Ali Mughayat Syah facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Ali Mughayat Syah |
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Sultan Ali Mughayat Syah's tomb in Banda Aceh
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| Sulṭān of Acèh Darussalam | |
| Reign | c. 1514 - 1530 |
| Predecessor | sultanate established |
| Successor | Salahuddin |
| Born | Banda Aceh, Aceh Sultanate (now Indonesia) |
| Died | 7 August 1530 Banda Aceh, Aceh Sultanate (now Indonesia) |
| Burial | Kutaraja (Banda Aceh) |
| Consort | Sitt Hur |
| Father | Syamsu Syah |
Sultan Ali Mughayat Syah (died 7 August 1530) was the first sultan of Aceh. He ruled in northern Sumatra from about 1514 until his death. He is known as the founder of the larger Aceh empire. During his rule, a long fight began with the Portuguese. This fight was about who would control trade and power in the Melaka Straits.
Contents
How Aceh Became Strong
In the 1400s, three important port kingdoms were in northern Sumatra.
- Samudra Pasai was a Muslim kingdom since the late 1200s. It controlled some trade that passed through the Melaka Straits. But by the early 1500s, it faced many problems.
- Pidië was another important state. It produced a lot of pepper. Pidië also became friends with the Portuguese in 1509.
- Daya was a third kingdom. The Portuguese even built a settlement there in the early 1500s.
Aceh itself was not a very strong kingdom before 1500. Stories say that Aceh's royal family came from different places. One story says a prince from Champa, named Syah Poling, started the royal line. He fled when the Vietnamese attacked his home in 1471.
At the end of the 1400s, Raja Inayat Syah ruled Dar al-Kamal, which was the old name for Banda Aceh. His son, Sultan Muzaffar Syah, took over after him. But Muzaffar was likely forced out by the king of Pidië. When the Portuguese arrived, Aceh was seen as a smaller state under Pidië.
Sultan Ali Mughayat Syah's father, Syamsu Syah, ruled Aceh for a time. Syamsu Syah later gave up his rule to his son, Ali Mughayat Syah. Ali was married to Sitt Hur. This marriage helped connect different ruling families in Aceh. Ali's brother, Raja Ibrahim, was a great military leader. He strongly supported Sultan Ali. Many historical books say Ali Mughayat Syah was the first true Sultan of Aceh.
Conquering Pidië
It is not exactly clear when Sultan Ali Mughayat Syah became sultan. Some records suggest it was around 1512-1515. Before this, Aceh was dependent on Pidië.
A story says that the Sultan of Pidië, Sultan Maa'rif, wanted to marry Sultan Ali's sister. But Sultan Ali refused because Maa'rif did not act like a royal. Sultan Maa'rif became angry and attacked Aceh. However, Sultan Ali's smart plans led to a big defeat for Pidië. This battle ended Aceh's dependence on Pidië.
After Sultan Maa'rif died in 1511, his son Sultan Ahmad took over Pidië. But the people did not like him. Sultan Ali Mughayat Syah then invaded Pidië. Sultan Ahmad fled, and Pidië became part of the Aceh kingdom. Portuguese records show this happened in the early 1520s.
Fighting the Portuguese
In 1511, the Portuguese took over Melaka. Many Muslim traders did not like this. They moved their businesses to other port cities. Aceh, being a strong Muslim state, became a popular choice. Aceh was in a great location at the northern tip of Sumatra. This allowed it to control trade routes in the Indian Ocean and the Red Sea.
The first direct meeting between Aceh and the Portuguese happened in 1519. A Portuguese ship arrived, and its captain, Gaspar da Costa, was captured. He was later freed and found safety in Pasai.
In 1520, Sultan Ali and his brother Raja Ibrahim started military campaigns. They wanted to control northern Sumatra. This soon led to a serious conflict with the Portuguese. Their first target was Daya, where the Portuguese had built a fort. Aceh took control of this area. They also conquered other regions that produced pepper and gold.
In 1521, a Portuguese fleet with 200 men arrived. Sultan Ali sent a messenger with gifts. But the messenger betrayed him. He told the Portuguese to attack Aceh's capital. He also told them about a treasure of gold there. However, Sultan Ali led his army of 800-1,000 men and 6 elephants. They completely defeated the Portuguese. The Portuguese leader was killed, and the rest fled. Aceh captured many European cannons. These cannons were very useful in later battles against Pidië. In the same year, the Portuguese took Pasai. This led to more attacks from Aceh.
Final Victories and Death
Pidië was soon conquered by Aceh. A Portuguese fleet sent to help Pidië was also pushed back. Sadly, Sultan Ali's brother and military leader, Raja Ibrahim, died in battle in 1523. However, in 1524, Aceh finally captured Pasai. The Portuguese soldiers there were forced to leave. The former rulers of Pidië and Daya fled to Aru. These victories challenged both the Portuguese navy and the power of the Sultanate of Johor on Sumatra.
The victories in the 1520s helped create the large Aceh Empire. This empire would last until the Aceh War (1873-1903). But the fight with the Portuguese continued. In 1527, a Portuguese captain sank an Acehnese ship. In 1528, another Portuguese ship was forced to seek shelter in Aceh during a storm. The local people attacked them, killing most and taking others prisoner. Sultan Ali tried to make peace. This stopped a planned attack by Aru and the Portuguese. But new problems soon arose, and the sultan had all the Portuguese prisoners killed. In 1529, Sultan Ali planned to surprise attack Melaka. However, the plan was discovered, and the attack never happened.
Sultan Ali Mughayat Syah died on 7 August 1530. He was buried in the palace area of Kutaraja (now Banda Aceh). Some stories say his wife poisoned him. She was the sister of the ruler of Daya. She may have done this to get revenge for Aceh conquering Daya. His wife, Sitt Hur, lived for another 24 years.
Sultan Ali had two sons: Salahuddin and Alauddin al-Kahar. Salahuddin became sultan after his father. But he was not as skilled in military matters. It was his younger son, Alauddin, who truly built Aceh's power after 1539.
See Also
Images for kids
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Sultan Ali Mughayat Syah's tomb in Banda Aceh
| Preceded by Sultanate Established |
Sulṭān of Acèh Darussalam c. 1514–1530 |
Succeeded by Salahuddin |
