View of Chalet Mesra

The Portuguese had heard about the Venice of the East and its importance; they wanted to gain control of the port as whoever controlled Malacca would also control the Straits of Malacca, the most important sea route between East and West, and controlling it would be tantamount to untold riches and power.

So it was that Lopez de Sequeira sailed to Malacca where he and his crew were given a warm welcome. However, they were soon thrown into prison on charges of spying, giving Admiral Alfonso d'Albuquerque the perfect excuse to sail from India to attack Malacca in 1511. The Malaccan army fought valiantly but was no match for the mighty cannons on d'Albuquerque's ship. Moreover, the unity of the people had been sadly undermined by weak leadership and charges of nepotism.

Malacca was virtually reduced to the ground as the conquerors destroyed everything that would serve to remind and rally the people of Malacca. The sultan retreated to Johor and from there, the new kingdom launched many, many attacks on the Portuguese. The only reason the Portuguese were able to hold out for the next 130 years was the A' Famosa. Built by Alfonso d'Albuquerque, who correctly anticipated the revenge of the Malays, the fort was reinforced by three-metre thick walls and a towering keep.

Under the Portuguese, the locals were introduced to Catholicism. The churches constructed by the Portuguese still exist but in ruins. With the spread of Christianity in Malacca, more and more Muslim traders now took their vessels to the Muslim port of Aceh, at the northern tip of Sumatra. Malacca had started on the road to its decline as a port and as a centre of knowledge in the Asian region.