Manuscrit Raffles 32 de la Royal Asiatic SocietyLa presa de Malaca pels portuguesos vista pels malais
(Text reproduit a : SUBRAHMANYAM, Sanjay (1993).The Portuguese Empire in Asia 1500-1700. Londres. Longman)
Document escrit probablement al segle XVIII
This is a history from long, long ago: The Franks arrive in the land of Melaka.
Those who know the history tell us that there were, so it is said, ten Portuguese ships which came from Manila to trade in the country of Melaka. In that time, the king was the Sultan Ahmad Syah. In that epoch, the country of Melaka was very active in trade, and prosperous, and its government was in good order. But as time passed, the Portuguese ships arrive in the country of Melaka. Now in that time the fortifications of the city of Melaka were made of palm-tree trunks.
Then the captain of the ship arrives to trade, with various other ships' captains, and they bring for the King Sultan Ahmad Syah a present of gold, reals, cloth, and chains from Manila; and the Sultan was most content with the Portuguese captain. And so, at the end of a little time, whatever the captains desired was done by the Sultan Ahmad Syah. Many times did the ministers (bendahara and temenggong ) say respectfully:
Your Highness, My Lord, should not be too trusting with these white people, because in the modest opinion of all your old servants, it is not good that My Lord protects these recent arrivals.
And then the Sultan Ahmad Syah spoke:
Bendahara, my uncle, and noble temenggong, I do not see how these white people can cause the loss of our land!
After this, the bendahara and temenggong still did not feel easy inside, and observed respectfully to the King:
As for these white people, no good will come of them for Your Highness and Lordship...
However, the bendahara and temenggonq could achieve nothing more. It was then that the captains of the ships began to give out gold chains from Manila to various notables in the country of Melaka. And all of the natives of Melaka became most grateful to the captains of the Portuguese ships. Only the bendahara and temenggong were not content.
The Portuguese ships remained then in Melaka, trading for a space of forty days, more or less. And the Portuguese came once again on land to offer reals in boxes and boxes, and gold and many lovely cloths, which they offered to His Highness Sultan Ahmad Syah. And the Sultan Ahmad Syah was content.
Once more then the Sultan Ahmad Syah spoke to the Portuguese captain:
What more is it that these friends of ours want of us, that they bring us such a lovely gift?
Then all the captains of the ships said to him:
We want but one thing of our good fnend; that is if our good friend wishes to remain friendly with us, white people.
At which the Sultan Ahmad Syah replied to them:
Say it then for we permit it! If it is anything that we have, we will most certainly satisfy the desire of our friends!
Then the captains of the ships said:
We would like to ask for a piece of land, the size of the dried skin of an animal.
And the King spoke:
Do not be sad, friends of ours: take the land that pleases you; and if it is of such sizc, keep the land.
Then the Portuguese captain was quite content. And at once the portuguese come on land, bringing hoes to dig, bricks and lime. And they go to fetch that hide, made a cord from it, and with it measure out a square. And they make an extremely large building, fortified, and they at the same timc make openings for cannon. And all the people of Melaka ask:
But what openings are these?
And the Portuguese responded:
These are the openings that white people use as windows. And the people of Melaka kept silent. Then, when the people were silent, on various occasions the bendahara and temenggong observed respectfully to the King:
My Lord! Do not permit these white people to make a great house! And the King spoke:
In no way can these white people cause ruin to our land! I see very well that the white men are not many; and if their designs are evil, we will observe their behaviour; and if needed send in the amok.
After this the bendahara and temenggong were still not content in their hearts, because both were wise men. And the behaviour of the Portuguese was thus: at night, they unloaded cannon from their ships, and muskets hidden in boxes, saying that there was cloth inside them: such was the behaviour of the Portuguese to mislead the people of Melaka. And they did it so that the people of Melaka did not understand. Then, time having passed, the house of stone was complete and all their arms were ready. And more or less at midnight, when the people were all sleeping, then it was that the Franks bombarded thc city of Melaka, and all the houses of the Melaka people were in ruins as was the fort of palm trees.
After this, under thc bombardment of the Franks, at the midnight hour, thus it is that the King Ahmad Syah with all the pcoplc flees without knowing where, without having a chance to resist. And the Franks take Melaka. Thc Sultan Ahmad Syah flees to Muar; and from Muar, not long thereafter, shifts to Johor, to build a city; and from Johor moves again to Bintang. Such is the history of the Franks who snatched the city of Melaka from the hands of the Sultan Ahmad Syah once upon a time.
The history tells how the Franks remained in the city of Melaka for a duration of three months of time. Then the Franks sent a Ietter to their principal city, which is called Goa, saying that Melaka had been taken by the Franks. Then as soon as the great king of the Franks heard thc news that Melaka was taken, he became very content. And when some time had passed, two months after the letter had reached his hands, their great king responded with a Ietter saying that they should erect a great fort of granite inside the city of Melaka; as for the form of this fortress, that it should be exactly like that of the great city that is called Goa. And thus thc Portuguese made the fortress of Melaka equal to that of the country of Goa.
