Samudra

City in northern Sumatra, also known as Pasai. With nearby Perlak, it was the earliest Muslim state in Indonesia. The earliest evidence of major Islamic influence is a set of royal inscriptions in Arabic from 1295. The city was easily accessible to merchant shipping from the Indian Ocean and had a hinterland rich in gold and spices. In the 15th century it was gradually overshadowed by Malacca.