The Real Location of Malacca Palace Found?

The current Malacca Sultanate Palace (Istana Kesultanan Melaka) at the southeast-facing slope of St. Paul's Hill is only a replica. Completed in 1984, the design is based on Sejarah Melayu’s (Malay Annals) description of Sultan Mansur Shah’s Palace (1456–1477). See photo:

Nevertheless, the location of the original palace is unclear as there were 3 palaces consecutively built without much clue on each of its location. Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals) describes the palace as follows:

"And the size of that palace was seventeen spaces, for each space the breadth was three fathoms, the columns were as large around as could be embraced; of seven levels were the pinnacles. In between that were provided windows, in between those windows were placed roofs at right angles and like suckling elephants, all of them with wings like those of a kite and carved projecting from under the eaves, in between that projection was carried out the rectangular grasshopper, all of it with peaks and fringes all over. Moreover all those windows of the palace were altogether painted and gilded with liquid gold, its pinnacles were red glass. When it caught the rays of the sun, its form blazed like jewel; and the wailing of that palace was panelled all over, moreover inset with Chinese mirrors of large sizes. When it caught the glare of the sun its form blazed in flashes, so that its image was not clear to peoples sight. Moreover the crossbeams of that palace were a cubit broad, a hand and two fingers thick; as for the upstand it was two cubits in breadth, a cubit in thickness, the frames of those doors were carved, and forty was the number of those doors, all of them painted and gilded with liquid gold. Exceedingly beautiful was the execution of that palace; there was no other palace in the whole world like it. And that palace it was which was named by men, Mahligai, for its roof covering was brass and tin crested."

WG Shellabear's version of Sejarah Melayu states that the palace complex used to be on top of St. Paul's Hill. A possible design and layout plan was proposed based on the available written description by Shellabear. See location & layout of the palace complex as proposed by Shellabear:

Shellabear’s description of the area within the palace complex is as follows:

1. Kitchen (Penanggahan);
2. Palace proper (Istana Besar);
3. Mosque (Masjid);
4. Bathing & ablution area (Pemandian);
5. Throne Room (Balairong);
6. Royal Musical Ensemble Hall (Balai Nobat);
7. Left Audience Hall (Balai Apit Pintu Dari Kiri);
8. Right Audience Hall (Balai Apit Pintu Dari Kanan);
9. Outer Hall of Audience (Balai Mendapa).

See also artist’s impression of the Istana Besar in Shellabear’s account of Sejarah Melayu:

See also recent artist’s impression of the palace by Mohd Faizal Rahmat (2018):

The palace was bombarded during the 1511 siege. It was subsequently set on fire with its salvageable construction materials used to build the Portuguese fort known as Fortaleza. The Portuguese also desecrated and recycled stones from the Royal Mosque, and tombstones from graveyards including the graves of former Sultans located on the hill behind the palace. See ‘Conquista de Malaca’ (Conquest of Malacca), by Ernesto Ferreira Condeixa (1904), Military Museum, Lisbon:

According to Manuel Godinho de Erédia in Declaracam de Malaca (1613), the fortress (Fortaleza) was built on "the same spot where Sultan Mahmud had his palaces and kept the treasures with which he retired upriver into the hinterland".

Tomé Pires in Suma Oriental mentions that the Portuguese constructed their famous fortress (Fortaleza) with a 5 storey tower on the site of a mosque built by Sultan Mansur Shah. See diagram of Fortaleza from Erédia’s collection of plans and maps:

It is to be noted that the word “poco” in the above building plan means ‘well’ in Portuguese & Galician-Portuguese (old Portuguese) and therefore corresponds with Erédia’s description of the Fortaleza having its own water source from a well within its compound. Therefore the said well could have existed prior to the construction of Fortaleza and perhaps was used as a fresh water source for bathing and ablution area of the Royal Mosque (Item 4 in Shellabear’s diagram).

I believe that the Fortaleza, the bathing/ablution area and the Royal Mosque would have been located around the car park area of the Malacca History and Ethnography Museum. This is so as there is a disused well located near the Museum’s foundation stone which may have been the same well that served the Royal Mosque and Fortaleza more than 500 years ago. See pictures of the same well taken in 2019 and 1869:-

As you can see, except the well ( poco ) there is no longer any trace of the Fortaleza structure there. This is so as the British decided to demolish the entire structure upon taking over from the Dutch in the late 18th century. The English were wary of maintaining the fortification and ordered its destruction in 1806. The fort was almost totally demolished but for the timely intervention of Sir Stamford Raffles in 1807.

