Editing Silat Melayu (section)

===Colonial and modern era===
In the 16th century, [[conquistadors]] from [[Portugal]] attacked [[Malacca]] in an attempt to monopolise the spice trade. The [[Malay people|Malay]] warriors managed to hold back the better-equipped [[Europe]]ans for over 40 days before [[Malacca]] was eventually defeated. The [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]] hunted and killed anyone with knowledge of martial arts so that the remaining practitioners fled to more isolated areas.<ref>{{cite book| title=Silat Tua: The Malay Dance Of Life |author=Zainal Abidin Shaikh Awab and Nigel Sutton |year=2006 |publisher=Azlan Ghanie Sdn Bhd |location=Kuala Lumpur |isbn=978-983-42328-0-1}}</ref> Even today, the best silat masters are said to come from rural villages that have had the least contact with outsiders.

For the next few hundred years, the [[Malay Archipelago]] would be contested by a string of foreign rulers, namely the [[Portuguese people|Portuguese]], [[Dutch people|Dutch]], and finally the [[British people|British]]. The 17th century saw an influx of [[Minangkabau people|Minangkabau]] and [[Buginese people|Bugis]] people into the [[Malay Peninsula|peninsula]] from [[Sumatra]] and [[south Sulawesi]] respectively. [[Buginese people|Bugis]] sailors were particularly famous for their martial prowess and were feared even by the [[Demographics of Europe|European]] colonists. Between 1666 and 1673, Bugis [[mercenaries]] were employed by the [[Johor Empire]] when a civil war erupted with [[Jambi]], an event that marked the beginning of [[Buginese people|Bugis]] influences in local conflicts for succeeding centuries. By the 1780s the [[Buginese people|Bugis]] had control of [[Johor]] and established a kingdom in [[Selangor]]. With the consent of the [[Johor]] ruler, the [[Minangkabau people]] formed their own federation of nine states called [[Negeri Sembilan]] in the hinterland. Today, some of [[Malaysia]]'s silat schools can trace their lineage directly back to the [[Minangkabau people|Minangkabau]] and [[Buginese people|Bugis]] settlers of this period.

[[File:Stamp of Penang - 1960 - Colnect 534973 - Bersilat.jpeg|thumb|Silat depicted on a 1960 postage stamp.]]
After [[Malaysia]] achieved independence, [[Tuan Haji Anuar bin Haji Abd. Wahab]] was given the responsibility of developing the nation's national silat curriculum which would be taught to secondary and primary school students all over the country. On 28 March 2002, his [[Seni Silat Malaysia]] was recognised by the Ministry of Heritage and Culture, the Ministry of Education and PESAKA as [[Malaysia]]'s national silat. It is now conveyed to the community by means of the ''gelanggang bangsal'' meaning the martial arts training institution carried out by silat instructors.<ref>''Martabat Silat Warisan Negara, Keaslian Budaya Membina Bangsa'' PESAKA (2006) [''Sejarah Silat Melayu'' by Tn. Hj. Anuar Abd. Wahab]</ref> Malaysian Silat by December 2019, received recognition from [[UNESCO]] as part of Malaysian [[Intangible Cultural Heritage]].<ref>[https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2019/12/547435/silat-ours Silat is ours] [[new Straits Times]]. Retrieved on 15 December 2019</ref>