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Sejarah Melayu or The Malay Annals is a historical Malay literary work that chronicles the establishment of the Malacca Sultanate and spans over 600 years of the Malay Peninsula's history. The single volume was believed to have been first compiled and edited by Tun Sri Lanang, the bendahara (equivalent to the grand vizier of a sultanate) of the Royal Court of Johor in 1612, having been commissioned by Sultan Alauddin Riaayat Shah while he was held captive in Aceh.

The subjects covered in the work included the founding of Malacca and its relationship with neighbouring kingdoms, the advent and spread of Islam in the region, the history of the royalty in the region as well as the administrative losers. The manuscripts were originally written in the classical Malay language on traditional paper in old Jawi script.

The Malay Annals was listed in UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme International Register in 2001.

According to The Encyclopedia of Malaysia: Languages & Literature, p 88, the Sejarah Melayu recounts that Raja Suran, a descendant of Raja Zulkanain -named as the ancestor of the Malay rulers--sired 3 sons. Although the Koran cites the ruler Dzulkarnain (verse 18:83), many have incorrectly added the first name "Iskandar" to the original name. A great travesty of knowledge is the misinformation that Zulkarnain was the Muslim name of the Macedonian conquerer, Alexandar the Great. Deeper research of both the description of Zulkarnain in the Koran and documented accounts of Alexandar the Great would show that neither shared similar traits (Alexander being a pagan who lead a somewhat hedonistic lifestyle whereas Zulkarnain was a monotheist, possibly Zoroastrian or even Jewish) nor did he live in the same geographic sphere (Alexander having conquered Asia Minor, Zulkarnain having conquered Gog and Magog, believed today to be Russia). They left Dika, an undersea kingdom, on a white bull and landed at Mount Seguntang Mahameru in Sumatra. Demang Lebar Daun, the chief of Palembang, welcome them and assigned each prince to take a state. The youngest of the three princes ruled Palembang with the title of Sri Tri Buana (also known as Sang Nila Utama). He defined the relationship that should exist between Malay ruler and his subjects.

Sri Tri Buana later settled on Bintan island before moving to Temasik. Three generations of rulers in Temasik fought off attacks from Majapahit. The next ruler, Parameswara lost Temasik to Majapahit after punishing his concubine. Her father, Sang Rajuna Tapa, one of Parameswara's minister avenged his family's shame, by siding with Majapahit. Parameswara fled north and later founded Malacca. His son Sultan Muhammad Shah introduced court ceremonies, laws and regulations into Malacca administration.

According to Hikayat Hang Tuah, Hang Tuah confronted and killed Hang Jebat. Sejarah Melayu on the other hand writes that Hang Kasturi was killed by Hang Tuah instead of Hang Jebat. however, a revised edition of the Sejarah Melayu by A Samad Ahmad mentions that Tuah fought against Jebat, not Kasturi.

According to the Malay Annals, there was a time when the villages along the coast of Singapore suffered vicious attacks from shoals of swordfish. On the advice of a particularly astute boy named Hang Nadim, the ruler of Singapore built a barricade of banana stems along the coast, which successfully trapped the attacking fish by their snouts as they leapt from the waters. In the revised edition of the Sejarah Melayu by A Samad Ahmad, the boy was not named.

According to the Malay Annals, the Portuguese army, led by Albuquerque, launched a second assault on Malacca (during the reign of Sultan Ahmad Syah), the first being repulsed by the late bendahara Tun Mutahir. The assault on the city was great on the first day, and on the second, Malacca fell to the Portuguese. however, according to Portuguese records, Albuquerque's assault on Malacca started on July 25, 1511, (on St James Day), and the battle lasted for 15 days before the city was captured on August 15. Also, Portuguese records, especially the ones written by Albuquerque's son, mentioned that the Malaccan commander-in-chief, Sultan Ahmad Syah, fell on the field of battle. However, in the Malay Annals, he survived the battle, and retreated to a safer place, only to be put to death by his own father.

• Gangga Negara, ancient Malay kingdom that is mentioned in the literature.
• Kota Gelanggi
• Richard O. Winstedt

• Sejarah Melayu Informational Website
• UNESCO Page on the Malay Annals

• The Encyclopedia of Malaysia: Languages & Literature, edited by Prof. Dato' Dr Asmah Haji Omar (2004) ISBN 981-3018-52-6