Kampar

Kampar's river country in eastern Sumatra connected local rulers with both the Minangkabau interior and the maritime politics of Melaka. After the Portuguese destroyed Sultan Mahmud Shah's base on Bintan in 1526, the displaced ruler withdrew to Kampar. He died there in 1528 and was remembered as Marhum Kampar. The river region thus became a refuge for the last ruler of Melaka after the loss of his capital.

Its inland connections also appear in the journey of Tomás Dias in 1684. Travelling toward Minangkabau, he followed the Siak River, crossed overland toward the Kampar and sought a local ruler's permission to continue to Pagaruyung. His route depended on moving between river basins and negotiating passage. Kampar's place in these journeys rested on relationships with inland authorities as well as its access to the eastern Sumatran coast.