The Port of Melaka
The port of Melaka, on the southwestern coast of the Malay Peninsula, was founded around the turn of the fourteenth century, and it continued the tradition of a previous regional power, Srivijaya, in ensuring the success of international trade. It owed its success to a number of factors. In the first place, it was generally able to guarantee the safety of its sea lanes. The rulers of Melaka, like those of Srivijaya, commanded the allegiance of various Orang Laut groups (nomadic sea peoples) who protected Melaka’s clients and attacked ships going to rival ports. These safeguards (and the threat of attack for those who passed by Melaka) were an important element in the decision of traders to frequent the new settlement in preference to other ports in the region.
Secondly, Melaka was attractive to traders because of its commercial facilities. High priority was given to security within the town and to the protection of foreign merchants and their goods. For example, underground warehouses were constructed where stored goods would be less vulnerable to fire, damage, or theft. Such measures were necessary because departures, arrivals, and the exchange of goods were all governed by the monsoon winds (the seasonal wind of the Indian Ocean and southern Asia). Between December and March, the period of greatest activity, vessels reached Melaka from western Asia and the Far East; it was not until May, however, that ships from Java to the south and the eastern Indonesian archipelago (chain of islands) began to arrive. All traders, especially those from China and eastern Indonesia, had some time to wait before the change in monsoon winds made their homeward voyage possible. Secure storage facilities were therefore a significant factor in Melaka’s ability to attract international clients.
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