Kerajaan Proselytism

Abstract

Chapter 3 examines the role of kingdoms in transforming Islam into a force to be reckoned with in Malaysia. Be it through diplomacy, conquest, trade, or tribute, the rajas worked hand in hand with overseas Muslim and non-Muslim empires as well as local societies to infuse Islam in all corners of Malaysia. The states of Kedah, Terengganu, Kelantan, Pahang, Johor, and, most illustrious of all, Melaka positioned themselves as Islamizers and defenders of the faith akin to the Safavids and the Ottomans that these states hoped to emulate up until the eighteenth century. Muslim kings employed a range of subtle and hard strategies to widen their command over non-Muslim polities.