British Empire Article


Churika Mandakini


The Churika Mandakini is a sword that forms part of the Perak regaliaIt was said to have been the sword of Raja Suran. According to Hikayat Ketinggian Salasilah (Sejarah Raja-Raja Negeri Perak), the Sultan of Perak is descended from Sang Sapurba, the son of Raja Suran and Puteri Mahtab al-Bahari, the daughter of Aftab al-Ardzi. Churika Mandakini was carried by Sang Sapurba as he arrived at Seguntang Mahameru in Palembang. It was said that Sang Sapurba had once instructed Permasku Mambang to use Churika Mandakini as a weapon to destroy Saktimuna, a serpent-dragon that wreaked havoc in the state of Minangkabau. It was also described that Parameswara bore this sword during his installation ceremony as the first Sultan of Melaka in 1405. The sword was handed down to the subsequent Sultans and after the demise of Sultan Mahmud Shah in Kampar, following the fall of Melaka to the Portuguese, Churika Mandakini was brought to Perak by Sultan Muzaffar Shah in 1528, and the sword had remained as part of the regalia since.


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by Stephen
Luscombe