New sultanates from Melaka's line
After Melaka fell in 1511, several Malay states in the peninsula grew into strong sultanates of their own. Pahang, Perak, Terengganu and Selangor each had a different beginning, yet all were closely tied to the older kingdoms of Melaka and Johor-Riau.
Pahang and Perak
Pahang was already a vassal of Melaka; its sultanate was founded in 1470 when Sultan Muhammad Shah, a son of Melaka's Sultan Mansur Shah, became ruler. Perak was founded in 1528 by Sultan Muzaffar Shah I, the eldest son of the last Melaka ruler Sultan Mahmud Shah, so Perak directly continued the Melaka royal line.
Key idea
Pahang and Perak sprang from the Melaka royal family, while Terengganu and Selangor grew from the Johor-Riau and Bugis worlds.
Terengganu and Selangor
Terengganu was founded in 1725 by Tun Zainal Abidin (Sultan Zainal Abidin I), who came from the Johor royal house and made the state a thriving centre of trade and Islamic learning. Selangor was founded in 1766 when the Bugis leader Raja Lumu was installed as Sultan Salehuddin Shah at Kuala Selangor, an event recognised by the Sultan of Perak. Rich in tin, Selangor became the first Bugis sultanate in the peninsula and grew into a busy mining and trading power.
Remember
- Pahang — 1470, Sultan Muhammad Shah (from Melaka).
- Perak — 1528, Sultan Muzaffar Shah I (Melaka royal line).
- Terengganu — 1725, Tun Zainal Abidin (from Johor).
- Selangor — 1766, Raja Lumu / Sultan Salehuddin Shah (Bugis).