histr37.htm

History

Hang Li Po and all that

- the Ming texts (Part 3)

by Geoff Wade

3. Envoys

One aspect of the MSL, in which it far overshadows other Chinese sources relating to the polity of Melaka, is its detail. The detail means that the names of envoys from Melaka to the Chinese court, omitted in most other text, are mentioned in the MSL. A number of these envoys can be linked with figures mentioned in the Sejarah Melayu. My attempts at reconstructing the names of the envoys can be seen in Appendix V. Some of the reconstructions may appear strange, but when the characters are read in Hokkien or Cantonese pronunciations, rather than Mandarin, the correlation becomes apparent.

The first envoy noted is found in a text recording the mission from Melaka in 1412. His name is represented as "Xi-li Sa-ma-la-zha-ya", and it is noted that he was a nephew of Parameswara.⁶² A possible, but by no means confirmed, reconstruction of this name is "Seri Amar Di-raja", which is recorded in Sejarah Melayu as the title of the early Bendaharas. Again in 1413, an envoy named "Sai-di-la-zhe" arrive in the Chinese capital. He is also recorded as a nephew of Parameswara.⁶³ This title appears to be an abbreviated variant of "Seri Dewa Raja", a title, so the Sejarah Melayu informs us, borne by Tun Perpatih Sandang, the second bendahara of Melaka, and father of Tun Perak and Tun Perpatih Putih.

In 1418, the envoy from Melaka is named in the MSL as "Sa-li Wang La-zha", and he is stated to be the elder brother of Megat Iskander Shah.⁶⁴ This title can be fairly firmly reconstructed as "Seri Wak Raja", a title which the 1612 rescension of the. Sejarah Melayu (Seriwa Raja in the 1536 recension) records as also being borne by Tun Perpatih Sandang.⁶⁵ Both major variants of the Sejarah Melayu record his son Tun Perpatih Putih as having gone as an envoy to China.⁶⁶ If the "Seri Dewa Raja" and "Seri Wak Raja" as noted in the MSL were the same person, the nephew of Parameswara was the elder brother of Megat Iskander Shah. However, regardless of whether these envoys were the same person, as both titles were used by Bendaharas, it is likely that the Bendaharas of Melaka led those early missions to China which were not led by the Melakan ruler.

In the 1420s however, there appears to have been a change in the nature of the Melakan envoys to China. The person who led the Melaka mission in 1402 is named in the Ming annals as "Duan Gu-ma-la-shi-di"⁶⁷ which can be tentatively reconstructed as "Tun Kumalu Setthi". Here we have a person bearing the Malay title "Tun" and the Thai epithet "setthi", which was used to refer to men of status and wealth. Many of the envoys from the polity of Ayudhya to China bore the "setthi" epithet. This appears to be the equivalent of the term "chelti" (in Malayalam), "shetti" (in Tamil) or the more familiar "chettiar", which Yule and Burnell gloss as. "a member of any of the trading castes in Southenrlndia."⁶⁸

In 1424, the name of the Melakan envoy is recorded as "Na-la-die-ba-na."⁶⁹ This very likely represents "Naina Dewana". The only Naina Dewana mentioned in the Sejarah Melayu, however, is a person stated to have been the leading merchant of Melaka during the reign of Sultan Mahmud.⁷⁰ This would have been 60 years after the date of the mission mentioned in the MSL, which suggests either that there were two persons named Naina Dewana, or that the compilers of the Sejarah Melayu conflated incidents and persons from different periods.

A person named as "Wu-bao Chi-na" is recorded in the MSL as the envoy from Melaka in 1431.⁷¹ Read in Hokkien pronunciation, this name bears a marked resemblance to the place name "Lubok China". The title "Dato Lubok China" was borne by Tun Zainal Abidin, a candidate for the position of Bendahara under Sultan Mahmud Shah.⁷² Here again there are chronological problems if we assume "Wu-bao Chi-na" to have been this Datuk Lubok China. The reconstruction of the name, however, is insufficiently certain to allow us to make further assumptions based upon it.

