Malay Annals/Chapter 29

IT is related that the raja of Legor, named Maha Raja Dewa Sura, was ordered by the raja of Siam to attack Pahang. He advanced with a host conjectured to amount to two coti, and his approach was announced to the raja of Pahang. Sultan Abdal Jamil collected his subjects, and strengthened the fortress, and repaired all the implements of war. The news of this invasion reached Malaca, and Sultan Mahmud called the bandahara Sri Maha Raja with all the mantris to a council to advise concerning the affairs of Pahang, which was going to be attacked by the raja of Legor.

Sri Nara di Raja said, "Sire, in my opinion it is proper to send and succour Pahang, for whatever befalls it, it is only Your Majesty's name which will be brought in question." "Very true," said the Prince, "and therefore it will be advisable that the bandahara should proceed thither with all the champions." "Very well," said the bandahara, who immediately prepared, and took his departure with Sang Saten, Sang Naya, and Sang Guna, and Tun Viajit, and Sang Jaya Pacrama, and the prahus were numerous as a float of timber, and could not be numbered.

At this time the subjects of the city of Malaca alone, besides those of the coast and villages, amounted to ninety lac. The bandahara proceeded to Batu Pahat, where he met the laksamana coming from the river Raya, which was under the laksamana, according to the custom of that time. At this time the fleet of Sangay Raja amounted to forty prahus, besides lancharangs of three masts. Then the laksamana, Khwajet Hasan, came to meet the bandahara. The bandahara said to him, "Gentle, come let us proceed to Pahang. I have not yet received His Majesty's orders," said the laksamana. "But I have," said the bandahara. "Neither have I yet paid my respects to His Majesty," said the laksamana. "But I have," said the bandahara," therefore let us join hands on the subject." The laksamana had nothing more to object, and therefore proceeded with the bandahara Sri Maha Raja.

When they reached Pahang, they found the half of the fort remaining unfinished, with the vestiges of recent fire on it. This circumstance is alluded to in the following pantun,

"The fort of Pahang is consumed with fire, Between Jati and Cabantayan I do not prevent you from marrying another,

But that is not the agreement between us."

Then the bandahara went and presented himself before the Sultan of Pahang, who was highly gratified at receiving this assistance from Malaca. "Our fort is not yet finished," said the raja, "but it will now be completed by your assistance." "Very well," said the bandahara, and he ordered the Malaca men to exert themselves in constructing the fortifications; and he ordered the laksmana to superintend their operations. He set immediately about the work with great good-will, and exerted himself so much that the people were wont to say, "that the laksamana wrought with his hand, with his foot, and also with his mouth," and in the space of three days the fort was completed.

The raja of Legor soon advanced with all his host, which was innumerable, and commenced the war in a manner which cannot be described; and the soldiers of Legor died like hens of the pip (sempar). The men of Malaca and Pahang attacked them, and they gave way, and were broke and completely dispersed entirely. Maha Raja Dewa Sura fled to the uplands of Pahang, and proceeding straightly by land to Calantan, he returned to Legor. Then the raja of Pahang gave an honorary dress to the bandahara Sri Maha Raja, who took his leave and returned to Malaca. When Sultan Mahmud learned that Pahang had not been conquered he was  greatly pleased, and he also conferred honorary dresses on those who had distinguished themselves according to their rank.

There was a mantri of Sultan Mahmud, named Tun Parapati the Black, deriving his origin from Tun Janu Bugu Dendany, (the crow). He had a son named Tun Hasan, who was very handsome, and who used to say, "that if anybody affronted his father, he would run amok." Now it happened that Tun Parapati the Black had a very sharp altercation with a merchant, who complained to the bandahara. The laksamana was present at the hearing, for it was the ancient custom of Malaca, that when the bandahara investigated a cause, the laksamana and temangung should not be separate from him, and if anybody offered an affront to the bandahara, the laksamana put him to death; and if it was proper to apprehend or fetter anybody, it was the temangung who was to apprehend him. Such was the custom of ancient time.

