Kedah, also written as Queda, and known in the early days as Kedaram, Kidaram, Kalagam and Kataha by the Tamils, and Kalah or Kalaha by the Persians, is an early kingdom on the Malay Peninsula and an important early trade centre. Early west-coast trade centres are few in number as they were overshadowed by Kedah. Her nearness to the entrances to the Straits of Malacca — and more importantly — being on latitude 6° north of the equator, the same as Ceylon to the south of India, allowed ships sailing the Bay of Bengal in a sea lane heading due east or west between the two, were in little danger of becoming lost. The early transpeninsular routeway is part of the Sea trade route of the Spice Route for Arab, Persian, Tamil Nadu and India-to-China traders, as the route through the Straits does no