"La-dian Ba-la", the younger brother of the ruler Sri Maharaj, came to China together with the ruler in 1434.⁷³ The first two syllables certainly represent the title "Radin". In Sejarah Melayu, the sons of Sultan Megat are given as Radin Anum, Radfti Bagus and Radin Terigah⁷⁴, but none of these can be phonetically related to the MSL reference. Might "ba-la" be the Thai title "Phra", represented in references to Ayudhya by "Bei-la" or "Bo-la"?

The title of the envoy who arrived in China in 1439 and named in the MSL as "Mo-jia Zhe-la-zhe Man-da-Ii"⁷⁵ might well be reconstructed as "Megat Diraja Menteri". No one bears this title in the Sejarah Melayu, but other "menteri" titles in that work include "Seri Perdana Menteri" and "Tun Bijaya Maha Menteri". I am unable to suggest reconstructions for the names or titles of the Melakan envoys arriving in China in the 1440s.

An interesting name appears, however, in 1455, when the envoy from Melaka to China is noted as "Duan Ma-gu Ling-ding".⁷⁶ A very likely reconstruction is "Tun Megat Dinding"; The place name "Binding" is recorded quite early in the Sejarah Melayu as the sile of the city of Gangga Nagara.⁷⁷ I
l

It appears that by the 1450s, Melakan control extended as far north as today's Pangkor, and that a person connected with the area of the Dinding islands travelled as the Melakan envoy to China. A later text relating to the history of Perak⁷⁸ records the use of the title "Seri Dinding" in the 18th century. The "Ba-la-si" who arrived in China from Melaka in 1468 was obviously named "Bayazid" or "Bayajit", but cannot be definitely linked with any person bearing either of those names in Sejarah Melayu.

A possible concordance between Chinese and Malay sources can be seen in respect of the "Duan Ya-ma-Ia-di-na-da" who came to China as an envoy of Melaka in 1469 79 and 1481.⁸⁰ This title can be reconstructed as "Tun Amar Diraja". A Tun Amar Diraja is noted in the 1612 recension of the Sejarah Melayu as having participated in an attack on Pahang by Melakan forces during the reign of Mansur Shah. "Maka bendaharapun pergilah dengan tun Pikrama... dan tun Amar Diraja... dengan segala hulubalang sekalian."⁸¹ It is possible then that this envoy to China was one of the senior commanders engaged in the attack on Pahang during Sultan Mansur's reign. This is further suggested by the fact that another envoy in the 1481 mission to China, who was subsequently captured and killed by the Vietnamese, is named in the MSL as "Wei-zhe Ran-na." The final two syllables of this name represent "Rana", while the first two syllables possibly represent "Raja" (in Kedah pronunciation of Malay, the "r" is often pronounced as "w"). This supports the possibility that this person was Tun Rana, who is also recorded in the Sejarah Melayu quote cited above as having taken part in the attack on Pahang.

The last envoy to be noted is one "Huo-zhe Ya-liu" who is recorded as having come to China as part of a mission from Melaka in 1509.⁸² The MSL subsequently informs us that this person, probably named "Khoja Ali", was originally from China, and on this mission he conspired with Chinese officials to manufacture a seal with which to go and extort valuables from Brunei. Due to a dispute between the conspirators, Khoja Ali and his friends killed numerous persons. After having been discovered, he was arrested and executed by being cut to pieces.⁸³ This suggests that at least in the early 16th century, Chinese merchants from Melaka were included in the Melakan missions to the Ming state.

4. Society in Melaka

As the shi-li were intended as political records, there are but few references to Melakan society in the MSL Yet there are some points which can be gleaned.

In 1407, 1411 and 1415, it is specifically noted in the Chinese texts that the Melakan rulers and envoys were given copper cash to take back to Melaka. We see also in Suma Oriental that "the king of China allowed this Xaqem Darxa (Iskandar Shah) to take to Malacca tin money that is like ceitis [Portuguese coins]."⁸⁴ Whether these coins were in general circulation as a trade currency in 15th-century Melaka is unclear, but it is known that they played an important part in the Javanese economy at that time.

