Colonial Era: Portuguese, Dutch, British
In 1511, the Portuguese Afonso de Albuquerque conquered Malacca — the end of the sultanate and the beginning of 450 years of European interference. The Portuguese built the fortress A Famosa (whose ruins still stand in Malacca today) and controlled the spice trade, but never managed to restore the city to its former glory.
In 1641, the Dutch took over Malacca (together with local allies) and rebuilt the city — the red buildings at the Dutch Square in Malacca (Stadthuys, Christ Church) date from this period. The Dutch were primarily interested in the spice monopoly and neglected Malacca in favor of Batavia (Jakarta).
In 1786, the British East India Company established a trading post on Penang — Captain Francis Light received the island from the Sultan of Kedah in exchange for military protection (which the British never provided). In 1824, the British also took over Malacca, and in 1826 they united Penang, Malacca, and Singapore into the Straits Settlements.
In the 19th century, the British expanded their influence over the entire peninsula — officially as "advisors" to the Malay sultans, effectively as colonial rulers. They brought two groups that would forever change Malaysia: Chinese workers for the tin mines and Indian workers for the rubber plantations. This ethnic tripartition — Malays, Chinese, Indians — still defines Malaysia today.
