▁August ▁ 1 5 3 0 ) ▁was ▁the ▁first ▁s ultan ▁of ▁A ce h ▁in ▁northern ▁Sum atra , ▁reign ing ▁from ▁about ▁ 1 5 1 4 ▁until ▁his ▁death . ▁Although ▁he ▁was ▁not ▁the ▁first ▁r uler ▁of ▁the ▁A ce h ▁heart land , ▁he ▁is ▁considered ▁the ▁founder ▁of ▁the ▁greater ▁A ce h ▁emp ire . ▁His ▁time ▁also ▁saw ▁the ▁emer gence ▁of ▁the ▁long ▁struggle ▁with ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁for ▁the ▁political ▁and ▁economic ▁supre m acy ▁in ▁the ▁Mel aka ▁Stra its . ▁Sultan ▁Ali ' s ▁life ▁and ▁career ▁are ▁never theless ▁ill - chron ic led , ▁and ▁have ▁to ▁be ▁pie ced ▁together ▁from ▁various ▁A ce hn ese , ▁Mal ay ▁and ▁European ▁accounts . ▁ ▁The ▁rise ▁of ▁A ce h ▁In ▁the ▁fif teenth ▁century , ▁three ▁port ▁kingdom s ▁domin ated ▁northern most ▁Sum atra . ▁Sam ud ra ▁Pas ai ▁had ▁been ▁a ▁Muslim ▁s ultan ate ▁since ▁the ▁late ▁th ir teenth ▁century , ▁cont rolling ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁inter - As ian ▁trade ▁that ▁went ▁through ▁the ▁Mel aka ▁Stra its . ▁However , ▁by ▁the ▁early ▁six teenth ▁century ▁it ▁was ▁w reck ed ▁by ▁political ▁tur mo il . ▁Another ▁important ▁state ▁was ▁P idi ë ▁which ▁was ▁a ▁prominent ▁producer ▁of ▁pe pper ▁and ▁be fri ended ▁the ▁Portuguese ▁since ▁ 1 5 0 9 . ▁A ▁third ▁one ▁was ▁Day a ▁( poss ibly ▁at ▁present - day ▁Cal