The Arrival of Islam
 The
arrival of Islam to this area ended the Hindu-Buddhist
period of Malaysian history. Brought primarily
by Indian and Arab traders, there is evidence
of the presence of the new religion in the region
as early as the thirteenth century.
After 1400, Islam became a major influence with
the conversion of the Malay-Hindu rulers of Melaka.
From Melaka, Islam spread to other parts of the
Malay states in Sumatra and along the trade routes
throughout the Indonesian archipelago. Once established
as the religion of the Malays, Islam profoundly
affected Malay society and the Malay way of life.
After the collapse of Melaka, the sultanate of
Brunei in Kalimantan rose to become the principal
agent for the propagation of Islam in that area.
The Malay kingdom of Melaka which dominated both
sides of the Straits of Melaka for a hundred years
marked the classical age of Malay culture. Most
of the Malay States of the Peninsula today can
trace their genesis back to the Melaka sultanate.
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During
the Hindu-Buddhist period which was marked by
a tremendous growth in the East-West trade, the
shadowy outlines of the first political units
emerged in the Peninsula and in Kalimantan. However,
for the greater part of this time the inhabitants
of the area were subjected to the sway of either
Javanese or Sumatran power. The most tangible
evidence of the Hindu-Buddhist period in Malaysian
history is now to be found in the temple sites
of Lembah Bujang and Kuala Merbok in Kedah.
Both
Melaka and Brunei empires were shattered by the coming
of the Europeans into the region. Melaka fell to a sudden
Portugese assault in 1511. The power of Brunei was crippled
in its infancy by the establishment of the Spaniards
in the Philippines and by the rise of Dutch power in
Java. Johor tried to take the place of Melaka but was
restricted not only by the Europeans, but also by the
activities of local rivals such as the Achinese, Minangkabau
and the Bugis. As a result, the present-day States of
the Peninsula gradually emerged as sovereign units in
their own right.
