Editing Malacca Sultanate (section)

=== Golden era ===
[[File:Malaccapalace.jpg|thumb|left|The [[Malacca Sultanate Palace Museum|replica of Malacca Sultanate's palace]] which was built from information and data obtained from the ''[[Malay Annals]]''. This historical document had references to the construction and the architecture of palaces during the era of [[Mansur Shah of Malacca|Sultan Mansur Shah]], who ruled from 1458 to 1477.]]

Malacca reached its height of glory between the mid to late 15th century up to before the Portuguese occupation. The reign of Sultan Muzaffar Shah saw the territorial incorporation of the region between [[Dindings]] and Johor, and was the first Malaccan ruler to impose authority over both the western and eastern ends of the [[Malay Peninsula]].<ref name=":0" /> The kingdom controlled a section of global trade on a vital choke point; the narrow strait that today bears its name, the [[Strait of Malacca]]. Its port city had become the centre of regional and international trade, attracting regional traders as well as traders from major states such as the Chinese [[Ming dynasty]], the [[Ryukyu Kingdom]] as well as Persians, Gujarats and Arabs.<ref name="Ahmad Sarji 2011 114">{{harvnb|Ahmad Sarji|2011|p=114}}</ref>

The reign of [[Mansur Shah of Malacca|Mansur Shah]] ({{reign|1459|1477|lk=no}}) witnessed a major expansion of the sultanate. Among the earliest territory ceded to the sultanate was [[Old Pahang Kingdom|Pahang]], with its capital, [[Inderapura]]—a massive unexplored land with a large river and abundant source of gold which was ruled by Maharaja [[Dewa Sura]], a relative of the King of [[Nakhon Si Thammarat Kingdom|Ligor]]. The Sultan dispatched a fleet of two hundred ships, led by Tun Perak and 19 Malaccan [[hulubalang]]s. On reaching Pahang, a battle broke out in which the Pahangites were decisively defeated and its entire royal court were captured. The Malaccan fleet returned home with Dewa Sura and his daughter, Wanang Seri who were handed over to Sultan Mansur Shah. The Sultan appointed Tun Hamzah to rule Pahang.<ref>{{harvnb|Ahmad|1979|pp=96–100}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Leyden|1821|pp=135–141}}</ref> A policy of rapprochement with Ligor was later initiated by Mansur Shah to ensure steady supplies of rice.<ref name="Ahmad Sarji 2011 118"/>

On his royal visit to [[Majapahit]], Mansur Shah was also accompanied by these warriors. At that time, Majapahit was already declining and found itself unable to overcome the rising power of the Malaccan Sultanate. After a display of Malaccan military prowess in his court, the king of Majapahit, afraid of losing more territories, agreed to marry off his daughter, Raden Galuh Cendera Kirana to Sultan Mansur Shah and hand over control of Indragiri, Jambi, Tungkal and Siantan to Malacca.<ref name="PNM-Mansur">{{harvnb|Perpustakaan Negara Malaysia|2000|p=[http://sejarahmalaysia.pnm.my/portalBI/detail.php?section=sm01&spesifik_id=427&ttl_id=59 The Sixth Ruler of Melaka : Sultan Mansur Syah (1456–1477)]}}</ref><ref>{{harvnb|Reid|Marr|1991|p=178}}</ref> Mansur Shah was also able to vassalise Siak in Sumatra. Later in his reign, Pahang, Kampar and Indragiri rebelled but were eventually subdued.<ref name=":0" />

The friendly relations between China and Malacca escalated during the reign of Sultan Mansur Shah. The Sultan sent an envoy headed by Tun Perpatih Putih to China, carrying a diplomatic letter from the Sultan to the Emperor. According to the ''Malay Annals'', Tun Perpatih succeeded in impressing the Emperor of China with the fame and grandeur of Sultan Mansur Shah that the Emperor decreed that his daughter, [[Hang Li Po]], should marry the Sultan. The ''Malay Annals'' further asserts that a senior minister of state and five hundred ladies in waiting accompanied the "princess" to Malacca. The Sultan built a palace for his new consort on a hill known ever afterwards as [[Bukit Cina]] ("Chinese Hill"). As trade flourished and Malacca became more prosperous, Mansur Shah ordered the construction of a large and beautiful palace at the foot of Malacca Hill. The royal palace reflected the wealth, prosperity and power of Malacca and embodied the excellence and distinct characteristics of [[Rumah Melayu|Malay architecture]].<ref>{{harvnb|Ahmad Sarji|2011|p=110}}</ref>

