Aceh Sultanate

The Aceh Sultanate, officially the Kingdom of Aceh Darussalam (Acehnese: Acèh Darussalam; Jawoe: اچيه دارالسلام), was a sultanate centered in the modern-day province of Aceh of Indonesia. It was a major regional power in the 16th and 17th centuries, before experiencing a long period of decline. Its capital was Kutaraja, the present-day Banda Aceh. Along with Mataram and Makassar, it has been referred to as one of Southeast Asia's major "gunpowder empires". At its peak it competed with the Sultanate of Johor and Portuguese Malacca, both on the Malay Peninsula, as all three attempted to control the trade through the Strait of Malacca and the regional exports of pepper and tin, with varying success. In addition to its considerable military strength, the court of Aceh became a noted center of Islamic scholarship and trade.