The polity appeared in foreign records from as early as the 5th century[5] and at its height, covered much of modern state of Pahang and the entire southern part of the peninsula.

[6] Throughout its pre-Melakan history, Pahang was established as a mueang[7] or naksat[8] of some major regional Malayic mandalas including Langkasuka,[9] Srivijaya[10] and Ligor.

[12] The naming of Pahang relates to the ancient practice in Malayic culture of defining territorial definitions and apportioning lands by water-sheds.

By Arabs and Europeans, the kingdom was variously styled Pam, Pan, Paam, Paon, Phaan, Phang, Paham, Pahan, Pahaun, Phaung, Phahangh.

[26] A polity identified as Koli in Geographia or Kiu-Li, centred on the estuary of the Pahang River south of Langkasuka, flourished in the 3rd century.

[29] This ancient Pahang is believed to had been established later as a mueang[30] to the mandala of Langkasuka–Kedah centred in the modern-day Patani region that rose to prominence with the regression of Funan from the 6th century.

[31] The Langkasuka-Kedah with its city states that controlled both coastal fronts of Malay Peninsula, assumed importance in the trading network involving Rome, India and China.

The submission of Langkasuka-Kedah to the might of Srivijaya was of benefit and interest to the former for, as a commercial centre, it was useful to be allied to a powerful polity with a navy strong enough to protect them.

[34] In the centuries that followed, up to the final decline of Srivijaya, Langkasuka-Kedah was one of its closest allies and Kedah rose to become a principal port and even the seat of the Srivijayan Maharaja.

[35] The power vacuum left by the collapse of Srivijaya was filled by the rise of the Nakhon Si Thammarat kingdom, commonly known in Malay tradition as 'Ligor'.

The ruler of Pahang, titled Maharaja, was also the overlord of countries of Ujong Tanah ('land's end') which were the southern parts of the peninsula including Temasek.

[44] The 15th century witnessed the rise of Melaka Sultanate, which under the Sang Sapurba dynasty had aggressively consolidated its influence on the west coast of Malay Peninsula.

An expedition was organised by Muzaffar's son, Raja Abdullah and was personally led by the Melakan Bendahara Tun Perak with two hundred sail, big and small, accordingly proceeded to Pahang and conquered it in 1454.

The reigning ruler of Pahang, Maharaja Dewa Sura, fled to the interior while his daughter Putri Wanang Seri was captured.

The pre-Melakans calling it by Sanskrit name Pura, the Malays 'Pekan', the Portuguese 'a Cidade', while the people of Rompin and Bebar described the capital as Pekan Pahang.

[56] On the other hand, de Erédia adopted the term 'Siam' and applied it in a broader context, referring to the overlord of these historical 'Siamese' people, that is the Thai kingdom of Ayuthaya.

[58] The pre-Melakan Pahang people were also described by Fei Xin as the adherents of Mahayana Buddhism, on which tantric orgies involving human sacrifices were superimposed.

[61] According to Fei Xin, Pahang also produced rice, salt which was made by boiling the sea water, and wine by fermenting the sap of the coconut tree.

Fei Xin also mentioned on rare and valuable forest products like camphor barus, olibanum, agarwood, sandalwood, sapanwood, pepper and many others.