Ming China's Support for Sultan Mahmud of Melaka and Its Hostility towards the Portuguese after the Fall of Melaka in 1511

Ming China's diplomatic and economic response to the Portuguese occupation of Melaka in 1511 was characterized by sustained support for Sultan Mahmud and hostility towards Portugal, contradicting the misconception that relations lapsed after Admiral Zheng He's last voyages. The study reconstructs this episode using Ming dynasty records and Portuguese accounts, revealing that tribute missions from Melaka continued to China until the 1520s, despite anti-Portuguese measures such as trade bans and imprisonment of officials. This challenges the narrative of declining Sino-Malay relations post-Zheng He, highlighting instead a dynamic period of resistance and adaptation.

Kheng, C. B. (2012). Ming China’s Support for Sultan Mahmud of Melaka and Its Hostility towards the Portuguese after the Fall of Melaka in 1511. Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 85(2), 55–77. https://doi.org/10.1353/ras.2012.0011