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History of Malaysia

Malaysia is a federal constitutional monarchy split by the South China Sea into Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia.. 5 eras, 1400 to today.

Malacca sultanate, 1400–1511 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Malacca Sultanate was a Malay sultanate based in the modern-day state of Malacca, Malaysia. At the height of the sultanate's power in the 15th century, its capital grew into one of the most important transshipment ports of its time, with territory covering much of the Malay Peninsula, the Riau Islands and part of the central eastern coast of Sumatra in present-day Indonesia. In 1511, the capital of Malacca fell to the Portuguese Empire, forcing the last Sultan, Mahmud Shah, to retreat south, where his progenies established new ruling dynasties, Johor and Perak.

Seat of power: Malacca

Rulers

Johor Sultanate, 1528–1946 Draft, not yet reviewed

The Johor Sultanate was founded by Sultan of Malacca Mahmud Shah's son, Alauddin Riayat Shah II in 1528. Prior to being a sultanate of its own right, Johor had been part of the Malaccan Sultanate before the Portuguese captured its capital in 1511. During the colonial era, the mainland part was administered by the British, and the insular part by the Dutch, thus breaking up the sultanate into Johor and Riau.

Seat of power: Johor Bahru

Rulers

British Malaya, 1826–1957 Draft, not yet reviewed

The term British Malaya loosely describes a set of states on the lower Malay Peninsula and the island of Singapore that were brought under British hegemony or control between the late 18th and the mid-20th century. British Malaya comprised the Straits Settlements, the Federated Malay States, and the Unfederated Malay States, which all held varying degrees of autonomy. Under British hegemony, Malaya became one of the most profitable territories of the Empire. During World War II, the Empire of Japan overran British Malaya and occupied the colony as a single unit administered from Singapore.

Seat of power: Kuala Lumpur

Federation of Malaya, 1948–1963 Draft, not yet reviewed

Malaya, officially the Federation of Malaya, was a country in Southeast Asia from 1948 to 1963. It comprised eleven states, nine Malay states and two of the Straits Settlements, Penang and Malacca. Malaya became fully sovereign on 31 August 1957, and on 16 September 1963, the federation was superseded by Malaysia when it united with Singapore, North Borneo (Sabah) and Sarawak. Due to opposition from Malay nationalists, the Union was disbanded and replaced by the Federation of Malaya, which restored the symbolic positions of the rulers of the Malay states and introduced greater restrictions on the attainment of citizenship status.

Seat of power: Kuala Lumpur

Rulers

Malaysia, 1963 to today Draft, not yet reviewed

A federal constitutional monarchy, it consists of 13 states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia on Mainland Southeast Asia and East Malaysia on the island of Borneo. On 16 September 1963, independent Malaya united with the then British crown colonies of North Borneo, Sarawak, and Singapore to become Malaysia. In August 1965, Singapore was separated from the federation and became an independent country. The head of state is an elected monarch, chosen among the nine state rulers every five years.

Seat of power: Kuala Lumpur

Rulers

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.