The Malay Kingdom was a classical Buddhist kingdom located in Southeast Asia. The primary sources for much of the information on the kingdom are the New History of the Tang, and the memoirs of the Chinese Buddhist monk Yijing who visited in 671, and the state was ‘absorbed’ by Srivijaya by 692, but had ‘broken away’ by the end of the twelfth century according to Chao Jukua. The exact location of the kingdom is the subject of study among a lot of historians. One theory is that the kingdom was established around present-day Jambi in Sumatra, Indonesia.
That is what people would always know when talking about the Malay Kingdom. The truth is, there are already numerous different Malay Kingdoms. According to a posted video on TikTok by a user that goes by the name Vague that went viral, there are already a lot of known the Malay Kingdom before the 15th century. These are stated kingdoms.
@vaguelifeReply to @historyfan4 ade banyak lagi kerajaan Melayu #fyp #fypシ #malaysia #sejarah
1) 2nd Century – Langkasuka
Langkasuka was an ancient Malay Hindu-Buddhist kingdom located in the Malay Peninsula. The name is Sanskrit in origin, it is thought to be a combination of langkha for ‘resplendent land’ –sukkha for ‘bliss’. The kingdom, along with Old Kedah, is probably among the earliest kingdoms founded on the Malay Peninsula. The exact location of the kingdom is of some debate, but archaeological discoveries at Yarang near Pattani, Thailand suggest a probable location. The kingdom is believed to have been founded in the 2nd century.
2) 5th Century – Kedah Tua
Kedah Tua was one of the famous early kingdoms located in the Malay Peninsula. It is also known as Kataha, Kadaram, Sai, Kalah, Kalah Bar and Kalagram. According to the records of I-Tsing from China, the Kedah Tua kingdom is also referred to as Cheh-Cha or Chiecha in Chinese records.
3) 6th Century – Chih Tu
Chi Tu was an ancient kingdom mentioned in the history of China. The Sui Dynasty annals describe an advanced kingdom called Chi Tu in 607 when Chang Chun was sent as an ambassador there. The location of Chi Tu was disputed, proposals for its location include areas in the states of Kelantan or Pahang in Malaysia, or in Songkhla and Pattani Province of southern Thailand.
4) 6th Century – Gangga Nagara
Gangga Nagara is believed to be a lost semi-legendary Malay-Hindu kingdom mentioned in the Malay Annals that covered present-day Beruas, Dinding, and Manjung in the state of Perak, Malaysia with Raja Gangga Shah Johan as one of its kings. Researchers believe that the kingdom was centered at Beruas and it collapsed after an attack by King Rajendra Chola I of Coromandel, South India, between 1025 and 1026.
5) 10th Century – Santubong
The Santubong Kingdom did exist. This could be supported by the artifacts that were found in that area. Some of the artifacts found in this area are golden stones which are evidence found by James Brooke that may prove that Indians from India may have lived there, thousands of pieces of Chinese ceramics which are collected by the Sarawak Museum in 1914, and 40,000 tonnes of iron. A closer look at these artifacts brought historians to a conclusion that Santubong may have existed since the 7th century and has remained in power till the 10th or 14th century. As a matter of fact, historians also concluded that Santubong may have been a port city when they discovered iron there. These natural resources that Santubong had managed to catch Majapahit’s attention and this pretty much caused the Santubong kingdom to be conquered by the Majapahit kingdom.
6) 15th Century – Beruas
Research on the Beruas kingdom was first conducted by Colonel James Low in 1840 and a century later by H.G. Quaritch-Wales. According to the Museum and Anti-quities Department, both researchers agreed that the Beruas kingdom existed but could not ascertain the exact site. For years, villagers had unearthed artifacts, including tombstones with inscriptions, that indicated that Beruas could have been the starting point for the spread of Islam in Peninsular Malaysia. Artifacts on display include a 128kg cannon, swords, kris, coins, tin ingots, pottery from the Ming Dynasty and various eras, and large jars. The kingdom was said to be on a hill with its rear side facing a valley.
Sources: TikTok Vague.