Kitab Ilmu Bedil is an early manuscript on Malay traditional weaponry. It documents how Malay society adapted the use of weaponry technology and knowledge from other civilisations, particularly Europe and Islam. Such manuscripts on firearms and…

During the 15th century, Melaka was the dominant Malay state, centred on its port, which controlled traffic through the straits of Malacca. The Portuguese took Melaka in 1511, doing away with the old Malay Sultanate, and making of the port a vital…