Page 23 - Chinese and Asian Ceramics from an Indonesian Collection

Ceramics from the Musi River

Figure 3. Musi River Basin. Showing major archaeological sites and place name locations. From Rianta (2014).

attacked Malayu. This event and the rapid spread of Islam Bangka Island. This forced Parameswara to eventually
in Indonesia, after first gaining a foothold in Aceh, further flee, first to Singapore and then to Malacca, where he
undermined Sriwijaya’s authority in the region. The final changed his name to Sultan Iskandar Shah, (he converted
death knell of Sriwijaya was signalled by the movement to Islam in 1414.) Malacca flourished in the 15th century,
of this ancient Malay centre of political power inland to and Parameswara became the sole ruler of the Malacca
the Minangkabau highlands after being centred on the Strait and waters around it.
coastal lowlands for centuries. After the Majapahit invasion, there was no major
political power to control Palembang such that it fell into
POST-SRIWIJAYA disarray and social fractions and militias quickly formed.
After the collapse of Sriwijaya, there was a political vacuum Merchants from China took advantage of this situation
in Palembang which was filled by the last Sriwijaya prince, and made Palembang their base, inviting pirates from
Parameswara. He tried to regain some of the commercial China to take up residence there. The traditional Malacca
power of Sriwijaya and Palembang by breaking relations Strait pirates (Orang laut) also made Palembang their
with the Javanese Majapahit. Unfortunately for him, home such that the City became a pirate haven. And it
Majapahit responded by sending a large naval expedition remained so until admiral Cheng Ho, on behalf of the
around 1391, which defeated Parameswara’s forces at Ming Dynasty, defeated them.

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