Editing Malacca Sultanate (section)

==Administration==
{{further|Malaysian legal history}}
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! Sultan of Malacca !! Reign
|-
| [[Parameswara (king)|Parameswara]]|| 1400–1414
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| [[Megat Iskandar Shah of Malacca|Megat Iskandar Shah]] || 1414–1424
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| [[Muhammad Shah of Malacca|Muhammad Shah]] || 1424–1444
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| [[Abu Syahid Shah of Malacca|Abu Syahid]] || 1444–1446
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| [[Muzaffar Shah of Malacca|Muzaffar Shah]] || 1446–1459
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| [[Mansur Shah of Malacca|Mansur Shah]] || 1459–1477
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| [[Alauddin Riayat Shah of Malacca|Alauddin Riayat Shah]] || 1477–1488
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| [[Mahmud Shah of Malacca|Mahmud Shah]] || 1488–1511<br />1513–1528
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| [[Ahmad Shah of Malacca|Ahmad Shah]] || 1511–1513
|}

Malacca had a well-defined government with a set of laws. At the top of the sultanate's hierarchy sat the [[Sultan]] who was an absolute monarch. The earlier Srivijayan concept of [[kingship]] in which the king's right to rule was based on legitimate lineage still prevailed, and with the coming of Islam, it was reintroduced with the name ''daulat'' (sovereignty). Malacca's legal codes identified four main state officials appointed by the Sultan.<ref name="Ahmad Sarji 2011 115"/>

Below the Sultan was a [[Bendahara]], a position similar to that of a [[vizier]], who acted as an advisor to the Sultan. It was the highest-ranking office that could be held by any common people in Malacca. The Bendahara was also responsible for ensuring cordial relations with foreign states. Malacca's fifth Bendahara, [[Tun Perak]], excelled in both war and diplomacy. Twice during the reign of Sultan Muzaffar Shah, Tun Perak successfully led Malaccan armed forces in repelling Siamese attacks on Malacca. When Sultan Mansur Shah ascended the throne, acting on Tun Perak's advice, he agreed to dispatch a peace envoy to Siam. Tun Perak also advised the Sultan to marry the daughter of the King of Majapahit, Malacca's traditional enemy.<ref name="Ahmad Sarji 2011 119"/>

Next to the Bendahara was a state treasurer, called the ''Penghulu bendahari''. Next was the [[Temenggung]] which was comparable to a chief of public police and state security. After the Temenggung was the Laksamana. The Laksamana was the head of the [[navy]] and also the chief emissary of the Sultan. He ensured that the Malacca Strait was safe and enforced the ''Undang-Undang Laut Melaka'' (Maritime Laws of Malacca). Malacca's most prominent Laksamana was [[Hang Tuah]]. At the bottom of this nobility structure were the four [[Shahbandar]]s ('harbour masters') for the different communities in the port—one focused exclusively on handling the affairs of the Gujarati traders; another was responsible for traders from Southern India, Bengal, Burma and Pasai; a third for traders from Maritime Southeast Asia; and fourth for traders from Annam, China and the Ryukyu Islands. Lesser titled state officials were also appointed. They were known as the ''Orang Besar''. In addition, a governor called the ''Mandulika'' oversaw the administration of [[appanage]]s and territories annexed by conquest.<ref name="Ahmad Sarji 2011 115"/>

The sultanate was governed with several sets of laws. The formal legal text of traditional Malacca consisted of the ''[[Undang-Undang Melaka]]'' (Laws of Malacca), variously called the ''Hukum Kanun Melaka'' and ''Risalat Hukum Kanun'', and the ''[[Undang-Undang Laut Melaka]]'' (the Maritime Laws of Malacca'). The laws as written in the legal digests went through an evolutionary process. The legal rules that eventually evolved were shaped by three main influences, namely the early non-indigenous Hindu/Buddhist tradition, Islam and the indigenous "adat".<ref name="Ahmad Sarji 2011 115"/>