Mendam Berahi was a legendary royal galley (Classical Malay: ghali kenaikan raja) said to have been used by the Malacca Sultanate in the early 16th century.
The name Mendam Berahi was not originally Malay, rather it comes from Javanese and Sundanese words mendem birahi.
In naval warfare, the Malays used lancaran and banting, propelled by breast oars (paddles) and 2 masts, with 2 rudders (one on both sides of the hull).
[9] According to Afonso de Albuquerque, during the 1511 Portuguese attack on the Malacca Sultanate, the Malays used an unspecified number of lancaran (lanchara) and twenty penjajap (pangajaoa).
[13] Portuguese accounts did not record Mendam Berahi either, although Tomé Pires' Suma Oriental contain references to a large ship, where he mentions a "flagship" of Malacca which carried many bombards.
The people of Malacca purchased big ships (jong) from other parts of Southeast Asia, namely from Java and Pegu, they did not built them.
[3] According to the study of Rohaidah Kamaruddin, the conversion of the units mentioned in the old Malay manuscripts will result in a length of 50.292 m and a width of 10.9728 m.[26] According to Irawan Djoko Nugroho, the length is 50 m and the width is 12 m,[27] while Pierre-Yves Manguin estimated it as 67 m long and 11 m wide, with the usual length-to-width ratio found on galleys of about 7:1.
[Note 3][28][29][30] The ship was made with a strong frame, and the walls were constructed with beautiful wainscotting, and covered by velvet cloth colored in yellow, red, and green.
The ship was also used to establish relations with other countries, conduct trade, and transportation, which included bringing pilgrims to Mecca.
However, Mendam Berahi could not transport food, water, and other necessities in large quantities, so the ship had to stop at ports to get supplies and shelter from poor weather.
[38][39] In the Hikayat Hang Tuah, it is said that the ship was made for the purpose of the king of Malacca,[Note 4] to propose to the princess of Majapahit, named Raden Galuh Cendera Kirana[40] (or Raden Mas Ayu in other version),[41] who was described as having a face as beautiful as a shining full moon and a body as pure as gold.
Patih Karma Wijaya and Hang Tuah informed that there were seven Malaccan ships coming, and their intention is to propose to the daughter of the king of Majapahit.
In the end, Hang Tuah was shot and fell into the water, before finally being helped by the soldiers to climb into Mendam Berahi.
[59] With the threat of the Portuguese, the king of Malacca ordered Admiral Hang Tuah and Maharaja Setia to go to the country of Rum (the Ottoman Empire) to buy bedil (guns) and large meriam (cannons).
After returning from the pilgrimage, the group sailed for 20 days to Egypt and stayed there for about 3 months to buy guns and load them onto the boats.
Hikayat Hang Tuah also tells how the Malaccan boats and ships sailed for 17 days and arrived in Istanbul, but in reality, this route could not be passed because the Suez Canal did not exist at that time.
[62] A replica of Mendam Berahi will be built in Klebang by a team of historians, and cost 10 million Malaysian ringgit.
Prof. Dr. Ahmad Jelani Halimi conducted research and concluded that the galley-type ship (ghali) was never used by the Malacca Sultanate in its golden age.