Mahsuri's Tragedy

The most notable tale of Langkawi is that of Mahsuri, a beautiful maiden executed after being falsely accused of adultery.

During the reign of Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah the Second (1762-1800), a man named Pandak Maya came to Langkawi seeking his fortune. After eating some enchanted rice grains, his wife was soon blessed with a beautiful daughter, Mahsuri, who eventually married Mat Deris, the son of Langkawi's chief.

Mahsuri was beautiful and kind-hearted, capturing the heart of many village lads. She soon caught the eye of the local chieftain. Although he wanted to marry Mahsuri, he was unable to do so and decided then to marry Mahsuri to his son Mat Deris. They soon married and lived in harmony for months before Mat Deris was called away on a mission.

During Mat Deris’ absence, a travelling troubadour, came to the village. Out of kindness, Mahsuri offered him a place to stay. A few months after this, Mahsuri gave birth to a baby boy. There are several versions of how she came to be accused of adultery. The most common version is that her jealous mother-in-law falsely accused her of adultery because of Mahsuri’s popularity and jealousy of her husband’s feelings for Mahsuri. The presence of the traveller in her house and the baby also preyed heavily on the minds of the villages. Upon hearing his wife’s story and village gossip, the chieftain arrested Mahsuri and sentenced her to death without trail.

Her beauty led to jealous and wrongful accusations of adultery and Mahsuri was subsequently sentenced to death. , and witnesses claimed to see white blood gushing from her wound, as if to prove her innocence. Instantly, a mysterious mist shrouded the area.

During the execution at Padang Hangus, she was stabbed with a special kris (Malay dagger). According to legend she could only be killed when her executioner used the dagger (some say spear) from her house. Legend tells that because of her innocence, only white blood flowed from her body. As she lay dying, Mahsuri cast a curse on the island - that Langkawi would not be peaceful nor prosperous for seven generations. After Masuri’s death, her husband and son moved to Phuket Thailand

As incredible as it may seem, time passed slowly by for six generations and it was only during the end of the 7th generation that the island became a popular travel destination, attracting a wealth of development projects.

Makam Mahsuri, a mausoleum, is built on Langkawi island to honour the memory of Mahsuri. The decendents of Mahsuri who lives on Langkawi or Puket till today keep track of their ancestry.