Foreign documents and the descriptions of Melaka between A.D. 1505-1511
The period of the Malacca Sultanate, which lasted from 1400 to 1511 AD, was a landmark in the history of Malaysia. It was situated at a strategic position at the Straits of Malacca and controlled domestic and international trade in the Malay Archipelago. Malacca played a major role in the diffusion of Islam in Southeast Asia, and the Malay language became a lingua franca in the region. In the early 16th century, Malacca was described in many foreign sources which provide useful information about the last years of the Sultanate before Malacca fell to the Portuguese Empire.
