The colonial legacy in Melaka
Melaka is unique in being the only town in Malaysia to have been ruled by three Western colonial powers. Already a wealthy port and an important centre of trade by the early 16th century, it attracted Westerners who came to the East to set up trading posts. In 1511, a fleet led by Alphonso d'Alburquerque, the Portuguese Viceroy of India, conquered Melaka, thus establishing a long period of colonial rule which began with the Portuguese, followed by the Dutch, then the British, that lasted for almost 450 years. The most tangible legacy of the colonial period are a number of buildings which exhibit the architectural styles of the colonists.
- Information in the full article includes
- The Portuguese in Melaka
- The Dutch era
- British Melaka
