The Melaka Malay Sultanate became an illustrious empire in the 15th to early 16th centuries. The authority and pre-eminence of the Melaka Sultanate’s administrative system made Melaka a bustling and dominant port city in Southeast Asia, and known to traders from the east and west. Melaka’s territories and imperial network covered almost the entire Malay Archipelago and positioned the Melaka Malay Sultanate as the master of the regional socio-cultural, political and economic milieu at that time. Melaka's role as the most important Islamic propagation centre in Southeast Asia in that period was also closely linked to the Islamisation of the Sultan of Melaka and the institution of the Sultanate itself.

Based on the historic writings and original documents that are still preserved to-date, the Melaka Sultanate had an ideal monarchy system for its time. Apart from the customary rules that were firmly practiced in the development of Melaka’s culture and socio-economic life, there were also structured laws akin to a constitution that regulated the general governance and well-being of the state. This evidence can be seen in the example of the written Melaka Codes of Law and the Melaka Laws of the Sea documents.

Melaka’s hierarchy of positions and roles of the principal officials bearing titles such as Bendahara, Temenggung, Penghulu Bendahari, Laksamana and Syahbandar continued to be used in the Malayan states well after Melaka’s time until the arrival of the British in the 19th century. The Melaka Sultanate also spearheaded much of the flowering of Malay systems of culture and customs such as the concept of daulat (sovereignty) and derhaka (treachery), the upholding of duli (divine right of kings), protocols of the palace, royal language, manner of dress, bestowing of titles, the concept of loyal fealty to the king and nation and more, most of which are still strong and practiced to this day.

Melaka’s sovereignty from the Sultans of Melaka continued to be disseminated to and preserved in other Malay states even though Melaka itself was conquered by the Portuguese in 1511. In practice every installation of a Sultan can be traced, based on the recognition accorded to him to be raised as the legitimate Sultan of the state concerned from which he has blood ties to the Sultans of Melaka or their branch heirs.