Melaka was apparently a city in which the possibilities for social mobility were high. We can take as an example a Chinese named Xiao Ming-ju, who fled China after being engaged in some sort of illegal activities. He found his way to Melaka, there became an interpreter and eventually came back to China as a member of a Melaka mission in 1509, bearing the name Khoja Ali.⁸⁵

Given the importance of popular beliefs in any society, it should perhaps be noted in passing that there is nothing in the Ming texts which supports the existence of Sultan Mansur's famed wife, the Chinese princess Hang Liu (or Hang Li Po). If indeed a member of the Chinese imperial household had married a ruler from beyond China, it would have been fully documented in the Ming Shi-lu or other official Chinese texts. No evidence for such a marriage exists in any of the Chinese texts examined. The Suma Oriental however does record that Iskander Shah married a Chinese woman brought by the Chinese captain who transported him back to Melaka "by command of the said king of China."⁸⁶ She was subsequently to give birth to Raja Putih. The ruler Mansur Shah is later also depicted in Suma Oriental as an avid collector of concubines.⁸⁷ It is thus possible that these two chronologically distinct elements were conflated into one account by the compilers of Sejarah Melayu. Another possibility is that fake envoys from China - and there are accounts in the MSL of such persons travelling to Melaka during the reign of Mansur Shah⁸⁸ - brought a woman to Melaka and assigned to her an imperial lineage, in order to gain favour or trade advantages.

5. Melaka and the Portuguese

In the MSL, the first mention of the Portuguese in relation to Melaka appears only in 1520⁸⁹, where it is noted that both the Fo-lang-ji ("Frank" - the name by which the Chinese knew the Portuguese) and Melaka had submitted documents which required the emperor's attention. The report goes on to state that the Portuguese had previously seized Melaka and had come to China "seeking enfeoffment". The Portuguese were, it should be stressed, a matter of immediate concern for China at this time as they were trying to establish a trading base in Guang-dong and attempting to gain China's recognition. Melaka had, apparently, previously memorialized seeking China's assistance against the Portuguese, "but no action had been taken". The MSL then goes on to inform us:

A while later, the Investigating Censor Qiu Dao-long memorialized: 'Melaka is a country which offers tribute and which has been Imperially enfeoffed. The Folang-ji have annexed it and, enticing us with gain, are seeking enfeoffment and rewards. Righteousness will not allow this. It is requested that their tribute be refused, that the difference between according and disobedience be clearly made known, and that they be advised that only after they have returned the territory of Melaka will they be allowed to come to Court to offer tribute.⁹⁰

In 1521, we see the arrival at the Chinese capital of another envoy from the ruler of Melaka, submitting a "gold-leaf memorial.⁹¹ The MSL does not tell us what the ruler of Melaka, whom we know from other sources was at that time based in Bentan, stated in his memorial, but we need only look at a letter written by Christovao Vieyra, a Portuguese who was captured and imprisoned by the Chinese, to get some idea of the contents. This and another letter are translated by Donald Ferguson, in a work entitled Letters from Portuguese Captives in Canton Written in 1534 and 1536.⁹² Vieyra tells us: "The Malays said that the ambassador of the king of Portugal who was in the country of China had not come in truth, that he had come falsely to the land of China in order to deceive, and that we went to spy out the lands ... and that as we had set up a stone on the land and had a house we should soon have the country for our own, that thus we had done in Malacca and in other parts; that we were robbers." ⁹³    The result of such accusations by the Melakan and subsequently by Chinese officials was that in August 1522 the members of the Portuguese mission were fettered and imprisoned. Those thus
treated included the head of the mission Tome Pires, who had authored Suma Oriental less than a decade previously.