As the palace was a sprawling complex, I would also argue that its compound would have extended up to where the Bishop's Palace was. See the location of "Palacio do b'po" or "Palacio do bispo" (Bishop's Palace) in a map collected by Erédia in Declaracam de Malaca (1613):

This ‘palace’ was built for Bishop Jorge de Santa Luzia around 1558. It had a strategic position which the Malacca Sultans would have earlier enjoyed i.e. a commanding view of the river, the sea, Malacca’s port, as well as the residential and commercial area of Upeh (later Tranqueira). See this 1604 map which shows the buildings on Bishop’s Palace marked “H” in Erédia’s map:

Also see a sketch done by an anonymous cartographer to depict the seige of Malacca by Acehnese forces in 1568; wherein it clearly shows the position of Fortaleza (“a”) in relation to Bishop’s Palace (“d”):

In 1961 the Malacca State Legislative Assembly Building was constructed on the site Bishop's Palace was. The building is currently occupied by the Democratic Government Museum. See picture:

I believe that the Penanggah (Item 1) described by Shellabear would have been near the area where this Museum currently stands. Whereas the Istana Besar (Item 2) would stretch from the area currently known as Cheng Ho Cultural Museum to the Democratic Government Museum. The Royal Mosque (Item 3) and the Pemandian (bathing/ablution area) (Item 4) would have been at the Malacca History and Ethnography Museum’s car park. Whereas the Balairong and other ceremonial/function halls (Items 5 to 9) would have been located further down the slope towards Jalan Kota, and the old HSBC building (now Galeri Warisan Kota Melaka).

This location also corresponds with Feng Shui principles as well as the ancient art of Malay geomancy known as 'Tajul Muluk' wherein a residential space that is supported by hills at the back and a clear, uncluttered view in front is preferred. Specific to Tajul Muluk, a residence built on a slope with its higher area in the East and its lower area in the West is said to bring prosperity to its occupant. I would also argue that Islamic architecture played an important part in the selection of the location and the overall layout of the palace complex. This is so as the entire complex faced west to the direction of Qiblat i.e. the direction that should be faced when a Muslim prays. For a better perspective on its scale and possible location, I enclose Shellabear’s layout plan superimposed over the existing Google Map image of the area.

I believe that this location also fits the description given by Ma Huan in his book titled Ying Yai Sheng Lan 瀛涯勝覽 ("Overall Survey of the Ocean's Shores") which describes the location of the Malaccan palace as follows:-

"There is one large river (the Malacca River) whose waters flow down past the front of the king's residence to enter the sea. Over the river the king has constructed a wooden bridge, on which were built more than twenty bridge pavilions, [and] all trading in every article takes place on this [bridge]"

"Whenever, the treasure ships of the Central Country (China) arrived there, [the Malaccans] at once erected a line of stockading, like a city wall, and set up towers for the watch-drums at four gates. At night they had patrols of police carrying bells; inside again they erected a second stockade, like a small city wall, [within which] they constructed warehouses and granaries; [and] all the money and the provisions were stored in them. The ships, which had gone to various countries returned to this place and assembled; they marshalled the foreign goods and loaded them in the ships; [then] waited till the south wind was perfectly favourable. In the middle of the fifth moon they put to sea and returned home."

The density of the port area and the need for the Sultan of Malacca via his Shahbandars and royal guards to directly administer the port during trading season are probably the main reasons why no permanent walls or stone walls were erected to devide the port and the palace grounds.

Source:

1. Suma Oriental, Tomé Pires (1512–1515). 

2. Description of Malaca, Meridonal India, and Cathay (1613), Manuel Godinho de Erédia.

3. Groenevelt, W. P., Notes on the Malay Archipelago and Malacca compiled from Chinese Sources (Batavia: Bruining, 1876),

4. Sejarah Melayu diusahakan oleh W.G. Shellabear, Fajar Bakti, (1978).

5. Comentários de Afonso de Albuquerque, (1557), t. A Bailo, Combra (1923). 

6. Foundations of the Portuguese Empire 1415-1580, Diffie & Winnus, (1977). 

7. The Portuguese Empire 1415-1808, Russel-Wood (1992).

What is the meaning of the place named "Damansara"?

