Warkah-warkah Terpilih daripada Light Letters (MS 40320) bagi Pengkajian Sejarah Ekonomi Terengganu, 1780an-1794 (Selected Correspondence From The Light Letters (MS 40320) for The Study of Terengganu’s Economic History, 1780s–1794)

Abstract

The Light Letters collection represents the largest and most significant corpus of surviving Malay correspondence, yet remains underutilised in scholarly discourse. In particular, these documents have not been fully explored in relation to Terengganu’s economic history during the transformative decades at the end of the 18th century, marked by increasing British influence through commercial activities. This raises a critical inquiry into Terengganu’s position within the evolving trade landscape of the late eighteenth century, and its role in regional and international maritime networks, particularly in the context of intensifying European commercial ambitions and expanding imperial interests in Asia. This study adopts a qualitative historical approach by analysing primary source documents—specifically the transliterated Light Letters housed at the Universiti Sains Malaysia Library. Focusing on selected letters related to Terengganu, the article argues that Terengganu played a pivotal role in both regional and global trade. Francis Light and his commercial associates were dependent on Terengganu for trade goods (pepper and tin) and capital collaboration through ship leasing or purchases and cargo sharing. These commercial partnerships enabled Terengganu to engage in long-distance trade with regions such as China and India. Accordingly, the Light Letters constitute an essential source for the study of Terengganu’s history, particularly with regard to its economic dimensions in the closing decades of the eighteenth century.