This incident is particularly interesting as it may well be the basis of those sections in Hikayat Hang Tuah, where the Malay mission to China led by Hang Tuah, but representing "Benua Keling," is well-received, while the Portuguese are unable to obtain a royal audience. The Hikayat Hang Tuah notes that this was the reason the Portuguese subsequently attacked Melaka. Making allowances for this chronological inversion (the Portuguese did not arrive in China until after they had captured Melaka), the Hikayat version seems to accord well with the Chinese and Portuguese texts recording events in China in the early 1520s.⁹⁴

The later MSL references to Melaka in 1550, 1565 and 1569, all refer to Melaka under Portuguese administration and will not be examined here.#

(to be continued)

From "Malacca in Ming Dynasty Texts" by Dr Geff Wade, Centre of Asian Studies, University of Hong Kong, published in Vol. 70, Journal of the Malaysian Branch, Royal Asiatic Society (JMBRAS). . Published by permission of the author

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MSL - Ming Shi-lu (Ming Imperial Annals)
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62     Ming Tai-zong Shi-lu. jucm 129.3a (12-1601).
63     Ming Tai-zong Shi-lu. juan 142.2b-3a (13-1700/01).
64     Ming Tai-zong Shi-lu. jucui 203.1b (14-2098).
65     Situmorang and Teeuw (eds.), Sejarah Melayu menurut terbitan Abdullah, p. 97.

66     Brown (trans.), Sejarah Melayu,   p. 117; and Situmorang and Teeuw (eds.), Sejarah Melayu menurut terbitan Abdullah, p. 101.
67     Ming Tai-zong Shi-lu. juan 229.1b(14-2226).
68     H. Yule and A.C. Burnell, Hobsoii-Jobson: a Glossary of Colloquial Anglo-Indian Words and Phrases, reprint London, 1969. p. 189.
69     Ming Ren-zong Shi-lu. juan 5A.lb (15-0156).
70     Brown (trans.) Sejarah Melayu, p. 156.
71      Ming Xuan-ztmg Shi-lu. juan 76.6b-7a (20-1762/63).
72      Brown (trans.), Sejarah Melayu. p. 160.
73     Ming Xiian-zong Shi-lu, juan 110.4b (21-2468).
74     Brown (trans.), Sejarah Melayu. p. 42.
75     Ming Ying-zmig Shi-lu. juan 53.5b (24-1018).
76     Ming Ying-zong Shi-lu. jucin 256.8a (35-5223).
77      Brown (trans.), Sejarah Melayu. p. 7.
78      Ahmad Fauzi Mohd Basil Misn Melayu, p. 116.
79     Ming Xian-zmig Shi-lu. jium 65.3a (42-1315).
80     Ming Xiun-vmg Slii-lu. juan 218.1a (48-3769).
81      Situmorang and Teeuw, Sedjarah Melayu nienurur terbiian Abdullah, p. 109.
82     Ming Wu-zong Shi-lu. juan 45.3b (63-1028).
83     Ming Wu-zong Shi-lu. juan 59.4b-5b (64-1312/14).
84     Cortesao (trans.), Suma Oriental, p. 243.
85     Ming Wu-zong Shi-lu, juan 59.4b-5b (64-1312/14).
86     Cortes5o (trans.), Suma Oriental, p. 242. "
87     Ibid., p. 249.
88     Ming Xian-zong Shi-lu, jum 97.7b (43-1850).
89     Ming Wu-zong Shi-lu, juan 194.2b-3a (69-3630/31).
90     Ibid.
91      Ming Shi-zong Shi-lu. jiiiin 3.14b-15a (70-0142/43).
92     D. Ferguson, Letters from Portuguese Captives in Canton Written in 1534 and 1536, Bombay, 1902.
93     Ferguson, ibid.
94     Kassim Ahmad (ed.), Hikayat Hung Tuah. Devvan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Kuala Lumpur, 1994 (reprint), see pp. 448-50,518-26 and 588-92.
95     Ming Shi-zong Slii-lu. jium 106.5a (76-2507).

