BACKGROUND OF ENRIQUE DE MALACCA
(SCRIPT)
IVY:
Good afternoon, everyone. We are group 6 and we will present the Background of Enrique
de Malacca. Who is Enrique de Malacca? Let us have an overview about him. His real name is
Panglima awang and also called Henry of Malacca. From 1519 to 1522, He was a Southeast Asian
member of the Magellan expedition that completed the first circumnavigation of the world. In 1511
at the estimated age of 14 years, probably in the early stages of the Siege of Malacca (now a part
of modern Malaysia), Enrique was acquired as a slave by the Portuguese navigator, Ferdinand
Magellan. One of the sailors, Gines de Mafra, explicitly states in his first-hand account that
Magellan took Enrique because he needed his linguistic skills, presumably for the navigator's
ambitious Asian explorations. His religion is christian and Magellan himself attests to Enrique's
baptism in his Will, in which he states that Enrique was a Christian. Magellan gave him the name
“Henrique” or “Henry”, perhaps because he was that year captured, purchased, or baptized on July
13, the feast day of Saint Henry, patron saint of Finland. Enrique was described as a Native of the
city of Malacca by Magellan. According to Antonio Pigafetta, he was a Sumatran native. Magellan's
will also incorrectly refer to Henrique as a "mulatto," which is most likely why he was also known
as Henry the Black. He spoke Malay, the Malay archipelago's lingua franca for trade and interethnic communication, which included Malacca and Sumatra, and he was the interpreter during the
expedition. During his time as Magellan's slave in Europe, Henrique learned to speak Portuguese
and Spanish, in addition to Malay. He also gained Magellan's trust, allowing him to be treated as a
confidant and, possibly, friend rather than a slave.
----- Mr. Emmanuel Paraiso will now talk about the origin of Enrique de Malacca
EMMAN:
Let us now discuss the origin of Enrique de Malacca. His origins are still debated among
historians of both naval and Southeast Asian history. His non-Christian name will be lost in history,
despite the fact that he was born to Muslim or Buddhist parents. According to Maximilianus
Transylvanus, who published his interviews with the survivors of Magellan's expedition in De
Moluccis Insulis, Enrique was born in the Moluccas (1523). The First Man Around the World was
published in the Philippines Free Press in 1980 by Carlos Quirino, a Filipino historian and author
and it states that Enrique was a Filipino who migrated from Cebu to Malacca or was sold as a slave
in Malacca. Enrique was raised in the central Philippines and sold into slavery in Sumatra before
being transported to Malacca and purchased by Magellan.
----- The next part will be discussed by Ms. Ashlee Liwanag
ASHLEE:
Enrique de Malacca, Magellan's slave, may have been the first person to circumnavigate the
globe. According to historical records, Enrique and Magellan were both in Malacca before returning
to Portugal, traveling to Spain, and sailing west as far as Cebu. Malacca is 1,528 miles away from
Cebu. By dividing this distance by the circumference of the Earth (24,901), they both came at least
94% of the way around. He sailed the East Indian Seas with Magellan, followed him across the
Indian Ocean and the African continent, and continued until the Atlantic, South Africa, and Pacific.
He fought bravely, explored the new world, experienced new life and culture, and embarked on the
greatest adventure that no man had ever undertaken. Bergreen and other historians claim that,
“Magellan had captured Enrique ten years before in Malacca, where he was baptized, and he had
followed his master across Africa and Europe ever since. If Enrique was born on these islands,
captured as a child by Sumatran slave raiders, and sold to Magellan at a slave market in Malacca,
the chain of events would account for his understanding of the local language. And if Enrique was
with Magellan on all of these voyages of discovery; if Magellan circumnavigated the world before
Sebastian del Cano in 1523; if Enrique was born in the Visayan islands and then returned to the
Visayan islands (including Cebu) with Magellan. If he really safely managed to escape the attack
and return home. Enrique de Malacca is the first person to circumnavigate the globe.” According to
the preponderance of linguistic evidence, Enrique de Malacca, assumed to be an early Filipino,
returned home on March 27, 1521 and was the first person ever to circumnavigate the world. Due
to the difficulty and dangers of long-distance travel at the time, neither a Malaccan nor a Sumatran,
but only those who grew up in the Limasawa area, would have known the vernacular.
----- The next slide is more information about Enrique de Malacca, which Ms. Rilleyan Del Rosario
will explain
RILLEYAN:
When the Armada de Moluccas left Spain in 1519, Enrique de Malacca was listed as a
supernumerary (interpreter) and was paid 1,500 maravedis per month while still a servant to
Magellan. Enrique was no longer a slave at this point, but rather a well-paid indentured servant.
Enrique's language skills aided Magellan's alliance with the local leaders and played an important
role in the mass baptisms that followed. Enrique went into deep mourning after Magellan's death.
Despite the fact that Enrique was Magellan's slave, they had a good friendship, according to
Pigafetta. Duarte Barbossa, the expedition's new leader, wanted to keep Enrique as a translator
and decided that Enrique should be a slave on their ship. However, he plotted a conspiracy with
Raja Humabon against the Spaniards (Barbossa and his shipmate). Enrique managed to escape
the attack. Enrique vanishes from history four days after the Battle of Mactan, following the
Massacre of Cebu. His name was also missing from the list of Magellan’s surviving crew returning
to Spain. His name appears only in Antonio Pigafetta's account, Ferdinand Magellan's Last Will
and Testament, and official documents from the Magellan expedition to the Philippines at the Casa
de Contratación de las Indias. And that is the background of Enrique de Malacca and once again
we are the group 6. Thank you for listening.