Malahayati: The Trailblazing Muslim Admiral of the Aceh Sultanate

By Afroz Khan, New Age Islam 7 July 2025 Malahayati, born 1550 in Aceh, became the first female admiral, leading the Inong Balee, a women's army, after her husband's martyrdom. She courageously protected Aceh from Portuguese and Dutch forces, negotiated diplomatically, and was martyred in 1615, earning recognition as Indonesia's national hero. Main Point: 1. Malahayati, born 1550 in Aceh, became the world's first female admiral. 2. Formed a women's army of widows to avenge her husband's martyrdom. 3. Protected Aceh from Portuguese and Dutch fleets. 4. Negotiated favourable agreements for Aceh, including with England. 5. Martyred in 1615, honoured as Indonesia’s national hero in 2017. ----- In the 16th century, when Muslim women in many parts of the world were struggling for their education, rights, freedom and existence, a Muslim woman achieved the feat of becoming the first female admiral of the modern world. Malahayati of Indonesia was a unique Muslim woman who completed many naval military expeditions on the strength of her courage. Malahayati was born on 1 January 1550 in Aceh Sultanate (presently Sumatra Island, Indonesia). Malahayati's father was Admiral Mahmud Syah and her grandfather was Admiral Muhammad Said Syah. Both her father and grandfather were admirals in the navy of Aceh Sultanate and her grandfather was the son of Sultan Salahuddin Syah. It was natural for Malahayati to inculcate the familial and courageous qualities of her grandfather and father; she was the owner of unique courage and strong willpower. She received her early education at an Islamic school, and then joined the Royal Military Academy of Aceh (Mahad Betul Maqdis) where she was trained by experienced and trained instructors, including instructors from the Ottoman Empire. While studying at Betul Maqdis she met naval cadet Zainul Abidin, and they married after completing their education. In 1585 Malahayati was given the responsibility of leading the Royal Secret Guard, and her husband Zainul Abidin was made Admiral of the Navy. After the fall of Malacca (present day Malaysia), Aceh became a strong group. Seeing the aggressive nature of the Portuguese, Aceh decided that only Asian traders would be allowed to enter the merchant shipping route of the Strait of Malacca. To fulfill his objective, Sultan Alauddin Mansur Syah decided to build a powerful navy. At that time, it was common for the Dutch, Portuguese and British fleets to fight for control over the Strait of Malacca. For the security of Aceh, it was very important that their navy should be strong and powerful. To fulfil his objective and to protect Aceh, the Sultan built a strong naval fleet and its command was handed over to Zainul Abidin. Just a year after marriage, Malahayati's husband Zainul Abidin was martyred in Haru Bay of the Strait of Malacca during naval action against the Portuguese fleet. After this deep sorrow, she controlled herself and took a vow to complete her husband's unfinished military campaign and went to the Sultan and proposed to form a women's army. The Sultan gave her permission and also appointed her to the post of Admiral. Formation of INONG BALEE After assuming the post of Admiral, Malahayati formed a special women's army whose name was baleewhich means "Women of Widows". This army mainly consisted of those women who had lost their husbands during military operations in Haru Sea. They had a strong will in their hearts to take revenge for the death of their loved ones. Malahayati herself was also hurt by the martyrdom of her husband. Instead of making her grief her weakness, she made her grief her inspiration and conquered the enemies. Apart from the widows of the martyrs, many young women and girls also joined balee . Initially, there were 1000 women in this army, but in a short time this number reached 2000. The Inong baleearmy historically protected the Aceh Sultanate by showing its valor and courage. When the Portuguese and Dutch dominated the sea, Inong balee, under the leadership of Malahayati, displayed unprecedented courage against the Dutch and Portuguese and protected the Aceh Sultanate from their terror. When De Houtman arrived peacefully at Aceh port in 1599, he was welcomed, but when Houtman insulted the Sultan and decided to attack Sumatra, Malahayati kidnapped the senior Dutch Admiral Van Neck and destroyed his fleet before the attack and his commander De Houtman was killed by Malahayati in a fierce military conflict. When the Dutch came for a peace agreement, the peace agreement was signed only when the Dutch apologized and agreed not to return. By defeating the Dutch, Malahayati avenged her husband's martyrdom. In 1602, Malahayati's reputation as the protector of the Aceh Empire reached England. England chose a peaceful and diplomatic way to gain entry into the Straits of Malacca. James Lancaster brought a letter from Queen Elizabeth to the Aceh Sultan and requested to open the English route to Java. Malahayati was given the leadership to conduct diplomatic negotiations with James Lancaster on behalf of the Aceh Sultanate. Malahayati was not only a unique warrior, she was also very skilled in diplomatic negotiations. She not only won at sea through war, but also got many agreements and conditions implemented in favour of Aceh through negotiations on many occasions. This brave woman was martyred while protecting Krueng Raya Bay from Portuguese attacks in 1615. Several streets, monuments, hospitals and schools have been established in honour of Malahayati in cities across Sumatra. In 2017, he was also officially recognised as a national hero of Indonesia. ----- Afroz Khan is a teacher by profession. She primarily writes about women and Islam. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Education URL: https://www.newageislam.com/islamic-personalities/malahayati-muslim-admiral-aceh-sultanate/d/136102 New Age Islam, Islam Online, Islamic Website, African Muslim News, Arab World News, South Asia News, Indian Muslim News, World Muslim News, Women in Islam, Islamic Feminism, Arab Women, Women In Arab, Islamophobia in America, Muslim Women in West, Islam Women and Feminism