The brief conflict between Malacca and [[Đại Việt]] during the reign of [[Lê Thánh Tông]] ({{reigned|1460|1497|lk=no}}), began shortly after the 1471 [[1471 Vietnamese invasion of Champa|Vietnamese invasion]] of [[Champa]], then already a Muslim kingdom. The Chinese government, without knowing about the event, sent a censor Ch'en Chun to Champa in 1474 to install the Champa King, but he discovered Vietnamese soldiers had taken over Champa and were blocking his entry. He proceeded to Malacca instead and its ruler sent back tribute to China.<ref>{{harvnb|Wade|2005|p=[http://epress.nus.edu.sg/msl/entry/1981 2363]}}</ref> In 1469, Malaccan envoys on their return from China was attacked by the Vietnamese who castrated the young and enslaved them. In view of the Lê dynasty's position as a protectorate to China, Malacca abstained from any act of retaliation. Instead, Malacca sent envoys to China in 1481 to report on the Vietnamese aggression and their invasion plan against Malacca, as well as to confront the Vietnamese envoys who happened to be present in the Ming court. However, the Chinese informed that since the incident was years old, they could do nothing about it, and the Chinese [[Chenghua Emperor|Emperor Chenghua]] sent a letter to the Vietnamese ruler reproaching him for the incident. The Emperor also granted permission for Malacca to retaliate with violent force should the Vietnamese attack, an event that never happened again.<ref>{{harvnb|Wade|2005|p=[http://epress.nus.edu.sg/msl/entry/2657 2427]}}</ref> An unsubstantiated Chinese account reported that Lê Thánh Tông led 90,000 men on an invasion to [[Lan Sang]] but this force was chased away by a Malaccan army that beheaded 30,000 [[Đại Việt]] soldiers.<ref name="TranReid2006">{{cite book|author1=Nhung Tuyet Tran|author2=Anthony Reid|title=Viet Nam: Borderless Histories|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=tzh1fQEEFPAC&pg=PA104|date=2006|publisher=Univ of Wisconsin Press|isbn=978-0-299-21773-0|page=104}}</ref>

[[File:Hang Tuah, Muzium Negara - cropped.jpg|thumb|160px|left|A bronze [[relief]] of [[Hang Tuah]], a legendary Malay hero. Exhibited at the [[National Museum (Malaysia)|National Museum]], [[Kuala Lumpur]], [[Malaysia]].]]
The expansionist policy of Mansur Shah was maintained throughout his reign when he later added [[Kampar, Perak|Kampar]] and [[Siak Regency|Siak]] to his realm.<ref>{{harvnb|Ahmad|1979|pp=148–151}}</ref> He also turned a number of states in the archipelago into his imperial dependencies. The ruler of such states would come to Malacca after their coronation to obtain the blessing of the Sultan of Malacca. Rulers who had been overthrown also came to Malacca requesting the Sultan's aid in reclaiming their throne. One such examples was Sultan Zainal Abidin of [[Pasai]] who was toppled by his relatives. He fled to Malacca and pleaded with Sultan Mansur Shah to reinstall him as a ruler. Malacca armed forces were immediately sent to Pasai and defeated the usurpers. Although Pasai never came under the control of Malacca afterwards, the event greatly demonstrated the importance of Malacca and the mutual support it had established among leaders and states in the region.<ref name="PNM-Mansur"/> Sultan Mansur Shah died in 1477 whilst Malacca was at the peak of its splendour.

The prosperous era of Malacca continued under the rule of his son, Sultan [[Alauddin Riayat Shah of Malacca|Alauddin Riayat Shah]] ({{r.|1477|1488|lk=no}}) and more foreign rulers within the region began paying homage to the Sultan of Malacca. Among them were a ruler from the [[Moluccas]] who were defeated by his enemies, a ruler of Rokan and a ruler named Tuan Telanai from [[Terengganu]]. Alauddin Riayat Shah placed a great importance in maintaining peace and order during his reign. He extended the conquests of his father to include the [[Riau Islands|Riau-Lingga islands]]. He was succeeded by his son, Sultan [[Mahmud Shah of Malacca|Mahmud Shah]] ({{r.|1488|1511|lk=no}}) who was a teenage boy upon his accession. Hence Malacca was administered by Bendahara Tun Perak with the help of other senior officials. The town of Malacca continued to prosper with an influx of foreign traders after the appointment of [[Tun Mutahir of Malacca|Tun Mutahir]] as Bendahara. This was due to his efficient and wise administration and his ability to attract more foreign traders to Malacca. By about 1500, Malacca was at the height of its power and glory, this can be exemplified by Mahmud Shah's rejection of the overlordship of both Ayutthaya and the declining [[Majapahit]],<ref name=":0" /> with the former resulting in an [[Siamese invasion of Malacca (1500)|abortive invasion]]. Its city of Malacca was the chief centre of trade in Indian cloth, Chinese porcelain and silk and Malay spices, and the headquarters of Muslim activity in the Malay Archipelago. Malacca was still looking to expand its territory as late as 1506, when it conquered [[Kelantan]]. While the legendary [[Legend of Puteri Gunung Ledang|Princess of Gunung Ledang]] was said to have lived during the reign of Mahmud Shah and was once wooed by the sultan himself.<ref name="Ahmad Sarji 2011 119"/>