Islamization of Samudera-Pasai Kingdom

The Kingdom of Samudera-Pasai in northeastern Sumatra was among the first to embrace Islam at the end of the 13th century.

The Kingdom was established around the end of the 13th ce9utry, just before Polo’s visit to North Sumatra and became a prosperous port polity during the 14th and 15th centuries. The first king of Samudera –Pasai was Merah Silu, who later converted to Islam and adopted the name Malik ul Salih, in the year 1267 AD.

Since the hinterland of Pasai produced gold, camphor and from as late as the 15th century, pepper, connections with the inland people were very important to the city.

The conversion to Islam was significant to Pasai in order to attract Muslim merchants from west Asia and south India. During the governance of Sultan Malik al-Shaleh (1261-89) and Sultan Malik al-Dharir (1326-50), the large scale process of Islamization was under way, and Pasai could be described as the center of Islam and the center to which people came to seek reference in regards to religious matters.

This situation continued until Pasai stared to weaken publically after the rose of the Malacca kingdom. Portuguese invaded Samudera-Pasai Kingdom in the year of 1521.

Islamization of Samudera-Pasai Kingdom