[8] One such settlement was identified as Koli from Geographia (2nd century CE), a thriving port located on the estuary of Kuantan River, where foreign ships stopped to barter and resupply.

[13] Pahang, described by de Erédia as Pan, was one of the two kingdoms of Malayos in the peninsula, in succession to Pattani, that flourished before Melaka.

The Pahang ruler then, titled Maharaja, was also the overlord of countries of 'Ujong Tanah' (land's end), the southerly part of the peninsula including ancient Singapore.

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.

In addition to modern Pekan, it appears to have comprised the land on the banks of Pahang river as far as Tanjung Langgar.

Following a brief period of being a governorate, the state was established as a sultanate in 1470 by a Melakan prince, Muhammad Shah, and remained a vassal of Melaka until the latter's demise in 1511.

[citation needed] Pahang remained a constituent dominion ruled by the Bendaharas, until Johor Empire's gradual dismemberment in late 18th century.

These east coast dialects demonstrate a number a shared lexical, syntactic, and phonetics innovations and their speakers can easily communicate with each other, although there are still some phonological and vocabulary differences.

[18] An east coast dialect, Terengganu Malay is in fact native in certain areas primarily in narrow strip of sometimes discontiguous fishermen villages and towns along the coastline of Pahang.

Around the opening of the common era, Hinduism and Buddhism were introduced by Indian traders to the Malay Archipelago, where they flourished with the establishment of a Hindu-Buddhist state from the 5th century.

[24] The shift into the dominant Malayic cultures with Siamese influence, is believed to have taken place in situ, involving such political processes as the establishment of a late Srivijayan outpost in the isthmus, the fall of Srivijaya, the extension of Thai rule into the area and lastly the arrival of Islam in the region from as early as the 14th century.

He wrote an interesting account of Pahang and its people, extract of the text of which are as follows:[28]- Men and women have their hair in a knot, and are clad with a single piece of cloth.

Girls of rich families wear four or five golden circles on their foreheads, and the daughters of the common people use strings of colored glass beads instead.The "knot" mentioned above actually refers to the chignons ('sanggul' in Malay).

[31] The Malay handloom industry traced its origin since the 13th century when the eastern trade route flourished under Song dynasty.

Therefore, we find that those silat forms with very few members are those which are being practiced in a secretive way in remote areas and are taught only by invitation of the master.

There are also poems by Sahmad Malaya describing Janda Baik, Mount Tahan, Bukit Tinggi and Chini Lake.

[42] Another significant genre is a set of healing songs in Saba dance commonly performed to celebrate the recovery of a patient by a Bomoh (Malay shaman).

[44][45] Popular Pahang folk songs included; Walinong Sari, Burung Kenek-Kenek, Pak Sang Bagok, Lagu Zikir, Lagu Orang Muda, Pak Sendayung, Anak Ayam Turun Sepuluh, Cung-Cung Nai, Awang Belanga, Kek Nong or Dayang Kek Nong, Camang Di Laut, Datuk Kemenyan Tunggal, Berlagu Ayam, Walida Sari, Raja Donan, Raja Muda, Syair Tua, Anak Dagang, Puteri Bongsu, Raja Putera, Puteri Mayang Mengurai, Puteri Tujuh, Pujuk Lebah, Ketuk Kabung (Buai Kangkong) and Tebang Tebu.

[49] One of the most popular dance theatre is Mak Yong, which is also performed in Kelantan and Terengganu, and based on east coast mythology.

[50] Performances involve about a dozen artists, accompanied by an ensemble of musicians playing the rebab, gongs and drums (gendang).

[54] Indung is performed with a set of 36 songs traditionally sang by women while working in the paddy field, especially during grass cutting.

Certain dishes are shared with other Malay groups, like Singgang, Tembosa, Satak and Lempeng Nyiur which also commonly found in Kelantan and Terengganu.

[58] Like many other Asian cultures, the staple food in a Pahang culinary tradition is rice, which is commonly served with gulai or singgang, ulam and sambal condiments.

This is a traditional dish consists of juicy, tender patin fish cooked in curry made of tempoyak (fermented durian).