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Malay Prau Sailing Vessel
The Malay prau (perahu) was a traditional sailing vessel widely used across the Southeast Asian archipelago, with a two-masted lateen rig and shallow…
Timeline
- 1300–1400Coasts of Java and Sumatra · IndonesiaShipbuilders of the Malay world developed prau forms suited to monsoons and coral-reef channels; lateen sails and removable masts facilitated tacking and estuary anchoring, providing a basic vessel type for the later strait trade network.
- 1461–1470Port of Malacca · Malacca StateUnder Mansur Shah, the Malacca Sultanate's commercial port flourished; praus handled cargo distribution and passenger movement between the port and surrounding islands and estuaries, forming a tiered shipping system with larger junks and Arab sailing vessels.
- 1800Coasts of the Southeast Asian archipelago · Southeast AsiaAfter the rise of steamships and motorized shipping, praus remained widespread in fishing, inter-island transport, and festival activities; traditional shipbuilding skills continued in coastal communities, becoming an important part of Malay maritime cultural heritage.
Sources
- The Age of Trade: The Malay World and Southeast Asia, 1450-1680 — Anthony Reid (1993)
- Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce, 1450-1680, Volume One: The Lands Below the Winds — Anthony Reid (1988)