Abstract

The “Sulalatus Salatin” text depicts numerous wars that occurred for various reasons, including to safeguard the glory of the Malacca Sultanate and conserve peace and harmony within the kingdom. Based on this literature, certain cultural principles were found to be prevalent in Malay society. This paper proposes, from the perspective of the theories of war, to analyze whether the wars described in “Sulalatus Salatin” were portrayed as honoring and protecting the harmony of the kingdom. In a wider context, this article represents an effort to deconstruct and reconstruct the purpose of waging wars as well as the local wisdom of the Malay community, which showcases how avoiding war can be considered an aspect of just war.