The history of Merong Mahawangsa is a combination of both facts and fictions. In The Malay Annals, Merong Mahawangsa was purported to be a Hindu prince who sailed from Rome to China but was attacked by a giant phoenix or locally known as Garuda in the Strait of Malacca. His ship crashed on the shore of Kedah and from there he built the Kingdom of Langkasuka and installed his son Merong Mahapudisat as the first King of Langkasuka (Modern day Kedah). After installing his son as the King, Merong went back to Rome. King Mahapudisat would later divide the Kingdom into three; King of Siam to his eldest son; King of Perak to his second and King of Pattani to his youngest.
