Malaysia - Land of Many Charms

•  Overview
•  Historical Perspective
      •  Ancient Malaysia
      •  Hindu Kingdoms
      •  Islam and the Golden Age of Malacca
      •  Colonial Malaysia
      •  Post-Independence

Historical Perspective
Malaysia's history is influenced its long and ongoing contact with the outside world and colonial rule by Portuguese, Dutch, and the British. Malaysia's strategic position, its tropical climate, the surrounding environment and the regime of the northeast and southwest monsoons have influenced its history.

Ancient Malaysia
Historians often speak of Malaysia's ancient past as something "shrouded in mystery." There are many prehistoric archeological sites along the coasts and in the jungles and hills, but given Malaysia's riotous vegetation it will take time to find them. The oldest known evidence of human habitation is a skull from the Niah Caves in Sarawak dating from 35,000 years before Christ. Combined with the peoples of Indonesia, the Deutero-Malays formed the racial basis for the group, which today is called the Malay. 

Hindu Kingdoms
Early writings from India speak of a place called Savarnadvipa -- the Land of Gold. It is believed that in search of Savarnadvipa the first Indians were lured to the Malay Peninsula. Blown across the Bay of Bengal by the reliable winds of the southwest monsoon, they arrived in Kedah sometime around 100 BC. Goods were not the only items exchanged in the peninsula's ports. The Indians also brought a pervasive culture. Hinduism and Buddhism swept through the land, bringing temples and Indian cultural traditions.

Islam and the Golden Age of Malacca
Until the 15th century, neighboring kingdoms in Cambodia and Indonesia largely overshadowed the Hindu kingdoms of peninsular Malaysia. The strongest of these kingdoms was called Srivijaya started to decline around the 13th century. Port city of Malacca started to gain eminence. With the success and power it enjoyed, Malacca came to control the entire west coast of the Malay Peninsula, the kingdom of Pahang, and much of Sumatra.

Colonial Malaysia
The strategic importance of the State brought the Portuguese in 1509. Then came the Dutch, who attacked and defeated the Portuguese in 1641. The Dutch ruled for 154 years, followed by the British. The British, who already had Penang and Singapore, penetrated inland. By the 1920's, all the Malay States on the peninsular came under British protection. In 1945, when World War II ended, Britain resumed control again, but Malaya's independence movement had matured and organized itself in an alliance under Tunku Abdul Rahman. When the British flag was finally lowered in Kuala Lumpur's Merdeka Square in 1957, Tunku became the first prime minister of Malaysia. 

Post-Independence
With 1957's independence the question of exact territorial area came into forefront. In 1961, the term "Malaysia" came into being after Sabah, and Sarawak joined Malaya in a federal union. In 1963, Malaysia was formed, bringing together the states of Malaya, Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak. Singapore, however, left the federation in 1965. In the last two decades, Malaysia has undergone tremendous growth and prosperity.