Sultanate of Malacca
The
Sultanate of Malacca was founded by Parameshwara, a Srivijayan prince who escaped the
Majapahit capture of
Palembang. In 1402, he founded a new capital,
Melaka, at the chokepoint of the strait between Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula. In 1414, he converted to
Islam and became the Sultan of Melacca.
The Majapahit Empire was not able to control or compete with his rising power or the spread of Islam within the archipelago.
The Sultanate fell in 1511 with the arrival of the Portugese, under Alphonso d'Albuquerque, during their search for a route to the Spice Islands.