The history tells us then that when the Ietter of the King of Goa arrived in Melaka, the Portuguese who were there in the city sent the people of Melaka who remained to fetch granite. For the first time they went to fetch granite to make the fortress of Melaka, to Kuala Langai, and to Pulo Upeh, and to Bato Barus, and to Pulo Java, and to Tluk Emas, and to Pisau Peringgi, and to the island of Birds and to the backlands of Melaka. It was thus that the Melaka people went to fetch granite. As for its price: for a hundred pieces of granite, the Portuguese paid thirty patacas, for a hundred of the large, and twenty for a hundred small ones; at this time, hens were purchased by the Portuguese for one new coin each; and lime at this time was fifteen patacas the koyang. And the labourers dug on the hill at a rupia a day.
As for the fortification of the city of Melaka, it took, so they say, thirty-six years, three months and fourteen days. And the Portuguese remailled in Melaka thereafter, so it is estimated, for another six years and a month. Such was the case of the Franks who remained in Melaka. And during the time that the Portuguese remained in Melaka, the city was most busy, and many were the merchants who came to trade in the port. So tells the history of long, long ago.
After this, it tells that a Dutch ship came to trade in Melaka. The name of the ship was Aftar Lindir and the name of its captain Inybir. It was this man who came to Melaka to trade; and he then saw Melaka in its beauty, with its fortress and its moat. And that Dutch ship traded in Melaka for fifteen days; and then set sail for its Europe.
Then, some time having passed, the Dutch ship arrived in its principal city; and the captain of the ship gave news to his great king concern king concerning Melaka, which had active trade, of its fort and of its lovely moat. After which the great king of Europe says:
If such are the tidings, it will be good to have Melaka attacked. And when time had passed, behold the great king of Europe sends twenty-five ships to go and attack Melaka. And the twenty-five ships make themselves ready, and are all equipped with soldiers. And behold those that sail in the direction of the city of Banten of Java. There was at the time in the city of Banten of Java a factory of the Dutch Company. Then those twenty-five ships arrived in Banten of Java, saying that they wished to go and attack Melaka. Now at this time in Banten there were also two Dutch ships and a galliot; and at once all of them filled their holds with all sorts of victuals; and without delay they set sail in the direction of Melaka.
So, once the ships had arrived at the bar of Melaka, the Dutch immediately sent the Portuguese a letter, saying they should prepare themselves, for next day at noon they would attack.
And the Portuguese replied:
As you wish! We are ready!
Then, on the next day, the Dutch attack, and they fight for about two months. But Melaka does not surrender at all. Then all the Dutch set sail in the direction of Banten. And after a few days all those ships arrive in the city of Banten and remain anchored there, with the intention of returning again to Europe .
All the Dutch feel ashamed, in front of the important people who had come in the ships. Then, once time had passed, the important people who had come in the ships sat down to discuss, deliberating with one another whether to attack anew.
Then, for the second time, the Dutch attack: Melaka does not yield.
The Dutch send letters to Johor, to ally themselves with the Sultan of Johor to attack the city of Melaka. And the King of Johor was content; and from then on, the Dutch and the King of Johor had an oath of alliance: Dutch and Malays became one only in order to go and attack Melaka. This was the agreement between the Dutch and tne King of Johor: if they took Melaka, then the city and artillery would revert to Holland; and all the riches would be divided in two parts, one part for the Dutch, and the other part for the people from Johor. And this agreement was solemnized.
Then the people from Johor and the ships of the Dutch set sail in the direction of Melaka: and for some fifteen days they fight with the Franks. Many of the Franks died, but many of the Malays and Dutch died too.
After this the Malays thought to themselves:
Even if we fight white people of this sort for a whole year, they will not surrender! On this account it was agreed amongst all the good Maíays that the best thing would be to send fifty people into the place, who would go amok inside there.
The Malays fixed the time for the 21st of the month, at the beginning of the dawn oration. And the Malays entered the place, and made themselves amok. And the Franks were exterminated, some fleeing to the backlands of Melaka; they did not know where to go, those Portuguese!
And all the Malays found in Melaka an enormous prize. Then, as had been in the agreement between the Dutch and the people of Melaka, so it was, as promised, that all the riches obtained were exactly divided.
Those from Johor returned then to their land of Johor, and the Dutch established themselves, keeping for themselvcs the land of Melaka. Since then, the Dutch and the Malays of Johor have remained on good terms, until today.
This is what the history tells us of times long ago. As for this narration, it is composed by the Datu Bendahara of the King, His Majesty.