Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v2.c14.t2.37

v2.c14.t2.37

According to the History of the Ming Dynasty³ the Chinese emperor sent envoys to this country in 1403 and 1404. The latter also sent tributes to China before a third imperial envoy, Cheng Ho, came in 1405. About this time the neighbouring king of Na-ku-erh defeated and killed the king of Sumutra. The widowed queen, having no grown-up son to avenge the foul crime, offered to marry any one who could do so. Thus an old fisherman who defeated and killed the king of Na-ku-erh became king of Sumutra. The emperor issued an edict appointing this fisherman, named Tsai-nu-li-a-pi-ting-ki¹ king of Sumutra, and gave him a seal, a commission, and a court-dress of coloured silk. In 1409 this fisherman king came and offered tribute at the imperial court. But before 1412 he was murdered by the son of the late king, and his son Su-kan-la (Sekander) fled into the mountains. But the Chinese supported the cause of the old king's son and defeated Su-kan-la. According to Hsing Cha Sheng Lan, Su-kan-la usurped the throne in 1413, but was defeated by the Chinese troops. The new king of Sumutra was grateful for the imperial favour and came to the imperial court in 1415 to offer tribute. He regularly sent tributes to China till 1434, when he sent a younger brother to the court.² The brother represented that the king was already old and could not manage the affairs any more, and now asked permission to cede the throne to his son, called A-pu-sai,³ who was accordingly appointed king of the country. From this time the envoys from Samudra became gradually more rare. The last embassy was sent in 1486. The Chinese accounts seem to show that Samudra had become the most important centre of trade and it was also politically the most important. Ma Huan says that the neighbouring state of Li-tai was a dependency of Sumutra. Schlegel identifies Li-tai with the state named Lide by Barros and situated between Pedir and Pirada, which lay west of Pacem.⁴