Malay Annals
translated by John Leyden
Preliminary
4335730Malay Annals — PreliminaryJohn Leyden

THE

SAJARAH MALAYU.



The author of this work commences with stating, that he will declare sincerely what he regards as the truth, according to the best of his information. The occasion of the composition of the work is stated by the author to be the following. “I happened to be present at an assembly of the learned and noble, when one of the principal persons of the party observed to me, that he had heard of a Malay story, which had been lately brought by a nobleman from the land of Gua, and that it would be proper for some person to correct it according to the institutions of the Malays, that it might be useful to posterity. On hearing this, I was firmly determined to attempt the work. On this occasion were present Tun Mahmud, styled Paduka Raja, and holding the office of bandahara, the son of the noble Paduka Raja, the grandson of Bandahara Sri Maharaja, and great grandson of Tun Narawangsa, the great-great-grandson of Sri Maharaja, and great-great great grandson of Sri Naradi Raja Tun Ali, the son of Mani Farandan, of Malay extraction, from the mountain Sagantang Maha Miru, the signet of whose country is of the Sawal gem. This happened in the morning of the fifth day of the week, and 12th of the month of Rabiul-awal, in the year Dal, and of the Hejirah 1021, in the reign of the sovereign who lately deceased at Aché, Sultan Ala-ed-din, the son of Sultan Ajel Abdul Jalil, the brother of Sultan Muzafer Shah,the son of Sultan Ala-ed-din, the son of Sultan Mahmud Shah, the son of Sultan Ala-ed-din, the son of Sultan Mansur Shah, the son of Sultan Muzafer Shah, the son of Sultan Muhammed Shah, and at the time when he was sovereign of Pasei. Raja Dewasayit came to me, the Bandahara Sri Narawangsa Tun Mambang, the son of Sri Agar Raja, of the country of Patani, bearing the order of the high sovereign Sultan Abdallah, the son of Sultan Ajel Abdul Jalil Shah, requiring me to compose a history of all the Malayu rajas, with an account of their institutions, for the information of posterity, who shall come after us.” The author adds, that after having well meditated his subject, and requested the divine assistance, in respect of illumination of the understanding, style, and facility of composition, he composed the present work under the title of Sillaleteh-al-salatin, in Arabic, and Sala-silah peratoran Segala Raja Raja.