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Aceh Sultanate's Indian Ocean Expansion (1570s)

Type Event Region Southeast Asia Time 1570–1579

In the 1570s, under Ali Mughayat Shah and his successor Alauddin al-Qahhar, the Aceh Sultanate expanded into northern Sumatra and the Malay Peninsula…

Timeline

  1. 1570–1571Aceh · AcehThe founding sultan Ali Mughayat Shah died, and his son Alauddin al-Qahhar Jahid Shah succeeded him; Aceh continued its policies of expansion and jihad, consolidating its rule over northern Sumatra.
  2. 1571–1573Pidie · SumatraAceh's forces conquered Pidie, gaining control of the pepper-producing region, further monopolizing the spice trade of northern Sumatra, and extending influence over the southern Malay Peninsula.
  3. 1573–1576Strait of Malacca · Malay PeninsulaAceh's fleets repeatedly attacked Portuguese-controlled sea lanes around Malacca, attempting to break the Portuguese monopoly, while strengthening ties with the Ottomans and Muslim trading networks across the Indian Ocean.
  4. 1576–1579Northern Sumatra · SumatraBy the end of the 1570s, Aceh had established suzerainty over most of northern Sumatra, becoming the core maritime power for the Indian Ocean pepper trade and the spread of Islam.

Sources