I made a comment in the Skyscrapercity forum sometime in October 2017, got quoted on Facebook, and was highlighted on the following articles:-

a) http://says.com/my/fun/did-you-know-damansara-used-to-be-called-damar-sara-until-someone-made-a-spelling-mistake

b) 'Damansara' Township Name Derived from Spelling Mistake by British Official in 1890s - The Coverage

c) https://celikhartanah.com/cuba-k...

d)https://www.nst.com.my/property/...


The question posed here has been in my mind since my childhood days as I used to live in Damansara Utama without knowing what the word "Damansara" stands for. Let me begin with the caveat that my view of the origin of the name "Damansara" being a spelling mistake is only my assumption based on what is evident in the two old maps of the area as well some knowledge of the history of the implementation of the land registration system in Selangor. It is not an in-depth historical research on the issue.

My comment on the Skyscrapercity forum on 3.10.2017 reads as follows:-

"This is an interesting map that shows the original name of Damansara. Actually, the word "Damansara" has no meaning as it originated from a spelling mistake that occurred around 1890s when the British Resident, Sir William Maxwell, implemented Torrens system of land registration pursuant to the Selangor Registration of Titles Regulations of 1891. The error occurred when the land registrar mistook the letter "r" as "n", and wrongly merged the original two-word name of "Damar Sara" to "Damansara". The error is apparent as maps prior to 1891 contained the original name "Damar Sara". There was an ancient stone jetty & landing area (pengkalan batu) in Damar Sara which was utilised as a tin mining post. It is in the vicinity of what is today Section 23, Shah Alam. A river north of Damar Sara was subsequently named after the wrongly spelt "Damansara" which became the origin of "Mukim Damansara" and the name of as many as 25 housing developments around Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur, with copycats in Johor Bahru as well as in Kuantan. Unlike "Damansara", the original name "Damar Sara" has a specific meaning in old Malay and Sanskrit. "Damar" is a type of resin obtained from a tropical tree. Whilst "Sara" means "precious" or "important" in Sanskrit. "

The relevant maps in the forum as reproduced by Says . com are as follows:-

As you can see based on these older maps it is clear that the place is known as Damar Sara.

I would like to point out that besides these maps, there is a 1877 newspaper article produced by another Skyscrapercity forumer, pseudanon, that shows misspelling of Damar Sara occured at a much earlier date.

This suggests the error could be due to mispronounciation as well as well as misspelling. It would nevertheless be unjust for me to attribute the history of the area to a spelling mistake as Damar Sara’s history is much more than that.

Hence back to the question, the earliest occupier of Damar Sara would be the Orang Asli. Around 200BC to 100AD they traded with the Mon Khmer settlers and the local Malays who may have named the area based on its popular produce i.e. Damar (resins). They bartered inland products like resins, incense woods, and feathers for salt, cloth, and iron tools.

I believe that the Mon Khmers were in the area as early as the the Dongson era to mine for tin deposits found along the Klang river and its tributaries. Tin is an essential metal in the creation of tin bronzes, and its acquisition was an important part of ancient cultures from the Bronze Age onward. This can be seen in their artifacts such as Dongson drum and bells found along the Klang river.

Sources of tin were rare, and the metal usually had to be traded over very long distances to meet demand in areas which lacked tin deposits.

According to Suma Oriental by Tom Pires, written between 1512-1515, Klang river area is called "Clam", and the region of the Selangor river is called "Calangor" or "Calamgor". Both rivers are represented as tin-producing rivers. Pires further records that the prospectors and chieftains paid tribute to the Sultan of Malacca in a form of tin ingots.

At the turn of the 19th century the area was occupied by the Mandailing people. Kampung Damar Sara was one of 7 Mandailing settlements in Selangor and Perak. These photographs of a Mandailing kampung in Sumatera might throw some light as to the architecture of early houses of Damar Sara.

