Portuguese Malacca

Portuguese Malacca was a colony in Malay Peninsula and Sumatra (Southeast Asia) that lasted from 1511 to 1641 CE, about 130 years. Its people spoke Latin and Romance languages (Latin, Italic, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, Romanian).

Afonso de Albuquerque took Malacca in 1511 and built the fortress of A Famosa. Attacks from Aceh and Johor and the flight of Muslim traders cut its trade, and the Dutch captured it in 1641.

See Portuguese Malacca on the interactive timeline

Facts

Dates

1511 to 1641 CE

Duration

130 years

Type

Colony

Region

Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, Southeast Asia

Language family

Latin and Romance

Capital

Malacca

Came from

• Malacca Sultanate c. 1400 to 1511 CE

Became

• Dutch Malacca 1641 to 1824 CE

Events in Southeast Asia during its time

• 1511 Portuguese capture Malacca
• 1521 Magellan killed at Mactan
• 1565 Manila galleon route opens
• 1619 Batavia founded

Neighbours in Southeast Asia

• Ayutthaya Kingdom 1351 to 1767 CE
• Majapahit Empire c. 1293 to 1527 CE
• Malacca Sultanate c. 1400 to 1511 CE
• Champa c. 192 to 1832 CE
• Bruneian Sultanate c. 1368 to 1888 CE
• Sultanate of Sulu c. 1405 to 1915 CE
• Lan Na 1292 to 1775 CE
• Aceh Sultanate 1496 to 1903 CE
• Later Le dynasty 1428 to 1789 CE
• Lan Xang 1353 to 1707 CE

Elsewhere in the world at the same time

• Republic of Venice c. 697 to 1797 CE, Europe
• Swahili city-states c. 800 to 1700 CE, Central and Southern Africa
• Holy Roman Empire 962 to 1806 CE, Europe
• Ethiopian Empire (Solomonic dynasty) 1270 to 1974 CE, North and West Africa
• Ottoman Empire 1299 to 1922 CE, Europe
• Ottoman Empire 1299 to 1922 CE, Middle East
• Portuguese Empire 1415 to 1999 CE, Europe
• Kingdom of Kongo c. 1390 to 1914 CE, Central and Southern Africa
• Mali Empire c. 1235 to 1670 CE, North and West Africa
• Mughal Empire 1526 to 1857 CE, South Asia

Questions