This is a timeline of Malaysian history, comprising important legal and territorial changes and political events in Malaysia and its predecessor states. To read about the background to these events, see History of Malaysia.
Prehistory Year Event 1,830,000 BCE Hand axes from early hominids, probably Homo erectus, have been unearthed in Lenggong, making them some of the oldest evidence of hominid habitation in Southeast Asia.40,000 BCEThe earliest evidence of modern human habitation in Malaysia is a skull excavated from the Niah Caves from this time period.11,000 BCEPerak Man: The oldest complete skeleton found in Malaysia was dated to this time.
2nd century Year Event 200 The ancient Hindu Malay kingdom of Langkasuka was founded by Merong Mahawangsa, a descendant of Alexander the Great or Dhu al-Qarnayn. The ancient Hindu Malay kingdom of Gangga Negara was founded by Ganji Sarjuna, a son of Merong Mahawangsa.
4th century Year Event 400 The emergence of the Kedah Tua civilization began with the involvement of the community in Guar Kepah conducting trade with foreign traders in Sungai Mas. The center of the civilization was in Sungai Mas and Pangkalan Bujang. Gangga Negara also served as a port, frequented by foreign traders for its rich natural resources such as gold and tin.
7th century Year Event 630 The Hindu Malay Kingdom of Kedah was founded by Maharaja Derbar Raja of Persia. 671 Yijing visited Kedah and Srivijaya on his way to India from China.Junjiro Takakusu, (1896), A record of the Buddhist Religion as Practised in India and the Malay Archipelago AD 671–695, by I-tsing, Oxford, London. 682 Yijing returned to Kedah and Srivijaya on his way back from India to China. He described the Malays as having high status in controlling the economy and its kingdom's entry points. 700 The Malay Peninsula fell under the dominance of the Buddhist Malay Srivijaya, based in Palembang. The Sawaku Kingdom was founded by Datu Merpati near Santubong and Sarawak River. The Samadong Kingdom was founded near Samarahan and Sadong.
8th century Year Event 750 Srivijaya attacked Langkasuka and conquered the kingdom. 775 The king of Srivijaya married a princess of Langkasuka and made Ligor his capital.
9th century Year Event 850 Gangga Negara defended its sovereignty from a Srivijaya invasion. 890 Klang Kio attacked and defeated Gangga Negara but withdrew after its ruler, Bolaputra, married a princess of Gangga Negara.
11th century Year Event 1025 A Chola army invasion from southern India weakened trade in Kedah and Gangga Negara. 1100 The Melano Kingdom was founded by Tugau near Sungai Retus.
12th century Year Event 1136 Phra Ong Mahawangsa converted to Islam and founded the Kedah Sultanate, ending the practice of Hinduism in the dynasty.
13th century Year Event 1245 Sang Sapurba, a legendary ancestor of significant dynasties in the Malay world and descendant of Alexander the Great or Dhul-Qarnayn, entered into a sacred covenant with Demang Lebar Daun, the ruler of Palembang, and subsequently laid the basis of the relationship between the Malay rulers and subjects. 1260 Minangkabau people journeyed to the Malay Peninsula. 1280 Siamese begun to occupy the northern Malay Peninsula. Negara Sri Dharmaraja and Patani, became Siamese vassals. 1299 Kingdom of Singapura was founded by Sang Nila Utama, a son of Sang Sapurba.
14th century Year Event 1303 Islam reached Terengganu, proven by the discovery of the Terengganu Inscription Stone in Kuala Berang. This is the earliest evidence of Jawi writing in Malay. 1330 The Chinese traveler Wang Dayuan visited Singapura and recorded an attack by Siam, recording it alongside Long Ya Men and Ban Zu. 1360 Singapura Kingdom attacked and was defeated by the Hindu Buddhist Javanese Kingdom of Majapahit. 1362 Badang, a legendary Malay strongman, was elected as the Hulubalang of Singapura. 1363 The Brunei Sultanate was established when the Sultan of Brunei married a princess of Singapura and converted to Islam. 1398 Parameswara, a prince of Srivijaya and the last king of Singapura fled from the Singapura.
15th century Year Event 1400 Malacca Kingdom was founded by Parameswara, the last king of Singapura. 1403 Chinese admiral Yin Ching reached Malacca, and established diplomatic ties between China and Malacca. The first Malay-Chinese dictionary was compiled in Chinese characters containing about 500 words related to trade used in Malacca. 1409 Chinese admiral Cheng Ho reached Malacca, strengthening diplomatic ties between China and Malacca. 1414 Malacca established diplomatic ties with Pasai, when Megat Iskandar Shah married a princess of Pasai and converted to Islam. 1444 Hang Tuah, the legendary Malaccan Laksamana, was born in Malacca. 1445 Tun Perak, the Penghulu of Klang, lead the Malaccan army to victory by defeating Siamese invaders in Muar. 1450 Sharif ul-Hashim arrived in Sulu from Malacca, married a daughter of Raja Baginda, and founded the Sultanate of Sulu. 1451 Malacca became the center of Islam in southeast Asia. 1456 Tun Perak lead the Malaccan army to victory by defeating Siamese invaders in Batu Pahat. He was made Bendahara of Malacca. 1459 Emperor of China sent his daughter Hang Li Po and 500 followers as a gift to Sultan Mansur Shah. Sultan Mansur Shah established Bukit Cina as a settlement for the Chinese. 1463 Malacca established diplomatic ties with Ryukyu. Ryukyu traders were respected in Malacca. 1470 Tun Besar, a son of Tun Perak was killed because he had accidentally displaced Raja Muhammad's destar, a prince of Malacca. Raja Muhammad was exiled to Pahang and founded the Pahang Sultanate.
