A BRIEF HISTORY OF MALAYSIA
The history of Malaysia is said to have its beginnings in the era of the Sultanate of Melaka around 1400 CE. At the height of its power the sultanate’s territory covered a major portion of the Peninsula and the East Coast of Sumatera. Strategically located in the middle of the maritime trade route between East Asia and West Asia the sultanate emerged as both a prosperous and powerful government. This allowed Melaka to flourish as the centre for the spice trade in South-East Asia. Since the Sultan himself embraced the religion of Islam it spread far and wide and became the main faith adhered by the people of Melaka. In the year 1511, Melaka fell in the hands of Portuguese invaders. This was the starting point of the era of colonisation by foreign powers in Malaya. This was followed by the Dutch invasion in 1641 and finally the British came and gained foothold in Malaya in 1824 through the English-Dutch treaty. The British colonisation was the longest of all and it exerted its might int...