GRAVE-STONE OF SULTAN MANSUR SHAH OF MALACCA. 3 
determination of the father’s name; it is now irrefragably esta- 
blished that we have to do with the gravestone of Sultan Mansur 
Shah of Malacca. who according to all accounts was a son of Sul- 
tan Muzaffar Shah. It is clear that between ‘“ Mansur” and 
“Wuzaffar”.the word ,+ stands, but the “r” of “Mansur” 
and the “n” of “Sultan” cannot be traced. Mistakes on these 
gravestones are very frequent so that it is quite possible the mason 
omitted the letters. As regards the reverse, it is clear that in the 
top line not dar al-wirad but dar amal occurs. More important 
however is the date. The cast showed at once how the faulty 
reading dua came about. The flourish of the word min has been 
mistaken for a dal and combined with the waw of the year been 
read 5° 
In 882 A.H. the month of Rajab began on a Thursday, the 
9th of October, 1477 A.D. 
So following my reading one must choose between Wednesday 
the 7th, 14th, 21st or 28th of Rajab 882 A.H. = Wednesday the 
15th, 22nd, 29th October or 5th November, 1477 A.D. 
Seeing that it seldom happens that the word for “ year” is 
omitted in dates, 1 have assumed it occurs on this stone and read 
4.4 with Hervey. I must point out however that one can equal- 
ly well read 42% = 6, so that the reading would run 
alele 3 Crile 5) Crees —— ») ere AP. La P eo 
Wednesday 6 Rajab 882 A.H. = Tuesday 14 October, 1477 A.D. 
My emendations for the words defaced on the bottom are borne 
‘out by the legible lines and require no defence, 
Hervey’s reading of the side inscriptions is untenable. It is 
(Plate III) the beginning of a verse repeatedly found on stones 
in Northern Sumatra :— 
25 08 NEON sect ins Lyall Lal 
Sel ce? 2S gall UNNI 
which Professor Dr. van Ronkel translated for me as follows :— 
“The world is but transitory; the world has no per- 
manence; the world is but as a house made by a spider.” 
The end of this text occurred probably on the lost foot-stone 
and the adventures of the stone we have discussed testify to the 
truth of the words. 
I give my best thanks to all who have been kind enough to 
assist me. 
R,. A. Soc., No. 85, 1922. 