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APPENDIX III

- PRECIS OF REFERENCES TO MELAKA CONTAINED IN THE MING SHI-LU

Tai-zong
1403, Oct 28 - Ming court sends envoy to Melaka. 24.5b
1405, Oct 3   - Envoy sent by Bai-li-mi-su-la, ruler of country of Melaka,    46.2a-b
comes to court with Chinese envoy to offer tribute.
1405, Nov 11 - Mountain in Melaka enfeoffed as 'Mountain Protecting 47.4a-b
the Country'and inscription conferred.

1407, Oct 2 - Envoy sent by Melaka offers tribute. 71.1a
1407, Nov 20 - Noted that Melaka had complained to court that 72.4b-5a
Siam had been overbearing and had seized its seal.
1408, Oct 17   - Zheng He and others sent as envoys to Melaka and other 83.3b
places
1409, Feb 16   - Envoy sent by Bai-li-mi-su-la offers tribute to Ming court .   88.2a
1411, Aug 4 - Noted that Bai-li-mi-su-la was corning to court to   117.2a
offer tribute.
1411, Aug 14 - Bai-li-mi-su-la of Melaka comes to court with family 117.3b-4a
and attendants, totalling 540 persons.
1411, Oct 2     -   King of Melaka banqueted and rewarded on departure. 119.2b-3a
1412, Jul 27   - Nephew of Bai-li-mi-su-la comes to offer tribute. 129.3a
1412, Oct 20   - Nephew departs on return home. Court sends eunuch     132.2a
envoy to confer rewards on king.
1412, Dec 18 -   Zheng He and others sent as envoys to Melaka etc.   134.3a
1413, Sep 20   - Nephew of Bai-li-mi-su-la comes to court to offer tribute. 142.2b-3a
1413, Oct 1     - Noted that Melaka had asked court for Old Port   143.1b
Territory. Not given.
1414, Oct 5     - Mu-gan Sa-gan-di-er Sha, son of king of Melaka, comes 155.2b-3a
to court and advises that his father had died. Emperor orders that
Mu-gan Sa-gan-di-er Sha inherit position of king.
1415, Oct 11   -   Envoy from Melaka offers tribute.          168.1b-2a
1416, Nov 19 - Envoy from Melaka offers tribute.         182.1a
1416, Dec 28   -   Zheng He and others sent to reward king of Melaka 183.1a-2a
and others.
1418, Sep 3     -   Elder brother of Mu-gan Sa-gan-di-er Sha, offers tribute.      203.1b
1419, Sep 23   - Envoys sent by Yi-si-han-da-er Sha, king of Melaka,       216.1a
offer tribute.
1419, Oct 30   - Ming court warns Siam against carrying out its plan to   217.1a-b
send troops against Melaka.
1420, Oct 19   - Envoy sent by king of Melaka offers tribute.    229.1b
1421, Feb 26   - Envoy sent by Melaka offers tribute.      233.5a
1423, Oct 24   -   Envoys sent by Melaka arrive at capital.   263.2a
1424, Apr 20   - Xi-li Ma-ha-la-zha, king of Melaka, comes to Ming   269.3b
court, offers tribute and advises that his father had died and that he was now ruler.
1424, Apr 30   -   King of Melaka departs on return home. 270.1b

Ren-zong
1424, Dec 20 -   Envoy sent by country of Melaka offers tribute. 5A.1b

Xuan-zong
1426, Jun 18   -   Envoy sent by .Xi-li Ma-ha-la-zha offers tribute. 17.17a
1430, Jun 29   -   Zheng He and others sent to take orders and
rewards to ruler of Melaka and others.
1431, Mar 20 -   Three chieftains from Melaka, who came to China on 76.6b - 7a
Samuderan ship, advise that their king wants to come to Court but has been
obstructed by country of Siam. Request that court sends orders restraining Siam.

