Melaka is rich with history. It was founded by an exiled prince from Sumatra,Parameswara, in 1400.It thrived as a port-of-call to many a ship and merchant from China, India, Arab and south America, In 1511 it fell to the hands of the Portuguese followed by the Dutch .in 1641 after a fierce battle.In 1795 Malacca was given to British to prevent it falling to yhe French when the Netherlands was captured during the French Revolution, It was returned to the Dutch in 1818 under the Treaty of Vienna but was later exchanged by the British for Bencoleen, Sumatra, From 1826 onwards it was ruled by English East India Company in Calcutta together with Singapore and Penang under Straits Settlement administration, After World War II. Anti-colonial sentiment bred in the country among the nationalists, the result of which the proclamation of Independence by His Highness Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra AI-Haj, Malaysia first Prime Minister, at the Padang Pahlawan (Warrior's Field) at Bandar Hilir, Malacca on 20th February 1956.