He was the eldest of two sons of the sixth Sultan of Malacca, Mansur Shah by his wife Putri Wanang Sri Lela Wangsa, daughter of Dewa Sura, the last Pre-Malaccan ruler of Pahang, who was also a relative of the King of Ligor.
It is speculated that this appointment was consolation after he had been passed over from the succession of the Malaccan throne[3] as his younger half-brother, Raja Husain was installed as the heir instead.
On the return of Tun Telanai to Terengganu, he was murdered by the head of Pahang Hulubalang, Seri Akar Raja, who later established his control over the chieftaincy.
[3] The family of Tun Telanai complained about the matter to Sultan Alauddin, who later viewed the murder as an insult aimed directly at him.
Alauddin later exacted revenge when a Malaccan mission to Pahang, attacked and killed a cousin of Seri Akar Raja.
[7] Sultan Alauddin was succeeded by his son Mahmud Shah who – because of the rumours surrounding the death of his father – had developed a strong animosity towards his uncle in Pahang.
[8] Sultan Ahmad was bitter over the slights and insults from Malacca and particularly took offense to Mahmud Shah's abduction of Tun Teja.