Malaysian records: Chronicles of Malay kings and sultans

The Book of the Malay Records: The Stories of Kings and Sultans of the Malays Author: Yusri Said Mansour The Malay Records is a literary work that presents a romantic history in legendary tales about the origins of the descendants of the kings and sultans of the Malays, then narrates the development and decline of the great maritime Malay Empire, known as the Sultanate of Malacca, at the hands of Portuguese invaders in the early 16th century. This book is one of the best literary and historical works in the Malay language and literature, if not the best. The oldest known manuscript version dates back to 1612. It is not only a literary achievement but also a book about the art of governance in ancient kingdoms, outlining the official covenant between the ruler (Raja), who commits not to cause shame to his subjects and people, and the subjects, who pledge never to commit treason against him, or they become "Dhurhaka," meaning "rebels." The Malay Records is primarily a book of folk tales and anecdotes from the past and not purely a historical work, although it contains a wealth of historical material. The book is written in an epic literary language close to magical poetry in the original ancient Malay manuscripts, which were inscribed in Old Javanese script. The historical manuscripts of the Malay Records were included in UNESCO's Memory of the World Register in 2001. Author: Yusri Said Mansour Number of pages: 316