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| Capital (and largest city) |
Malacca City | ||||
| Language | Malay | ||||
| Sultan | Mansur III Shah | ||||
| Prime Minister | Tun Abdul Onn | ||||
| Population | 1,278,400 | ||||
| Independence | 1837 | ||||
| Currency | MLC | ||||
The Sultanate of Malacca, Malacca, is the smallest state of the Malay Peninsula. It is bordered by Perak, Pahang and Singapore. The population is around 1.2 million and the capital is Malacca City.
The head of state is Sultan Mansur III Shah.
The language is Malay.
The currency is the Malaccan Dou (MLC).
History[]
The Malaccan sultanate, and the city it centered on, was founded in around 1400 by Iskandar Shah, fleeing the destruction of Singapore by Majapahit forces. From a small village Malacca grew quickly to dominate the trade routes of South-east Asia, helped no end by its advantageous position on the narrow strait which bears its name. In only 1411 the port was receiving the of the mighty Chinese admiral Zheng He and soon even the trade goods of western Leifia passed through its warehouses and merchants. Its good relations with China (and their considerable naval force) fended off would be competitors and was regarded as a 'partner' rather than a vassal, to which China normally regarded any foreign power or noble.
Malacca itself had little to offer to the trading mix, apart from a little tin; its wealth depended solely on the trade which passed through it and it even had to import rice to feed its own people. But physical growth followed wealth and, conquering its neighbours and defending itself against Siamese attacks, it would rule over much of the Malay peninsula and a section of Sumatra, spreading a standard Malay language, Islam (which it had adopted in the 1420s) and good laws in the process.
Meanwhile Europe's insatiable desire for spices fed a trade chain often ending in Malacca. While Venice had the monopoly on this for many years Portugal began to muscle into this during the late 15th century. When the Portuguese reached Malacca in 1512 they had already seized Goa and Calicut in India and while asking only for trade rights they would be ejected forcibly from the port. This only served to make Malacca a target for the Portuguese crown and, after several years of attacks, they finally seized Malacca in 1526. Immediately the empire splintered with various Malaccan nobles now calling themselves sultans all over the old Malaccan lands, founding Johor and the modern nations of Perak, Pahang, Kelantan, in the process.
Malacca would henceforth be a possession of the Portuguese crown but if they thought their seizure of the port and city would convey all of Malacca's riches to them they were much mistaken. Chronically underfunded and undermanned the city would be repeatedly besieged by the surviving Malay sultanates. Attempts to spread Christianity also foundered. Meanwhile the trade which the city relied so much on slowly ebbed away to other Malay ports who still had the old connections to their old markets. China was especially appalled, and would routinely destroy Portuguese fleets as and when they were discovered, and sent aid to the Muslim states of Malay and Java to resist Portuguese attacks.
Portugal did however manage to slowly turn a profit. It conquered the Minangkabau areas to the north, opened up mining ventures and helped develop an agricultural sector capable to sustaining its own population. Despite this, from the view of Lisbon it was regarded as a failed experiment and as domestic politics became chaotic in the wake of the 1755 Lisbon earthquake the foreign governors were left more or less to get on with the job themselves. Finally in 1799 it sold the entire territory to Austria in a fire-sale.
Austrian rule would be much less intrusive than that of Portugal. Its armed presence was lower and its trading fleet smaller so powers were ceded back to the Malaccan population. Austria effectively only controlled the grand Der Berühmte fortress, its port and its surrounding grounds. In 1837 after a series of treaties it was even allowed to resurrect the title of Sultan for a descendant of Iskandar Shah. By the Johor War Malacca was to all intents and purposes independent but in the war's aftermath it renewed its protectorate treaty with Austria.
Malacca would raise arms several times for Austria, coming close to invading Singapore during the War of Bavarian Succession in 1803 and would fight a proxy war against Kalmar-sponsored Perak during the First Imperial-Kalmar War.
Government[]
Years of European influence has left the country with a strong parliamentary tradition which has served to curb potential authoritarian excesses from the royal palace. Elections are held every four years.
The current Head of State is Mansur III Shah and the Prime Minister is Tun Abdul Onn.
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