When Tun Parapati was summoned by the bandahara, Tun Hasan also came to find his father. When Tun Parapati saw him, thinking, perhaps, he would not be as good as his word, he arose, and scraping the mat with his foot, said, "Mantri, what sort of a thing is this, to examine people in this manner?" The laksamana instantly unsheathed his sword, Leken; and said, "Gentle, how dare you venture to scrape the mat before the bandahara," and instantly he cut him down with a single blow, and Tun Parapati immediately expired.

When Tun Hasan saw his father slain, he drew his creese. The laksamana said, "Intend you treason, Tun Hasan;" the instant the laksamana spoke, everybody fell upon Tun Hasan, and stabbed him; and though the laksamana did all he could to prevent them, they would not listen to him from the hubbub, and Tun Hasan also expired. Then the laksamana went in and related the circumstances of the case, and the raja said, "It has happened precisely as I could have wished, it is my order that the laksamana should cooperate with the bandahara. Whoever affronts the bandahara affronts me, and it is proper to slay him."

It is related that there is a country named Cota Meliyei, the raja of which was a Moslem, and named Raja Suleeman. This country came to be mentioned in Siam as a very fine country, but not subject to Siam. A son of the King of Siam, named Chaw Sri Bangsa, proposed to go and reduce it, and proceeded against it accordingly, with an innumerable host, like the leaves of the trees; and when he reached Cota Meliyei, Raja Suleeman came out, and engaged Chaw Sri Bangsa, man to man, and each of them mounted on his elephant.

Chaw Sri Bangsa declared, "That if he was victorious over Raja Suleeman, he would assume the doctrine of Islam." So it happened providentially, that Cota Meliyei was taken, and raja Suleeman slain; and all his subjects reduced to subjection. Then Chaw Sri Bangsa adopted the Islam faith, and he ordered all the astrologers to search out a place for founding a city.

Now there was a fisherman who followed his daily occupation, and resided on the seashore; and who had a son named Tani, whence he was called Pa tani (Tani's father). The astrologers, or Samis, agreed at last, that the place where Patani resided, was a good situation for a city, and reported it to Chaw Sri Bangsa, who ordered a city to be built on that spot, with walls and fortifications, and that its name should be called Patani, after the name of the fisherman; which name it retains to this day; according to the pronunciation of the Arabs; however, it is named Fatani.

After this, Chaw Sri Bangsa sent Augunpal (O-khun-phun) to the raja of Malaca, to request the nobuts to be granted him, as he had entered Islam. O-khun-phun accordingly proceeded to Malaca, and was on an elephant, and conducted to court, according to the practice of ancient time; and the letter was read in the hall of audience, to the following purport. "May the respectful homage of the son reach his father the Paduca Sri Sultan! the exalted! the King of Kings! the sublime shadow of God in the world! Be it known, that his son, the paduca, has sent O-khun-phun to his father's presence, to request the nobuts from His Majesty, the Paduca, his father."

Sultan Mahmud was highly gratified by this letter, and presented the nobuts with all their accoutrements, and presented O-khun-phun likewise with an honorary dress, according to the ancient custom, and caused a letter to be written to Chaw Sri Bangsa, in which he gave him the name of Sultan Ahmed Shah. Then O-khun-phun returned to Patani, and presented the letter, and Sultan Ahmed Shah of Patani assumed the nobuts accordingly.

After some time, the raja of Kedeh arrived at Malaca, and wanted to request the nobuts also; and was seated by the Prince, above all the chatriyas, while he made inquest regarding the raja of Kedeh. On a certain occasion, the bandahara, Sri Maha Raja, sat in the hall with a numerous audience of courtiers present, all the mantris attending; and among the rest the Temangung Hasan. Meantime a repast was served up, and first the bandahara ate alone, while the rest waited; for it was not the ancient custom for anybody to eat with the bandahara; but after he had eaten, then they might eat. At this time the raja of Kedeh arrived, and was immediately requested by the bandahara to come up; and he came up accordingly, and seated himself along with Tun Hasan, the Temangung.

