Geografi dan Perdagangan: Kepentingan Selat Melaka kepada Perdagangan Dunia, Asia dan Dunia Melayu 1700-1800 (Geography and Trade: Importance of the Straits of Malacca to World Trade, Asia and the Malay World 1700-1800)

NORDIN HUSSIN (Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia, nordin@ukm.my)

Abstract


This article is an attempt to analyse the strategic geographical location of the Straits of Melaka, which was used by seafarers and traders travelling from the East and the West. The strategic position of the Straits of Melaka controlling the movement of the world trade in the East, which is rich in mineral resources, and its strategic location between China and mainland India was known since the Srivijaya era. Subsequently this strength was fully utilised by the Malay kingdom in Melaka, the Achenese in Sumatra and the Johor kingdom in Riau. Nevertheless, the strategic position of the port of Melaka and Riau that controlled the world trade finally led to their downfall when both port towns were occupied by the three European powers (Riau was occupied by the Dutch after the 1784 war). The significant role of the Straits of Melaka also became a dispute factor between the three European powers (Portuguese, Dutch and English). Thus, whichever power succeeded in controlling the Straits of Melaka, it will be the one that would hold the power to regulate the movement of the world trade, which was a lucrative and profitable business.

Keywords: trade, society, commodities, port-towns, Straits of Melaka

ABSTRAK

Makalah ini cuba mengupas kedudukan geografi Selat Melaka yang amat strategik dan yang telah digunakan oleh para pelayar dan pedagang yang berulang alik dari Timur dan Barat. Kedudukan Selat yang mengawal arah aliran perdagangan dunia di sebelah Timur yang amat kaya dengan hasil bumi dan kedudukannya yang strategik di antara tanah besar China dan benua kecil India telah diketahui sejak zaman kerajaan Melayu Srivijaya lagi. Kedudukan strategik ini telah digunakan sepenuhnya oleh kerajaan-kerajaan Melayu yang tumbuh dan berkembang di sepanjang selat tersebut seperti kerajaan Melayu Melaka, kerajaan Aceh dan Kerajaan Johor di Riau. Namun, kekuatan yang ada pada Selat ini juga telah menyebabkan kegemilangan pelabuhan Melayu Melaka dan Riau telah jatuh dan dikuasai oleh tiga kuasa besar Eropah yang utama, iaitu Portugis, Belanda dan Inggeris (Riau dikuasai Belanda setelah peperangan tahun 1784). Kekuatan yang ada pada Selat ini juga telah menjadikannya rebutan di antara ketiga-tiga kuasa tersebut kerana siapa yang berjaya menguasainya, maka dialah yang akan memperolehi keuntungan dan dapat mengawal arah aliran perdagangan dunia yang melaluinya.

Kata kunci: perdagangan, masyarakat pedagang, komoditi, bandar pelabuhan, Selat Melaka


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