Since the concern of this paper deals with a group of women of influence in Malay historical works, Lefkowitz's findings can perhaps yield some light on the matter. Lefkowitz's findings, drawn from Greek myths and history, confirm restrictions to female power. Even if a few of these women seem to defy the norms of what is expected of feminine behaviour, it has been documented that 'women take political action only under certain closely defined conditions, and that unless they do so at least ostensibly on behalf of a male relative, they and others around them come to a bad end' (Lefkowitz, 49). Studies on influential women in antiquity have revealed that they 'neither had nor sought political power, but worked through their husbands or father or sons' (Lefkowitz, 49). I will highlight their strategies, and discuss how these women attempt to change the course of court politics in their favour. When such a crisis occurs, female court-dwellers appear to intervene.

The question of succession in the Malay sultanates, however, is an interesting one, because sometimes more than one contending prince vies for the throne. Moreover, politics is an exclusively male business in traditional Malay society, therefore women do not seem to participate actively in it. Women, because they are not involved in the intricacies of expanding empires, are not central figures in this genre. These works describe genealogies of rulers, the founding of kingdoms and dynastic warfare. This paper will examine the role of women in Malay court politics as portrayed in two Malay historical/court chronicles, The Malay Annals ( Sejarah Melayu) and The Precious Gift ( Tuhfat al-Nafis).

The Question of Succession: The Role of Women in Traditional Malay Court Politics Ruzy Suliza Hashim The Question of Succession: The Role of Women in Traditional Malay Court Politics

Tuhfat Al-Nafis by Raja Ali Haji