The bandahara had done eating, and the rest of the victuals were set before Tun Hasan, the Temangung, and all the other mantris. Tun Hasan said to the raja of Kedeh, "Come let us eat." "Very well," said the rajah of Kedeh. Said the bandahara, "Don't let the raja eat my leavings." "No matter," said the rajah of Kedeh, for the bandahara is an aged man, and I regard him as a father." Then the raja eat of the leavings, along with Tun Hasan; after which, the betel-box was produced, and they eat accordingly. After remaining some time in Malaca, the rajah of Kedeh requested the nobuts of the Sultan, which were granted him, and he returned to Kedeh.

At this time Malaca was in a very flourishing state, and the general resort of merchants; from Ayer Leleh (the trickling stream) to the entrance of the bay of Moar, was one uninterrupted market place. From the Keling town, likewise, to the bay of Penajar, the buildings extended along the shore, in an uninterrupted line. If a person sailed from Malaca to Jagra, there was no occasion to carry fire with one, for wherever he stopped he would find peoples' houses. On the eastern side likewise from Malaca, as far as Batu Pahat (hewn-stone) there was the same uninterrupted succession of houses; and a great many people dwelt along the shore; and the city of Malaca, without including the exterior, contained nineteen lacsa of inhabitants (190,000.)

After some time there arrived a Frangi vessel from Goa, to trade at Malaca, and observed that Malaca was a very fine and beautiful country, and well regulated. All the people of Malaca came crowding to see the appearance of the Frangis, and they were greatly surprised as they had not been accustomed to see the Frangi figure; and they said, "Why these are white Bengalis;" and about every one of the Frangis the Malaca men were crowding by tens to view them, twisting their beards, and clapping their heads, and taking off their hats, and laying hold of their hands.

The capitan then went to the bandahara Sri Maha Raja, and the bandahara adopted him as his son; and the capitan presented the bandahara with two hundred chains of gold set with gems of extreme beauty, and Manilla workmanship, and he threw it over the neck of the bandahara. The people present were going to be in a passion with that Frangi, but the bandahara would not let them, saying "Do not maltreat people who are ignorant of the language;" so kind was he to them, and the capitan adopted the bandahara as his father.

When the monsoon arrived, the capitan returned to Goa, and reported to the vizier the greatness of Malaca, and its great population. Now the name of the great vizier was Alphonsus Albuquerco, and he began to covet it eagerly, when he heard how fine a country Malaca was. He accordingly ordered a fleet of seven ships and thirteen galleons to be fitted out; and he appointed Gonsalvo Pereira to be captain-admiral to attack Malaca.

When they reached Malaca they began to fire away with their cannon, and all the people of Malaca were frightened when they heard the sound of their cannon, saying, "What sound is this like thunder?" And the bullets came and struck the people who were on the land, and some had their necks severed, and some had their waists, and some their hands and their feet. The terror grew constantly worse and worse, and they said, "What is the name of this weapon which is so round? It is not sharp, yet will it kill."

On the morrow all the lads of Portugal landed with about two thousand musketry, besides black men, and the Malaca men drew out their force, with Tun Hasan the Temangung at their head, and met the Frangi army; and the noise of the fight roared and rung on either side, with the sound of descending weapons, like a thick-falling shower. Then when the onset began, Tun Hasan the Temangung, commenced the attack according to the mode of amok, and beat back the Frangis, and their corpses lay scattered as far as the shore of the sea, and they returned on board their ships, and sailed away to Goa, where they related all the events of the war of Malaca to the viziers of that country.

The great vizier was greatly enraged, for a great number of men had perished, and yet they had not got possession of Malaca. Afresh he made preparations to attack Malaca. Captain Mor, however declared, "It is my opinion that while the bandahara Sri Maha Raja lives, however large the fleet that attacks Malaca, it will not prove victorious." Alphonso Albuquerco replied, "Why do you talk in such a strain. What resource is there while I am not at liberty to quit Goa? But whenever I lay down the rank of vizier, I myself will go and attack Malaca, and it shall be seen whether or not I shall conquer it." But no preparations were made for another attack on Malaca, and how many times ten years are supposed to have elapsed before the plan was resumed!