Emperor orders that the three chieftains be sent home on Zheng He's ships.
1433, Nov 28 -   Xi-li Ma-ha-la-zhe, king of Melaka, arrives in 106.1 1a-b
Nan-jing. Ordered to rest in Nan-jing until spring.
1434, May 26 -   Xi-li Ma-ha-la-zhe and brother La-dian Ba-Ia 110.4b
offer tribute
1434, Jun 20 -   Xi-li Ma-ha-la-zhe and others richly rewarded and       110.11a
depart on return journey home.

Ying-zong
1435, April   -   La-dian Ba-la, sent by elder brother Xi-li Ma-ha-la-zhe    3.5a
offers tribute.
1435, Apr 28   - Emperor advises king of Melaka that Guang-dong       4.1a
province had been ordered to provide transport home for him and envoys from
other countries.
1439, Apr 23   - Envoy sent by country of Melaka offers tribute.    53.5b
1444, Dec 23   - Envoy sent by country of Melaka offers tribute.    123.3a
1445, Mar 28 - Envoy sent by country of Melaka offers tribute.    126.7a
1445, Apr 20   - Melaka envoy requests conferral of headwear and belt.       127.4a
Approved.
1445, May 5    - Envoy from Melaka advises that king of Melaka, named 127.10a
Xi-li Ba-ma-xi-wa-er Diu-ba Sha wished to be provided with imperial letter of
protection for the country, as well as a ship in which to travel to China. Emperor
orders that a ship be provided.
1455, May 30   - Envoy sent by Su-lu-tan Wu-da-fo-na Sha, king of Melaka,     253.6a
offers tribute.
1455, Sep 4     - Envoy sent by country of Melaka offers tribute and requests 256.8a
replacement of ceremonial headwear and robes previously conferred upon their
king, which had been destroyed by fire.
1456, Jun 23   - Noted that Nai Ai, chief envoy from Melaka, had committed    266.8b
rape and then killed himself. Deputy envoy completed mission but on return
journey officials claimed that Nai Ai's children still had pearls and precious
stones which should have been given in tribute. Investigations ordered, but
no such goods were found in their possession.
1459, Jul 7      - Envoy sent by Su-dan Mang-su Sha, son of king of Melaka        304.2a
offers tribute.
1459, Sep 13   - Ming court sends envoy to enfeoff Su-dan Mang-su Sha,    306.5a-b
son of deceased Su-lu-tan Wu-da-fo-na Sha, as king of the country of Melaka.
1461, Apr 27   - Ministry of Rites notes that the ship on which the court envoys 326.4a-b
court envoys had been sent to Melaka had been damaged at sea and that the envoys
had been rescued by troops from Hai-nan. The presents for conferral had been
damaged and thus ministry suggested that new silks be provided and that envoys
continue on mission. Emperor approves proposal.
Xian-zong
1467, Oct 30   - Noted that mission to enfeoff Su-lu-tan Wu-da-fo-na Sha 47.1a-b
had been completed some time previously.
1468, Nov 2    - Envoy sent by Melaka offers tribute.                                59.5a
1469, Apr 25   - Envoy sent by Melaka offers tribute.                                65.3a
1469, Jun 6    - Envoy from Melaka rewarded.                                        66.7a

