NOTES ON SOME PERSIAN DOCUMENTS FROM EARLY MODERN SOUTHEAST ASIA

Abstract

This paper examines the use of the Persian language in Southeast Asia as a lingua franca between the 16th and 19th centuries, examining the principal stylstic and linguistic features of docments from Malacca, Aceh and Burma. These documents suggest a wider use of, and knowledge of, Persian in the region than is generally appreciated. The documents also show many local features and the influence of Malay.