Malaysia History

The coastal dwellers of the region had first contact with Chinese and then Indian sailors and traders who brought with them religious beliefs mainly of Hinduism which was mixed with local animist religions.

Seventh and Eighth century Chinese and Sanskrit records first speak about the area now called Malaysia, beginning the first written record of Malaysia history.

The remarkable Sumatra-based civilization of Sri Vijaya as well as assorted Indonesion and Thai empires influenced and controlled the region for several centuries.

The significant trade that was developing between Malaya and India resulted in Islam spreading eastwards from India where in some parts it was already well founded.

King Parameswara, who converted to Islam in the first quarter of the 15th century, established the first Muslim empire in Malaya based in the powerful city-state port of Malacca located on the western peninsula. This is one of the major milestones in Malaysia history. The Portuguese arrived in the area early in the 1500's, captured Malacca, and subsequently built several military fortresses throughout the area.

The current local rulers of the time moved further south to Johore and upon the Dutch reaching the peninsula around the end of the century created an agreement with them to kick out the Portuguese in 1641.

A significant event in Malaysia history is that the Dutch gradually flourished across the area during the following 150 years with the Dutch East Indies becoming the center of booming colonial trade.

The British East India Company arrived and established a trading post on the island of Singapore in the early 1800's and both British and Dutch interests throughout the region expanded. Trade surged and within 50 years the population of Singapore grew from 5,00 to almost 100,000.

Britain assumed control of most of the peninsula bit by bit during the 1800's, not by military power, but through economics, especially their tin trade monopoly. Local leaders at the time were given plenty of freedom to rule, as long as they didn't threaten British concerns.

Protectorates in Malaysia were officially set up by Britain in the 1880's. Around the same time rubber trees were brought into the area from Brazil. Laborers were brought from India to cultivate the rubber, which, due to the assembly line production of autos, became a very prosperous export.

In 1895 the Federated Malay States were established and Britain retained control of them as colonies until 1942 when the Japanese invaded.

The Federation of Malaya came into being in 1948, after the 1945 defeat of Japan, and the 11 states were again designated as British Protectorates. A war of national liberation against the British by insurgent communist guerrillas, with the goal of setting up an independent socialist state, went on until 1960.

In 1963 the nation of Malaysia came into being with the merger of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak, and Sabah (North Borneo). Singapore broke away from the federation in 1965 to become a separate city-state, and until today Malaysia history and the country of Malaysia exists as West Malaysia and East Malaysia ( Sabah and Sarawak).

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