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Sources for the study of Malay royal customs There are various works which include reference to Malay royal customs. These include Raffles' MS No. 18 of the so-called Sejarah Melayu.l According to Chapter VI of this text, Sultan Iskandar Syah--founder of Malaka--was the initiator of a system of court ceremonial; he instituted the appointment of four ministers to sit in the audience hall for consultation. He also appointed forty heralds to pass on orders given by the king. The heralds were to stand on either side of the steps leading to the throne. Furthermore, sons of good descent were recruited as pages, to bear the king's belongincf6.2 When Iskandar.Syah died, he was succeeded 'by his son Raja Kecil Besar who was styled Sultan Megat.Radin Tengah, later in the text always called Raja Tengah, succeeded his father Sultan Megat as sultan of Malaka. He became a Muslim and was styled Sultan Muhammad Syah. The Bendahara and all the people of Malaka were also converted. Sultan Muhammad Syah was said to be the first Muslim ruler of Malaka and the first to introduce regulations on taboos and obligations for commoners regarding the Malaka court.3 Abdullah's edition of the Sejarah Melayu has a slightly different version of the course of events : in its Chapter XI not Iskandar Syah the founder of Malaka but his son and |
