Melaka was an important trading and diplomatic center during the 15th century, serving as a hub where merchants from Arabia, Persia, India, China, and the Malay archipelago exchanged luxury goods like spices, silk, porcelain, and perfumes. It had a multi-ethnic administration system led by a Sultan and various officials to oversee trade, taxation, and justice according to Islamic laws and Malay customs. Melaka also played a significant role in spreading Islam through religious scholars and missionaries, and was an important center of Malay literature through translations of texts and writings in the Jawi script.