coup d'etat in ancient Malay Sultanate (Melaka) Part2

Part2.

Tun Ali bin Mani Purindan is brother to Raja Kassim's mother. As uncle, he couldn't bear to see Raja Kassim who's an able man and fit to be the sultan live as peasant , as compared to the minor king that's being used by Raja Rokan to impose his influence on the administration of the kingdom. Tun Ali had many fiends of Muslims traders who started to frequently harbouring Melaka port. Their numbers were increased from time to time since the conversion of Melaka sultan to Islam. They comprised of traders from Gujerat, Benggala, Bombay, Hadhramaut, Jeddah, Habshah,Persia, Turkey and other smaller states.

Some of the ships of Muslim traders were also equipped with sufficient weaponry for the protection from piracy or any other enemies. Tun Ali met some Arab ship captains and told them the situation in Melaka, the only way to save it is through coup d'etat, considering the current support towards palace had weakened due to abuse of power by Raja Rokan where many ministers and court officials were not in favor with the running of the throne. One ship capatain agreed to the condition if this plan is successful, he wanted the Raja Paraeswara Dewa Syah's (the minor king)mother, the Puteri Rokan, been given to be his wife as reward for his mercenaries. Tun Ali agreeable to that.

At one black night, all the muslims ships crews from Arabs and India assembled at the port of Melaka complete with fighting weapon, Tun Ali and local fighting from those who sympathized with the fate of Raja kassim joined the attacking army. They move in the night to Bendahara Seri Wak Raja residence, with Raja Kassim on top of an elephant they stopped at the Bendahara's main gate. Tun Ali came to Bendahara's house and called Bendahara said the king summons Bendahara ("titah memanggil Datok naik ke gajah!!") to join his highness on the elephant waiting outside the gate at once. And so Dato Bendahara Sri Wak Raja rushed underdressed to the elephant thinking it is the reigning king waiting for him.

To his surprise it was Raja Kassim, not Raja Parameswara Dewa Syah. And he saw many fighting men complete with war gears surround the Raja Kassim elephant. Bendahara understood they all were there to invade the palace and overthrow the raja Rokan's men. Bendahara cannot say much but to condone and saying "Raja Kassim pun tuan kepada kita juga" or Raja Kassim is my lord too.

The attacking party moved to the palace and attacked at once. It were chaos and havoc that night. Raja Kassim ordered the men not to kill Raja Rokan first , fearing his brother the minor king who's always inhis arms be killed if they do anything unto Raja Rokan, but the atmosphere was so noisy with men shouting and fighting. The palace was defended mostly by palace guards and Raja Rokan's loyal men. Some soldiers knowing that this is a coup d'etat by the elder prince, stayed away from the fight and be neutral,

The palace side was defeated and the ianvading fighters did not know Raja Kassim order. They especially those who has long dislikened Raja Rokan's attitude and manners attacked him and had succeed to injure him. Knowing he was inh=jured he then killed the minor king first whilst many tried to take the king away from him but Raja Rokan hugged the king so tightly. With no choice they finished the life of Raja Rokan.. and the minor King was already dead by Raja Rokan's keris.

Tun Ali had selected one beautiful palace attendant to impersonate like Puteri Rokan, and she's given to the Arab ship capatain who has cooperated to bring Muslims trader to join the invading team.

Raja Kassim then succeeded to become the next Melaka king with title Sultan Muzaffar Syah where he is the first to use Sultan as the king title replacing formerly used Raja.. since the use of name Sultan, Islam then was considered to become official religion to Melaka kingdom and later on by all malays throughout Malays Archipelagoes.

coup d'etat in ancient malay sultanate - part 1

according to sulalatus salatin (the malay annals), a narrative records of Melaka Sultanate, there was a coup d'etat during the early establishment of this kingdom.



Sultan Muhammad Syah has many wives. So, the wife of royal blood has priority of her son to become heir of the throne. however when Sultan Muhammad Syah died, the heir of royal blood was still a minor, around 5 - 7 years of age, which obviously had no interest about ruling a kingdom or a government. At the same time, the late sultan has another elder son but not of royal blood wife, that was Raja Kassim.


The minor heir was installed as new king of Melaka as Parameswara Dewa Syah. His mother was Puteri Raja Rokan (Rokan was one of vassal state of Melaka). Since he was still a minor knowing nothing about the affairs of state administration, trading and protocols except playing with his peers and servants. Things became worst when the Raja of Rokan, father to Puteri Rokan as well as king's grandfather, take opportunity of his status as grandfather to become like an acting king of Melaka since the minor king was always in his arms (didokong) wherever the king was is there would be Raja Rokan.

The elder son of former king of another wife was Raja Kassim. His mother was of noblewoman with tamil muslim blood as her father was Dato' Mani Purindan a richman who claimed he's a royal blood from India who not been chosen to become king there and seek fortune in Melaka with all his households and followers and paid homage and loyalty to KIng of Melaka and become the King's subjects forever with all his households and followers, he came from southern india to Melaka and pledge loyalty to the King of Melaka and all his descendents will adopt all the customs, language and laws of Melaka forever.

Since Raja Kassim, eventhough he is older than the minor king, well-learned, sound knowledge of state's affairs and administrative and protocols, was not given the right to become King of Melaka and so he brought himself to live as ordinary people at port of Melaka, stay in his common people relatives and worked at port just like other commoners.

At the court Melaka, the minor king was just like a puppet and the real ruler was Raja Rokan his grandfather who sits on the throne with the king in his arms in the 'balai penghadapan' and 'balai rong seri'. Gradually these situations had caused some restless among the ministers, the officers and the knights who slowly realized that they were ruled by an acting king of a vassal state of Melaka, a tributary state it was. They all were in the state of dilemma.