Fruitless Rampage of Samaloco, Prince of Maluku 📖 Sejarah Melayu Chapter 17

Maluku warriors

Chapter 17 of Sejarah Melayu tells of the story of prince Samaloco of Macasar (modern day Maluku in Indonesia). He fell in love with his stepmother and was encouraged by his father, the king to look for a wife abroad. Samaloco rampaged through the region from Java through Sumatra (Pasai) to Siam bringing him head to head with Malacca. He was repelled by Sultan Mansur Shah's admiral.

*I am studying the Malay Annals for insights into the roots of Malay cuisine.

Prince Samaloco's wild rampage proved fruitless and he returned to Macasar achieving only to be a curious footnote in the history of the Malay archipelago.

Sejarah Melayu compiled in Jawi by regent of Johor, Yang di-Pertuan Di Hilir Raja Abdullah in 1612, translated into English by Dr. John Leyden in 1821. The Malay Annals has 30 chapters.

Chapter 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30 📗

Original translation of Selarah Melayu by Dr John Leyden

Chapter 17 of 30

THERE is a country in the land of Macasar named Baluluc, and the name of the raja Kraing Majoco. It was a country of great extent, and all the cities of the land of Macasar were dependant on it. He married the daughters of Kraing Detendrang Jayenak, who were seven in number. The youngest of these was extremely beautiful; but only the eldest bore a son, who was named Samaloco. When Samaloco grew up, he was extremely brave and fierce, and held no person in respect in all the land of Macasar.   

On a day Samaloco paid a visit to his mother, where he saw his mother's youngest sister, of whom he became deeply enamoured, and wished for his father's wife. When his father learned this proceeding, he asked him "how he came to affect the younger Queen, was she not his mother's sister, nay even his own stepmother? If you wish to marry a handsome damsel, go a pirating against the Malay continent, or Ujung Tana Besar, and seek for a lady like the younger Queen."   

Samaloco prepared two hundred select prahus, and determined to conquer the whole country. First he proceeded to the land of Java, where he ravaged and destroyed numerous districts, as they had not courage to drive him out. He then passed to the land of Siam, where in like manner he committed numerous ravages; nor could the inhabitants drive him out. After this, he proceeded to the Malay peninsula, or Ujung Tana Besar, and what ravages did he make among the districts belonging to Malaca!   

It was then represented to Sultan Mansur that a great many of his districts had been ravaged by Samaloco. The Sultan quickly summoned the Laksamana, and ordered him to keep a sharp look out at sea. The Laksamana set out, and as soon as he met the adverse fleet, he engaged them, and attacked the repeatedly; arrows flew like thick falling rain; and the sound of guns was like the day of judgment.   

The Malaca men had but little loss ; but how many vessels of Samaloco's fleet were sunk! Amid this the prahu of Samaloco encountered that of the Laksamana, and Samaloco grappled the vessel of the Laksamana; on which the Laksamana ordered the ropes to be cut loose. There was then a great destruction of the Malaca-men by the blow-darts; for the Malaca-men were not acquainted with the method of curing poisoned wounds; but when Samaloco's prahu was at the point of sinking, he effected his retreat, and retired to Pasei.   

The Pasei raja dispatched the Orangcaya Canayen to guard the seas against him; who sailed away, and quickly fell in with the host of Samaloco, at the bay of Perlei, and engaged him. The sound of the guns was like thunder. In the midst of the battle, the prahu of Samaloco encountered with that of Canayen, and Samaloco threw his grappling irons, and Orangcaya Canayen permitted it, saying, "if we close now, perhaps we shall be able to leap on board, and run amok, with my curve-handled sword; but as soon as Samaloco saw this, he quickly caused them to cut the ropes of his  grappling anchor, and the prahus separated.   

Samaloco said, "in faith Orangcaya Canayen is a braver man than the Laksamana;" and he immediately retreated and left him passing through the Malaca sea, when the Laksamana pursued him and cut off all his vessels that had fallen distant from the main fleet, while Samaloco was unable to assist them. He passed on to Ungaran (near Padang) where he took a stone and threw it in the mouth of the bay, saying, "when this stone floats on the water, then will I again go a pirateering against Ujung Tuna Besar, the great peninsula.   

The place where he threw the stone into the sea, is still called Tanjung Batu, Stone-point, and there the stone remains to this day. Then Samaloco returned to Macasar, and the Laksamana returned to Malaca, and informed Sultan Mansur, who rewarded him and his men with honorary dresses.

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Written by Tony Boey on 20 Jun 2021

Image of Maluku warriors courtesy of Wikipedia.