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Peureulak Sultanate or Perlak Sultanate is the earliest sultanate in Southeast Asia,[1] believed to have converted to Islam as early as the 9th century.[2] The location of Peureulak is in what is now the East Aceh Regency, Indonesia.
Perlak or Peureulak is well known as a perlak wood producing area, a type of wood that is very good for ship building and house building.[3] Its natural products and strategic position made Perlak develop as a commercial port that advanced in the 8th century, visited by ships which included Arab and Persian origin. This led to the development of Islamic societies in this area, mainly as a result of mixed marriages between Muslim merchants and local women.