Royal speech, politeness, and authority: pragmatic insights from the Malay annals classic Sulalat al-Salatin

This study investigates the politeness strategies of Malay rulers in Sulalat al-Salatin with three central objectives: (1) to identify the types of politeness realizations and their distribution, (2) to examine the factors that shape these realizations, and (3) to explore the implications of linguistic politeness realizations in the royal admonitions of Malay rulers in Sulalat al-Salatin for contemporary leadership values, norms, and systems. The analysis is anchored in the theoretical frameworks of Brown and Levinson’s politeness theory and localized Malay politeness concepts. Methodologically, this research adopts a qualitative discourse-pragmatic approach, focusing on purposively selected royal admonitions that exhibit honorific address forms, prohibitions, directives, and religious expressions. Findings demonstrate that politeness in Sulalat al-Salatin operates across interpersonal, institutional, and spiritual levels: as a means of softening hierarchical authority, reinforcing dynastic legitimacy, and aligning leadership with divine accountability. More importantly, these strategies are not limited to historical court culture but offer significant moral implications for contemporary society. The study shows that politeness in Sulalat al-Salatin appears in different layers. Moral education is embedded in the admonitions, presenting the text as a form of leadership pedagogy grounded in patience, wisdom, and accountability.