A Chronological Backdrop of Malacca




The Doorway of the Most Significant Seaway of the World
The seashore is exceptional in its loveliness and neatness

The grand traveler of Venice City, Marco polo served the King Kublai Khan of China for 17 years. He was not only the extraordinary counselor of the King but also the core of his allowances. Kublai Khan was the great power of his era and his court was the great court. But Marco Polo was getting despondent of this court and recollecting his home to great extent.

He appealed the King for departure, which was accepted unwillingly. Then he began his expedition with his father, uncle and 600 people in yachts to his way back home to Venice city of Italy. He went into from China to the Indian Ocean all the way through Malacca, since it was the barely way that links Indian Ocean to South China Sea.

It was also the most imperative seaway 8 centuries ago as it is at the present, where gigantic trading ships used to transmit supplies from China, Japan and other countries of the Pacific Ocean to India, Middle East, Europe and African countries. That’s why it is also recognized as “World’s Seaway”. One of the doors of this seaway is “Malacca”, which is also the city of Malaysia and on the other side is “Sumatra”, the significant city of Indonesia.

The chilly snow-white gust still drives the similar way as used to in 1292, when Marco polo had to inhabit for five months along with his sea convoy in Sumatra waiting for the calming down of the weather. But even the most horrible thing that Marco polo had to handle was the sea piracy, which he had to come across a lot of times. This trouble is still present, but at that time the armaments was not as complicated as they are at the moment.

Marco polo writes, “Merely 18 people could arrive alive and well to Venice among 600 people. My father and uncle were also amongst them. Although our clothes were turned into rags but diamonds were still fixed on them, which Kublai Khan had bestowed us at the time of our exodus”.

The Malacca is located 148 kilometers west of Kuala Lumpur. There is a never endings succession of jungles between these two cities. The trees in the jungles are primarily rubber manufacturing trees. A mark has been made on the tree trunk and a container akin to catering pot has been fastened next to that mark for gathering rubber in the shape of chunky juice which afterwards turns into rubber.

Rubber is the chief export of Malaysia but the influx of synthetic plastic has condensed this export to much degree because of its inexpensive prices. The path from Kuala Lumpur to Malacca is not a Motor way relatively it is a Highway having very low traffic. Few undersized cities stretch out amid Kuala Lumpur and Malacca. Malacca in reality is the smallest city of Malaysia. It is completely an independent state.

After the rebirth in Europe the explorers and travelers started towards East. They were in the exploration of novel worlds and also sought to produce lot of money. Marco polo, the great explorer had already described in his explanation of expeditions that Europeans were always engrossed in the treasures.

That’s why the invention of America, the detection of the remains of primeval city of Latin America, hunt for treasures in Africa and even the exploration of the relics of pharos are all reliant on the European’s treasure hound mania. These fortune-hunters used to go out in hunt of treasures with the aid of old decomposed maps and scripts and perceived dreams of becoming rich quickly.

They began their exploration from Portugal and Spain due to the truth that the then Muslim Arab governments who were outfitted with the then most modern shipping and sea journeying practices, used to educate the populace about these procedures.

This is the cause that the fortune-hunters of the European revitalization stretched in the world from these two countries (under the manipulation of Muslims’ sea awareness) and not only ruled the world but also given birth to a fresh western culture, which is still present. It can simply be reviewed at this moment that how huge society becomes supportive to others, if optimistically applied instead of sheer antagonism.

Alfonso de Albuquerque, the well-known Portugal’s buccaneer of the history, started this way on 15th April from the newly shaped Indian Portuguese settlement Goa along with 1200 people and 17 boats. After reaching Malacca, he obtained control of it till the end of August. Prior to Alfonso de Albuquerque, Malacca stayed under Muslim rule for long, since Arab sailors and merchants arrived there in advance, spread Islam and set the Muslim government in this Far East area which was under the rule of the local Sultans.

Arab’s Muslims were very proficient in shipping practices and thus established much recognition in Spain. They were completely conscious of the sea and its routes. Their sharper eyes predicted the significance of the Strait of Malacca and its doorway. They had the sagacity that for trading from Far East and China all the way through sea, it would be indispensable taking control of this seaway.

Consequently, Muslims sustained rule over there since 1300 when at last in 1511 Alfonso de Albuquerque took control over there. Alfonso de Albuquerque overpowered the then Muslim monarch Sultan Mehmood Shah and turned Malacca into a Portuguese colony. But Portuguese could not get grasp of it for long and soon in 1641 Holland captured the Strait after overpowering him.

