The Name Is Probably The Sanskrit Samudra, "The
Sea." Possibly It May Have Been Imitated From Dwara Samudra, At That Time
A Great State And City Of Southern India.
[We read in the Malay Annals,
Salalat al Salatin, translated by Mr. J.T. Thomson (Proc.R.G.S.
XX.
P. 216): "Mara Silu ascended the eminence, when he saw an ant as big
as a cat; so he caught it, and ate it, and on the place he erected his
residence, which he named Samandara, which means Big Ant (Semut besar in
Malay)." - H.C.] Mara Silu having become King of Samudra was converted to
Islam, and took the name of Malik-al-Salih. He married the daughter of the
King of Parlak, by whom he had two sons; and to have a principality for
each he founded the city and kingdom of Pasei. Thus we have Marco's
three first kingdoms, Ferlec, Basma, and Samara, connected together in a
satisfactory manner in the Malayan story. It goes on to relate the history
of the two sons Al-Dhahir and Al-Mansur. Another version is given in the
history of Pasei already alluded to, with such differences as might be
expected when the oral traditions of several centuries came to be written
down.
Ibn Batuta, about 1346, on his way to China, spent fifteen days at the
court of Samudra, which he calls Samathrah or Samuthrah. The king whom
he found there reigning was the Sultan Al-Malik Al-Dhahir, a most zealous
Mussulman, surrounded by doctors of theology, and greatly addicted to
religious discussions, as well as a great warrior and a powerful prince.
The city was 4 miles from its port, which the traveller calls Sarha; he
describes the capital as a large and fine town, surrounded with an
enceinte and bastions of timber.
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