1471, Nov 28 - Noted that persons from Fukien had sailed to Melaka              97.7b
and privately traded there.
1473, May 3    - Ryukyu envoy notes that a ship they had sent to Melaka     115.2a
to purchase tribute products had been damaged and was waiting in Fukien.
1475, Jan 21    - Court envoys to Champa, after being unable to enter        136.6a-b
Champa due to its occupation by Annam forces, sailed to trade in Melaka.
At this time, they returned with envoy from Melaka to offer tribute.
1475, Jun 9     - Envoy sent by Melaka offers tribute. Imperial orders     141.2b-3a
sent to Su-dan Mang-su Sha, lauding him for assisting Ming court envoy to Champa.
1481, Aug23 - Court sends envoy to go and enfeoff Ma-ha-mu Sha,            217.5a
son of Su-dan Mang-su Sha, as king of the country of Melaka.
1481, Aug27 - Envoys sent by country of Melaka offer tribute.           218.1a
Envoys request ceremonial headwear and belts. Approved by emperor.
1481, Sep 23   - Envoy from Melaka notes that in 1469/70, Melakan envoys   219.1a-b
returning from Chinese court had been captured and killed in Annam.
Also notes that Annam king, having captured Champa, intended to annex
Melaka's territory. Imperial orders sent to Melaka requiring it to train forces
to defend itself.
1481, Nov 6    - Noted that court envoys sent to Champa in 1478 had also    220.4a-b
gone to trade in Melaka before returning to China.
1484, Jan 26    - Court sends envoys to enfeoff Ma-ha-mu Sha as king         252.7a
of the country of Melaka. Ordered as ships in which envoys sent in 1481
had travelled had sunk and they had not reached there.
1485, Jun 25   - Noted that Samarkand envoys intended to return home via         266.3b
Melaka in order to purchase a lion to offer in tribute to China.
1485, Oct 7     - Deputy envoy sent by Ming court in 1484 to enfeoff     269.7a-b
king of Melaka advised that senior court envoy had died en route to Guang-dong.
Court orders that a new official be selected and that the mission proceed
to Melaka.
1487, Apr 16   -   Deputy envoy who had been sent to country of Melaka            288.5b
returns with memorial from king of Melaka and other goods offered as presents.
1487, Apr 20   - Noted that A-li, a person from Mecca, had brought large         288.8a
amounts of goods in Melaka and accompanied court deputy envoy on his return
to China. Claimed that he wished to seek his brother in Yun-nan Emperor
considered him trader and ordered that he be sent back to Canton.
Xiao-zong
1489, Dec 10 - Noted that envoys from Samarkand had come to court via     32.4a-b
Melaka and Canton. Presented lions, parrots and other goods.
1503, Oct 27   - Noted that Ryukyu envoy who had been en route to Melaka   204.2a
had been shipwrecked off Hainan.
1504, Dec 26 - Noted that Ryukyu ship on voyage to Melaka to purchase     218.9a
tribute goods had sunk in Chinese waters.
Wu-zong
1508, Dec 29 - Envoys sent by king of country of Melaka offer tribute     45.2b
Rewarded with dragon robes.
1509, Jan 2     - Melakan envoy asks that Guang-dong be ordered to repair 45.3b
their ship which had been damaged by typhoon. Approved by emperor.

1510, Mar 2    - Noted that one of the envoys from Melaka, who was 59.4b - 5a
originally from Jiang-xi in China, plotted together with Chinese officials
in order to obtain false seal with which to extort valuables from Brunei.
Due to dispute, he killed his accomplices. Discovered and executed.
1510, Sep 1     -   Noted that ships from Melaka were subject to                      65.8b-9a
proportional tax on their cargoes.
1514, Jun 27   - Noted that many of the aromatics, ivory etc traded in                 113.2a
Guang-dong originated from Melaka and other SE Asian ports.
1520, Oct 23   - Noted that both the Fo-lang-ji (Portuguese) and Melaka     191.1b-2b
had submitted documents which required attention of emperor.
1521, Jan 13    - Noted that previously the Fo-lang-ji had seized Melaka     194.2b-3a
Chinese officials urged that Portuguese be ordered to return the seized territory.
Shi-zong
1521, Jul 25    - Envoys from Melaka offer tribute and are rewarded.    3.14b - 15a
1521, Aug 31 - Noted that previously the Portuguese had driven Sultan      4.27b
Mansur Shah away from Melaka. Portuguese then sent an envoy to Chinese
court, as did Melaka. Emperor orders that Portuguese return Melaka's territory.
1523, Apr 6    - Noted that previously Bie-du-lu (Pedro) had plundered 24.8a-b
Melaka . At this time he was captured in China.
1529, Nov 7    - Noted that previously the Fo-lang-ji person named 106.5a
Huo-zhe Ya-san was executed for acting illegally, and ships from Melaka
and Annam were barred from China.
1550, Sep 1     - Noted that previously fan persons from Melaka enticed   363.5b-6a
Chinese coastal people to accompany them on trading missions across the
ocean. Subsequently, they engaged in pillage and were executed.
1565, May 16 - Arrival noted of a yi chieftain who first claimed to be from 545.5a
Melaka and then said that he was from Pu-li-du-jia (Portugal).