They ruled till 1741 until renowned British East India Company got hold of it. Now, Britain had been the Super Power and it was completely conscious of the sea secrets. The Britain was organizing to be in command of the world and thus their grasp over the strait was indispensable. The Indian Ocean and the nearby countries was its target. They could get the raw material from there that could run the industrial units of the new world and new society. 

Malacca seaway is 805 Km long. It is today considered the most imperative trading and martial center. You can effortlessly conjecture its significance by a single oil product that around 18 million barrel oil bypass through it on a daily basis. It would be worth citing here that currently one more island Singapore has achieved much trading and martial significance on this seaway. Its seaport lies prior to Singapore.

More than 10 million ships bypass throughout Malacca Strait yearly and more than 1/3 of the trading merchandises of the world pass through this Strait. America, China, Russia, India, Britain, France and all the nearby countries take care of this Strait, particularly American 7th and 6th Sea fleet play an imperative role in maintaining it open, since America is Nuclear Power and have completely ammunition laden ships and submarines that remains undersea.

Malacca city have seen the variations of ruling states again and again in the last five centuries. Consequently, in addition to Muslims Mosques, you can see Churches, and other worship places of Portuguese, Dutch and Britain fashion. Likewise, populace also consists of many nations, but the mainstream is of Malay inhabitants who are Muslims, whereas Christian and Sikhs also dwell there.

The Malaysian government has taken special care in protecting the remnants of Portugal, Dutch and Britain so as to build the city more eye-catching for the visitors, especially for the European visitors. That’s why European tourists are seen here and there visiting the city cheerfully.

Possibly the most striking thing in the tourist industry can be that there would be something available for the outsiders that could assist them fetching close to their culture.  For this reason the Muslims states who have kept the earliest recollections safe are earning pounds, dollars, Euros and Yen from them and making their countries flourishing.

If the Nation has self-confidence, the old remnants cannot damage its individuality. These old relics are the doorway of the history and even if smashed, they will stay secure in the books.

Malacca is an undersized city. The most attractive center of it is an old citadel named “A’ Famosa”. It is nostalgia of Portuguese age. Apparently it portrays the Western Culture, but people who are conscious of the building art, can notice the foretaste of Spanish Muslims knack in it as well. Malacca city is located on both sides of the River Malacca. There is so breathtaking landscape of old and new constructions that cannot be sought elsewhere in Far East or South East Asia.

Therefore UNESCO titled it as “The Great Work of Global Heritage”. Another magnificent thing is that all the people of different states and religions are living there very calmly. Any type of chaos is extinct here. A’ Famosa citadel might have stayed the middle of war sometime in the history but nowadays it is the most striking place for the world’s tourists, because all kinds of amenities like Hotels and Theaters etc. are present here under one roof.

Conversion of military fortresses into monetary citadels is frequent in today’s world. It is frequent in Europe as well. This practice has been taken up by many advanced Muslim countries that have unlocked the doors of employment and earning foreign exchange. These fortresses are also a magnificent resource of fetching harmonization and accord among nations. But, regrettably, weak, scared and anxious nations reflect it their great achievement demolishing such type of fortresses and others similar antique memoirs.

Alfonso de Albuquerque, after gathering treasures and affluence from Malacca went back to Goa. The name of the ship he was traveling in was “Flor Do Mar”, which sank in the Indian Ocean due to grave rainstorm with all his assets and riches. The replica of this ship has been set aside at one of the crossings of Malacca so that every tourist must witness and take instruction from it.

Malacca city has an immense involvement in thinning out Islam in the Far East, since Muslims’ dealers and merchants from India and other Muslim countries first arrived there for trading reasons and also carried their culture and religion with them. Huge number of Malaya people accepted Islam in 1500.

Even though it was governed most of the time by Portuguese, Dutch and Britain but the majority is of Muslims. Islam reached to all over Malaysia from there and the earliest Mosques are proving about it even nowadays.

The Malacca seashore is exceptional in its loveliness and neatness. Blue sea is witnessed just in front, the dazzling sand and high sanitation makes the beach charismatic. Its seashore has now gone beyond from the sea as land has been taken to make room for the residents, but the innate attractiveness of the shore has not been concentrated even an inch.

The same brawny soaked breezes of the period of Marco polo provide visitors a new sense of freshness. These winds are blustering from America, Japan, Australia, China or Indian Ocean. Truly a small city of Malacca and its Strait that links many parts of the world is now amongst one of the wonders of Nature.

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