )
19. ↑ Suffian Mansor, Sivachandralingam Sundara Raja, Arbaiyah Mohd Noor, Ahmad Kamal Ariffin Mohd Rus: Sejarah dan Kesarjanaan . University of Malaya Press, 2014, ISBN 978-967-03-8040-7 , p. 34.
20. ↑ ^{a b} Christopher H. Wake, Malacca's Early Kings and the Reception of Islam, Journal of Southeast Asian History volume 5 issue 2 1964 pp. 104–128, jstor 20067505, Papers on Early South-East Asian History
21. ↑ ^{a b} Ahmad Sarji, Abdul Hamid (2011), The Encyclopedia of Malaysia - The Rulers of Malaysia, 16, Editions Didier Millet, ISBN 978-981-3018-54-9 , p. 116
22. ^ Wade, Geoff (2005), Southeast Asia in the Ming Shi-lu: an open access resource, Asia Research Institute and the Singapore E-Press, National University of Singapore, retrieved November 6, 2012, Search - Malacca
23. ^ Wade, Geoff (2005), Southeast Asia in the Ming Shi-lu: an open access resource, Asia Research Institute and the Singapore E-Press, National University of Singapore, retrieved 6 November 2012, 786
24. ↑ Cortesao, Armando (1990), The Suma Oriental of Tome Pires, 1512-1515, Laurier Books Ltd, ISBN 978-81-206-0535-0 , pp. Lxxv
25. ↑ Ahmad Sarji, Abdul Hamid (2011), The Encyclopedia of Malaysia - The Rulers of Malaysia, 16, Editions Didier Millet, ISBN 978-981-3018-54-9 , p. 119