The Laksamana ( Jawi: ) is a position within the armed forces, similar to the position of

admiral Admiral is one of the highest ranks in some navies. In the Commonwealth nations and the United States, a "full" admiral is equivalent to a "full" general in the army or the air force, and is above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet, ...

in Malay sultanates and in present-day countries like Indonesia and Malaysia. Since South East Asia was part of Indosphere of

Greater India Greater India, or the Indian cultural sphere, is an area composed of many countries and regions in South and Southeast Asia that were historically influenced by Indian culture, which itself formed from the various distinct indigenous cultures ...

since earlier, during and after the Hinduised

Srivijaya Srivijaya ( id, Sriwijaya) was a Buddhist thalassocratic empire based on the island of Sumatra (in modern-day Indonesia), which influenced much of Southeast Asia. Srivijaya was an important centre for the expansion of Buddhism from the 7th t ...

empire, Hindu titles based on Sanskrit were used. The word Laksamana originated from '' Lakshmana'', a figure in the Hindu epic of Ramayana.

Malacca Sultanate

The Laksamana in the Malacca Sultanate was in charge for the sea security of the Sultanate, and most importantly, the China-India trade route within the

Straits of Malacca The Strait of Malacca is a narrow stretch of water, 500 mi (800 km) long and from 40 to 155 mi (65–250 km) wide, between the Malay Peninsula (Peninsular Malaysia) to the northeast and the Indonesian island of Sumatra to the southwest, connec ...

. That trade route was the lifeline of the Empire. He was in full command of the Malaccan fleet, outranked only by the Bendahara and the Sultan. Malacca's most famous Laksamana is Hang Tuah.

Modern-day usage

Navy and coast guard

In modern times, the word refers to a rank in Brunei (by the Royal Brunei Navy), in Indonesia (by the Indonesian Navy and Indonesian Maritime Security Agency) and in Malaysia (by the

Royal Malaysian Navy The Royal Malaysian Navy (RMN, ms, Tentera Laut Diraja Malaysia; TLDM; Jawi: ) is the naval arm of the Malaysian Armed Forces. RMN is the main agency responsible for the country's maritime surveillance and defense operations. RMN's area of o ...

and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency). The common grades for "Laksamana" title are: # (, a five-star rank used by

) # (, a five-star rank used by Indonesian Navy) # (, a four-star rank) # (, " Vice Admiral", a three-star rank) # (, "

Rear Admiral Rear admiral is a senior naval flag officer rank, equivalent to a major general and air vice marshal and above that of a commodore and captain, but below that of a vice admiral. It is regarded as a two star "admiral" rank. It is often regarde ...

", a two-star rank) # (, a one-star rank,

or Commodore)

Surname

''Laksamana'', along with its Hispanicized forms ''Lacsamana'' and ''Laxamana'', is a

family name In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community. Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...

among the Pampangan people of the Philippines and their descendants.

Reference

History of Pampanga Indonesian Navy Military history of Malaysia Malay culture ms:Laksamana {{SEAsia-hist-stub

Malacca Sultanate

Modern-day usage

Navy and coast guard

Surname

See also

Reference