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were among the products traded (Ricklefs, 2008: 37-38). The description suggests that
the merchant fleet were away for more than a year on their trade voyages before they
returned to their home port. The journey began when the northwest monsoon winds blew,
and they returned when the same monsoon winds blew.
The ascendancy of Majapahit’s merchant fleet began when King Rajasanagara
(HayamWuruk) (1350-1369) came to the throne. But the fortunes of the kingdom were
shaken with a succession crisis after the reign of King Rajasawardhana (1451-1453). This
internal conflict led to the demise of Majapahit hegemony, and power fell into the hands
of the ruler of the Islamic kingdom of Demak in 1478.

Maritime trade in Malacca
The involvement of Malay sailors and merchants in the world of maritime trade in the Java Sea
maritime trade zone had been going on for a long time. Nevertheless, Majapahit’s hegemony
in maritime trade was unrivaled. However, when the role of the kingdom was waning,
the role of Malay sailors and merchants became very important. Ricklefs (2010) described
Malacca trading activities in various commodities with various areas in the Java Sea Maritime
Trade Zones. The east coast of Sumatra traded commodities such as gold, camphor, pepper,
silk, amber, honey, wax, pitch, sulfur, iron, cotton, cane, rice and other foodstuffs, and slaves.
Those commodities were exchanged for Indian textiles. The commodities from the Sunda
region included pepper, tamarind, slaves, gold, and other foodstuffs. Those commodities
were traded for such things as Indian textiles, nuts, and rosewater. The commodities from
Central Java and East Java included rice and other foodstuffs, pepper, tamarind, semi-precious
stones, gold, rough textiles and slaves. Those commodities were traded for Indian textiles
and goods from China. Commodities from Bali, Lombok, and Sumbawa were foodstuffs,
coarse textile, slaves and horses. These were exchanged with coarse textiles from Java. The
main commodity from Timor and Sumba was sandalwood. This was exchanged for coarse
textiles from Java. The commodities from Maluku, nutmeg, cloves and mace, were traded for
coarse textiles from Sumbawa, Javanese currency, and jewels from India. The commodities
from South Sulawesi, such as rice, gold, and slaves, were traded for Indian textiles, resins,
and other items. The commodities of South Kalimantan, foodstuffs, diamonds, gold, and
camphor, were traded for textiles from India (Pires and Rodrigues, 1944: 135-223, Ricklefs,
2008: 37-38). To Malay traders, the most important products of in their trading activities
were spices and sandalwood. They said that God had appointed the Maluku Islands for the
production of spices, and the islands of Timor for sandalwood.

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