The royals of Malacca sultanate took law and order in their kingdom very seriously. Prince Radin Galang, the favourite son of Sultan Mansur Shah was killed during one of his patrols, personally confronting a man who ran amok. Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah who succeed Sultan Mansur Shah as the seventh sultan of Malacca continued the tradition, personally patrolling his realm and apprehending looters. The punishment for crimes was severe, e.g. chopping off a hand for stealing.
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 ๐
Original translation of Sejarah Melayu by Dr John Leyden
Chapter 21 of 30
Account of Radin Galang
RADIN GALANG, the son of Sultan Mansur Shah and the Princess Radin Galoh Chand Kirana, daughter of the bitara of Majapahit, was considered as his immediate successor by the Sultan, from his stately form. One day he went to divert himself at the town of Galang, and met an amok man. All the people with him fled here and there, but Radin Galang stood his ground, and drew his creese (kris). The amok man made up to him, and they immediately began a stabbing at each other, and pierced each other through the lungs, the one on the right and the other on the left, and both immediately expired.
The people told the Prince, who came to take up his son's corpse, and having carried it to the palace, had it buried with befitting honour. He then put to death all those who had attended Radin Galang, for having deserted him, and the nobuts were not beat for forty days. After which, by the advice of the bandahara, the practice was restored.
Paduca Menyamut, the son of Sultan Mansur Shah, and the Princess Hang Li-po, the daughter of the raja of China, like-wise died, leaving a son named Sri China, who was appointed to the government of Jarum, near Langat. There are his fort and his people, and intercourse is held with then in fine seasons.
[Death of Sultan Mansur Shah]
In process of time Sultan Mansur Shah fell sick, and perceiving that he was about to quit the world, he called the bandahara and all his mantris, and said, "be it known that the world is now fading from my grasp, and I have no hope, but in the world to come; I have appointed this my son, Husain to be my successor; and if he should commit any faults, I request you to excuse them, as he is but a boy, and not versed in the usages of the country. Those who heard the Prince were filled with sorrow.
He then addressed Raja Husain, "O! Husain, recollect that this world is not for a perpetuity, and that all that live must die, and that nothing is perpetual, excepting good works. After me, therefore, I wish you to do justice, and never to deprive people of their just rights." Then the Sultan returned to God's mercy, and was succeeded by Sultan Alla ed din.
[Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah]
At this time thieves were very rife in Malaca, and Sultan Alla ed din was greatly vexed at it. One night, having dressed himself like a thief, he went out, and took Hang Isuf along with him, and Hang Siak also. These three then perambulated the city, and examined the state of the city. They soon came to a place where they met five thieves, carrying off a chest, two of them bearing it, and three accompanying them. The Prince pursued, and all the five fled, throwing down the chest. The Prince said to Hang Isuf, "watch this chest here, while I and Hang Siak pursue the thieves."
The thieves took for Malaca hill, where they were overtaken, and the Prince, with a hack, cut one of them in twain by the waist. The four continued their flight towards the landing place, and beneath the banyan tree the Prince cut down another; the three remaining reached the landing place, when Hang Isuf stabbed another of them; while the other two threw themselves into the water, to swim for the other side. Here stopt the pursuit, and the Prince ordered Hang Isuf and Hang Siak to carry the chest to their house. This was done, and the Prince returned to the palace.
Next morning, the officers of the court came to pay their respects, and the Prince asked Sri Maha Raja, the temangung, "if the watch had been held last night." "It was, Your Honour," said Maha Raja. "I have heard," said the Prince, "that last night one man has been killed on the hill, another tinder the banyan tree, and another near the landing place. If this be the case, it must be Sri Maha Raja who has murdered them." Sri Maha Raja said "he knew nothing of the matter;" and the Prince said, "if that is the case, Sri Maha Raja's watches are good for nothing and merely to blind us."
He then ordered Hang Isuf and Hang Siak to be brought, with the chest, and ordered them to declare all that they had seen the last night, to the bandahara and chief men. They were all astonished at the recital, and impressed with the awe of the raja, and hung down their heads. He then ordered the chest to be proclaimed, and it was found to belong to a rich Keling merchant, named Tirimapulam, and that it had been stolen during the night; and the Prince caused it to be restored.
From this time Sri Maha Raja established a watch extremely strict; and if they met any person going about during the night, they did not take him, but cut him down. One night, they found a thief, just as he was stretching his hand in at a woman's shop window; they directly severed his arm by the shoulder, and left it within. When the woman opened her shop in the morning, and saw the man's hand and arm on the window, what a fine fright she was in; loud did she scream, and brought all the people about her. Soon matters came so far round that there was not a thief to be found in Malaca.
Then the Sultan Alla ed din said to the paduca raja bandahara, "Order a hall to be placed where the streets cross each other, and place a mantri in charge of it; and whenever any goods are found by land or sea, the owner of which is unknown, let them be placed there till they be reclaimed, for a certain fee; and whosoever finds goods, and does not conform to this regulation, let his hand be cut off." This was ordered and done; and whenever any goods were lost in the market or highway, the owner would go to this hall, and probably find them hanging up; for they were not to be carried to any other place.
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