16th century Year Date Event1509 11 September Diogo Lopes de Sequeira, the first European to reach the Far East, arrived in Malacca.1511 24 August Malacca came under Portuguese rule after falling to an army led by Alfonso de Albuquerque. November Flor de la Mar, carrying a large treasure trove from Malacca, sank near Sumatran coast. Panglima Awang was acquired as a slave by the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan1512 Fortress of Malacca, the oldest European architectural remains in the Far East, was built in Malacca. The first Portuguese expedition was sent eastward from Malacca to search for the Spice Islands led by Francisco Serrão.1521 21 April The Magellan Expedition was received with hostility by the Mactan natives, led by Lapu-Lapu. Panglima Awang was believed to have left Mactan and made his way back to the Malay Peninsula, becoming the first person in recorded history to circumnavigate the world. Brunei was visited by Magellan expedition. The Church of Saint Paul was built the oldest church building in Southeast Asia.1522 The first Malay-Italian dictionary was compiled by Antonio Pigafetta, who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan around the globe. The dictionary contains about 426 words related to trade in the Moluccas. 1528 Johor Sultanate was founded by Raja Alauddin, son of Mahmud Shah, the last king of Malacca. Perak Sultanate was founded by Raja Muzaffar, also a son of Mahmud Shah.1540 Luak Rembau is founded.1545 Francis Xavier arrived in Malacca and devoted his life to missions in Asia, especially in Malacca and Maluku Islands.1547 Francis Xavier met a Japanese man named Anjirō who had traveled from Kagoshima to Malacca to meet him and become the first Japanese Christian.1548 Francis Xavier established a school on the premises of the chapel known as Church of Saint Paul. Cik Siti Wan Kembang became Sultan of Kelantan.1563 Kota Jelasin was built for Cik Siti Wan Kembang and her adopted daughter, Puteri Saadong. Manuel Godinho de Erédia, a Malay-Portuguese writer and cartographer of early Malay Peninsula, was born in Malacca.1577 Sultan Mansur Shah was abducted by the Acehnese forces. Acehnese forces captured the Sultan's widow and children and brought them back to Aceh. Raja Alauddin, a prince of Perak was married to an Acehnese princess and installed as the Sultan of Aceh. Perak nobles journeyed to Acehnese and requested Alauddin Mansur Syah be a successor. He sent his brother to become Perak's monarch to maintain the unbroken Malacca dynasty lineage.1578 Castilian War: War broke out between Brunei and Spain in Borneo and Mindanao. Sulu Sultanate gained its independence from Brunei.1594 Perak rotational succession system among members of the royal family began.1598 Raja Tengah accepted the offer by the Sultan of Brunei to be the Sultan of Sarawak
17th century Year Date Event 1603 25 February Dutch led by Jacob van Heemskerk with the assistance of Johor, seized the Portuguese merchant vessel Santa Catarina off the coast of Singapore. Malay-Dutch vocabulary, the earliest Malay book printed in Europe, was published by Frederick de Houtman in Amsterdam. 1612 Sejarah Melayu was composed by Tun Sri Lanang, the Bendahara of Johor. 1613 Aceh attacked Johor in Batu Sawar. Tun Sri Lanang was captured and taken to Aceh. 1614 Pahang was ruled by Johor. 1635 Raja Kuning of Patani married the Yang di-Pertuan Muda of Johor. 1636 Perak nobles turned to Sultan Iskandar Thani of Aceh who sent his relative, Raja Sulong, to be the sultan of Perak because the previous sultan died without an heir and many royal family members died due to an epidemic that swept through the sultanate. Raja Sulong was a prince of Siak and was not genealogically linked to Perak royalty on his father's side. 1641 Dutch, with the help from Johor, conquered Malacca from the Portuguese. Hikayat Hang Tuah was composed by an unknown writer from Johor after the Portuguese defeat in Malacca. 1644 Tarian Asyik was created to comfort the mourning Raja Kuning after the loss of her beloved bird. 1650 Kelantan became a part of the Patani founded by Raja Sakti I. 1653 Kota Sena was established by Muhyiddin Mansur Shah as a capital of Kedah. 1660 The Brunei Civil War began over a disagreement between the son of the Sultan of Brunei, Pengiran Muda Bongsu, and Pengiran Muda Alam, the son of Pengiran Abdul Mubin, over the results of a cockfight which Pengiran Muda Bungsu lost. 1666 September Kedah was under Thai sovereignty. 1667 Puteri Saadong ruled the territory of Kota Jelasin. 1670 Kelantan split into two, Kelantan Barat (center in Kota Kubang Labu) and Kelantan Timur (center in Kota Pangkalan Datu). 1671 Puteri Saadong managed to heal the King Narai of Siam, who promised her freedom if she could cure his disease. Puteri Saadong returned to Kota Jelasin and killed her husband, Raja Abdullah, who had remarried another princess in her absence.1673 Johor-Jambi war: Jambi attacked Johor in Johor Lama. Brunei Civil War: The Eastern part of Sabah was given to Sulu as the reward for assisting the Muhyiddin's forces. 1679 Johor-Jambi war: Tun Abdul Jamil defeated Jambi, so ending the Johor-Jambi war. 1699 Tun Abdul Jalil, the Bendahara of Johor was elected as the Sultan of Johor, after the dead of "Sultan Mahmud Mangkat Dijulang".
18th century