Carrying on Melaka's ways
Although Melaka fell in 1511, its ideas about ruling did not disappear. The sultanates of Pahang, Perak, Terengganu and Selangor inherited Melaka's system of government, its laws, its religion and its culture. This shared heritage is why the Malay states of the peninsula still feel so alike today.
Government and law
Like Melaka, these states were led by a sultan at the top, helped by great ministers such as the bendahara (chief minister), temenggung, penghulu bendahari and laksamana. They followed Adat Temenggung, a patrilineal custom. Melaka's written laws, the Hukum Kanun Melaka and Undang-Undang Laut Melaka, inspired their own codes, such as the Undang-Undang 99 Perak.
Key idea
Melaka's legacy lived on through the sultan's government, Islamic law and custom, the Malay language in Jawi, and royal ceremonies.
Religion, language and custom
Islam remained the official religion, guiding daily life, festivals and the courts, and the Malay language written in Jawi script was used for letters, laws and literature. Royal ceremonies, titles and regalia (alat kebesaran) followed Melaka tradition, and court officials kept the same ranks and duties. Because they shared these customs, the four states could trade, marry and cooperate easily. In this way Pahang, Perak, Terengganu and Selangor preserved a shared Malay heritage that still shapes them today.
Remember
- System of government: sultan plus four great ministers.
- Adat Temenggung (patrilineal custom) was followed.
- Laws based on the Hukum Kanun Melaka.
- Islam, Malay language, Jawi and royal ceremonies were inherited.