Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v2.c13.126

v2.c13.126

I must also state that it is usually held, though without sufficient reason, that the term Malaya as designating the Malay Peninsula came into use only in the seventeenth century A.D. (J. Mal. Br. R. A. S. 1930, p. 85), presumably in consequence of the migration of a large number of Malays from Sumatra, in the fifteenth century A. D. (B. C. A. I., 1909, p. 184). Blagden refers to I-tsing's Malayu and infers that Malaya country *par excellence*, was in Central Sumatra, a fact agreeing very well with native Malay tradition on the subject which derives the origin of many of the Malays of the Peninsula from the old Central Sumatran state of Minangkabau (J. Str. Br. R. A. S. No. 32 pp. 211-213). This view admits the possibility of the name Malaya being applied to the Peninsula at an earlier date. (cf. Crawfurd—Dictionary pp. 250-252).