* * *

Notes:

1.    This precis retains the concepts and terminology presented in the Ming Shi-lu. It therefore represents the Chinese court's perceptions of events, and should not be considered a critical summary of Melakan-Ming links.

2.     In this listing, the numbers on the right indicate the juan and page numbers of the references in the respective shi-lu. The letters 'a' and 'b' indicate the recto (front) and verso (back) of the folio. Thus, 24.5b under Tai-zong refers to page 5 (verso) of juan 24 in the Tai-zong Shi-lu.

3.     The dates given are Julian, converted in accordance with Keith Hazelton's A Synchronic Chinese-Western Daily Calendar 1341-1661 A.D.

4.     Full translations of all references can be found in   G.P. Wade, "The Ming Shi-lu (Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty) as a source for Southeast Asian History - 14th to 17th Centuries", Hong Kong University PhD Thesis 1994. Copies are available from: The Librarian, University of Hong Kong.

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APPENDIX V

HEADS OF MISSIONS FROM MELAKA TO CHINA AS RECORDED IN THE MING SHI-LU

Date of Reference        Name of Mission Head         Suggested Reconstruction
                Given in Ming Shi-lu
                (in Mandarin phonetics)

1409, Feb l6             A-bu-Ja Jia-xin            Abdullah Hassan (?)
1411, Aug l4            Bai-li-mi-su-la (ruler)            Parameswara
1412, Jul 27            Xi-Ji Sa-ma-lan-zha-ya        Sri Amar Diraja (?)
1413, Sep 20           Sai-di-Ja-zhe                Sri Diraja
1414, Oct 5            Mu-gan Sa-yu-di-er Sha (ruler)     Megat Iskandar Shah
1418, Sep 3            Sa-Ii-wang-la-zha            Seri Wak Raja
                (brother of ruler)
1419, Sep 23        Yi-si-han-da-er Sha (ruler)        Iskander Shah
1420, Oct l9            Duan Gu-ma-la-shi-di        Tun Kumalu Setthi
1424, Apr 20         Xi-li Ma-ha-la-zhe (ruler)        Sri Maharaja
1424, Dec 20         Na-la-die-ba-na            Naina Dewana
1426, Jim 26         Yi-si-ma                Ismail
1431, Mar 20         Wu-bao Chi-na            Lubok China (?)
1433, Nov 28         Xi-li Ma-ha-la-zhe (ruler)        Sri Maharaja
1435, Apr 11           La-dian Ba-la                Radin Phra (?)
                (brother of ruler)
1439, Apr 23           Mo-jia-zhe-la-zhe Man-da-li        Megat Diraja Mentri(?)
1444, Dec 23           Song-na-di-la-ye               .....Diraja (?)
1445, Mar 28         Mo-zhe-na                ?
1455, May 30        Ma-na-hong               ?
1455, Sep 4            Duan Ma-gu Ling-ding        Tun Megat Dingding
1456, Jun 23            Nai Ai                    Nai Ai
1468, Nov 2            Ba-la-si                Bayazid
1469, Apr 25         Duan Ya-ma-la-di-na-da        Tun Amar Diraja
1475, Jun 9             Duan Ma-mi                Tun Mahmud
1481, Aug27         Duan Ya-ma-la-di-na-zha        Tun Amar Diraja
1481, Sep 23           Wei-zhe Ran-na            Raja Rana (?)
1508, Dec 29           Duan Ya-zhi (deputy envoy)        Tan Haji (?)
1509, Jan 2             Huo-zhe Ya-liu            Khoja Ali (?)
1521,Aug31            Wei-xi-ying                             ?

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