From Tributary to Colonial System: Regional Order Shifts in the Rise and Fall of the Malacca Kingdom

Abstract

At the beginning of the 15th century, the Kingdom of Malacca was established in Southeast Asia. It accepted the title of the Ming Dynasty and joined the “tributary system”, which obtained the external conditions for stable development, and gradually developed into an important trade port during Zheng He’s voyages to the Western Seas. At the same time, the Malacca Kingdom, which was deeply influenced by Buddhism, Hinduism and Islam, also had the distinct characteristics of the local order in Southeast Asia, known as the “mandala system”, and formed a unique political and economic model. However, the traditional “tributary system” and “mantra system” was finally broken by the Portuguese, and Malacca was forced into the “colonial system” and became the stronghold of operation in the Portuguese Far East. The previous Southeast Asian native order was in fact a secondary order under the loose tributary system, lacking independence and relying on the protection of the suzerainty. With the advent of the colonial era, the suzerainty declined, and its economic and cultural advantages were no longer available. The original regional order of Malacca was unable to maintain and changed, which was a historical necessity.