Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v2.c14.t4.57

v2.c14.t4.57

In respect of Malacca, too, while we may assign the growth of an important kingdom on that site to early fifteenth century A.D., we need not date the foundation of a city under that name also to the same period. According to the popular version, there was only a village of twenty or thirty fishermen at the time when Parameśvara laid on it the foundations of the city of Malacca, and he survived it only for seven years. His death took place, according to the reliable Chinese version, some time between 1412 and 1414 A.D. Thus the future Malacca must have been, according to popular legends, merely a fishing village at least as late as 1405 A.D. Yet, in 1403 A.D., the Chinese emperor regarded Malacca as a port or a capital of sufficient importance to send his envoy there with presents. On the other hand, Ma Huan expressly says that the name Malacca came into use after 1409 A.D., though it was formerly called 'five islands' and was a tributary state under Siam¹. According to a Chinese map of the time of Cheng Ho, probably prepared by his companion Fei Hsin, one of these five islands, called Yiu-men, was a flourishing centre of trade before the rise of Malacca².