3. Storyboard of Fort Canning’s pre-colonial history and the 5 kings

The stinky Petai beans got to us after a while, and we decided to continue on along the path. We came upon this storyboard detailing the 5 kings of Malaya and …

The storyboard writes:

“History shows that a Malay Kingdom once existed in Singapore. According to the Malay Annals, ancient Singapore had five kings.

1.(1299-1347?) Sri Tri Buana. After reigning 48 years, Sri Tri Buana died and was buried on this hill.

2.(1348-1362?) Paduka Sri Pikrama Wira. He refused to pay homage to Java, which attacked Singapore but failed to conquer it.

3.(1363-1374?) Sri Rana Wikerma. During his reign Java claimed Temasek (now Singapore) as a vassal. The famous story of Badang, the Strongman, is set during his reign.

4.(1375-1386?) Padika Sri Maharaja. During his reign Singapore was attacked by todak (Malay for garfish). Singapore may have been a vassal of Siam (Ayudhya) during his reign.

5.(1387?-1397) Sri Sultan Iskandar Syah. According to the Malay Annals, he was Paduka Sri Maharaja’s son; but other sources call him a usurper from Sumatra. He was driven out of Singapore by an attack; some sources say from Java, others say from Siam. He also appears in Chinese and other sources under the name Parameswara (Supreme Lord). After fleeing from Singapore he founded Malacca and died in 1413. ”

While reading the storyboard, several question marks popped up in our heads. In particular, there seemed to be a discrepancy with regards to the periods of reign. Subsequent research on this issue revealed a discrepancy with regards to the years of the Sultans’ reign. Padika Sri Maharaja reigned from 1375 to 1389 whereas Sri Sultan Iskandar Syah, who reigned from 1389 to 1391, founded Malacca in 1393. It was also interesting to learn that the throne was passed down the bloodline from the first to the fourth king, whilst the fifth king had usurped the throne.

Hmm... These storyboards were definitely not around during Ah Gong’s time, but we wonder if he had heard any stories about the reign of the Sultans...

Resource:
Linehan, W. (1982) The Kings of 14th Century Singapore. In T.S.D.M Sheppard (Ed.), Singapore 150 Years (pp. 57-66). Singapore: Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society.