Mandailing people originates from Sumatera and came to Selangor and Perak around 1803 in a mass exodus to escape war in their homeland. Unlike the Bugis who settled around the coastal areas like Klang and Kuala Selangor, the Mandailings prefer to settle further inland and always near the converge of two rivers. Their settlements include Kampung Damar Sara, Kampung Gombak, Kampung Ampang, Kampung Sungai Chincin, Kampung Ulu Slim, Kampung Changkat Piatu, and Muara Bustak. Around 1824, Chinese tin miners were brought in by the British. They started prospecting for tin in Klang and gradually moved up river. By 1857 they were reported to be prospecting in Muara Bustak, which is a Mandailing word for Kuala Lumpur.

Based on the migration of people from Sumatera, I believe that beyond the evidence obtained from the old maps, the original name of Damansara could also be "Dharmasraya" (sanskrit: supreme universal law of nature) which is taken from an area known as Dharmasraya of Sumatera, of which capital was about 200km south of the Kerinci Regency (Kerinci being another name which is familiar to the area of Damansara). Dharmasraya (now Dharmasraya Regency) is said to be the capital of the 11th century Dharmasraya Kingdom (a.k.a Melayu Kingdom). See: Melayu Kingdom - Wikipedia. Through time its namesake in the Malay peninsula could have been corrupted into "Damar Sara" and later "Damansara".

The origin of the slogan "Malaysia Boleh!"

According to Barry Wain in his book titled 'Malaysian Maverick: Mahathir Mohamad in Turbulent Times', the slogan "Malaysia Boleh!" which loosely translated means "Malaysia Can Do It!" originated from a tagline of a health beverage marketing campaign back in the 80s. In 1992, the 80s "Milo Boleh!" slogan was used by Nestlé and the Olympic Council of Malaysia (OCM) as a basis of the OCM's version known as "Malaysia Boleh!". The slogan was intended to be used to encourage and support the Malaysian athletes during overseas competitions.

It indeed caught on as battle cry during major sporting events participated by Malaysian athletes. Due to OCM being affiliated to the government, the slogan is somehow viewed to signify the government's fascination of building high (Petronas Twin Towers), long (Penang Bridge) and big (KL International Airport). On the negative side, due to overuse it became a major cliché and developed into deriding compound words such as "Bolehwood", “Bolehville” and "Bolehland" to describe wastages and excesses, as well as the Malaysian culture that accepts bending of rules and laws.

In my view the origin of the battle cry "... Boleh!" can be traced even further back in time than the 80s "Milo Boleh!" slogan. In particular, it can be traced to a 1949 yacth named 'Boleh' built by Terengganu Malay shipwright Embong bin Salleh and his assistants Ali Bin Ngah, Wan Ali & Awang at the British Naval Base in Loyang, Singapore.

It is unclear as to how the name Boleh was chosen. Perhaps it was to personify her owner's intention to sail her from Singapore all the way to England. Nevertheless, the owner and designer, Naval Commander Robin Kilroy DSC, did write an account of her construction and subsequent 14,000 mile journey to England in his book titled "Boleh".

In the said book he did mention the can-do attitude of the Malay shipwrights especially in the struggle they encounter in bending chengal (Malayan hardwood) into a curved frame for the yacth's 40ft hull.

Robin recorded that despite numerous failures and broken pieces the lead shipwright would not stop in his effort until the job is done, uttering the word "Mustee Boleh!" ("Sure Can!") in each and every attempt.

It took 8 1/2 months for Boleh to reach Salcombe.  According to Robin, he received a letter from Embong bin Salleh once he arrived in England.  Embong wrote that he and Ali bin Ngah were very proud when they heard about Boleh's arrival in Salcombe.  According to Embong, he was then busy building Police launches at the East Coast of Malaya.

As to Boleh's fate, she was used to train Sea Cadets and sailing club members in Salcombe. In 1978 she was severely damaged by arson and declared an insurance write-off.

She was rebuilt by its new owner, Roger Angel.  In 1980s, Boleh came to rest in Spain where her lines and rig became a familiar sight; her berth at Real Club Nautico gave the name Shanghai Quay to one of the the club's jetties in Palma.

In 2007 increasing ill health led Roger to look to sell Boleh and, by a happy chance, this coincided with Robin Kilroy’s family seeking to safeguard the vessel’s future.

After an eventful life, Boleh was restored in 2008.  Boleh is now a working heritage vessel based in Chichester Harbour, England. She is listed as a protected heritage item in the UK’s National Register of Historic Vessels (No. 2281). She is managed by The Boleh Trust which is jointly funded by the National Historic Ships Fund & the Heritage Lottery Fund.