Kedah Sultanate
Encyclopedia
The Sultanate of Kedah was the earliest sultanate on the Malay Peninsula
and one of the oldest Sultanates in the world, founded in year 1136.
Kedah Kingdom (630-1136) was founded by Maharaja Derbar Raja of Gemeron around 630 CE and the Hindu dynasty ended when Phra Ong Mahawangsa converted to Islam
.
's army sacked Kadaram and the Srivijaya
capital and took the Srivijaya king Sangrama Vijayottungavarman captive. The kingdom was restored to him only after he acknowledged Chola's sovereignty. The aim of the Cholas was probably just to force the empire to open its shipping lanes as Srivijaya was some 1,500 miles remote and difficult to control. Recovered Tamil
inscriptions from the region show that there was Chola military presence till at least year 1088 in the Malay archipelago
.
Scholars like R.C. Majumdar think that the emperor despatched more than one expedition to humble the Srivijayas, with 13 towns in the archipelago sacked by the Cholas as recorded by Rajendra's own inscriptions with six located on the Malay peninsula, four on Sumatra, the another found on the Nicobar islands. Paul Wheatley has been sceptical of Rajendra's claims about the number of towns his army sacked, but most agree that a raid did take place.
George Spencer pointed out that the campaign is plausible because it fits the Chola pattern of compulsive expansion in this period, fits the aim of Rajendra to exceed his father's accomplishments and fits the persistent Chola need to locate fresh sources of plunder or tribute. There is evidence to show that the king of Kambujadesa
sent a chariot to the Chola, probably to appease him so that his strategic attention did not extend further than the Malay peninsula.
and converted to Islam, which was introduced by Muslims from neighbouring Aceh
, he also changed his name to Sultan Mudzafar Shah. He ruled the northern region of Malay Peninsula
from 1136 to 1179. According to the Kedah Annals
, the first king of Kedah was Maharaja Derbar Raja I, a fleeing king from Gameron
in Persia.
faith arrived at Kedah, joining them soon were peoples from nearby islands and from the northern Mon-Khmer region. Ancient Kedah covered the areas of Kuala Bahang, Kuala Bara, Kuala Pila and Merpah, and the inhabitants of Kedah appointed Tun Derma Dewa and Tun Perkasa as their village chiefs.
) in Persia was defeated in battle and escaped to Sri Lanka
, and he was later blown off course by a storm to the remote shores of Kuala Sungai Qilah, Kedah. The inhabitants of Kedah found him to be a valiant and intelligent person, and they made him the king of Kedah. In the year 634 CE, a new kingdom was formed in Kedah consisting of Persian royalty and native Malay of Hindu faith, the capital was Langkasuka
.
. It is said to have been founded by Durbaraja I, a Hindu who originated from Gemeron in Persia. The Hindu dynasty ended when the ninth king Durbaraja II, styled "Phra Ong Mahawangsa" by the Siamese, converted to Islam in 1136.
. The exact dates of each king's reign are not known.
in Kedah is attributed to a visit by a Muslim scholar from Yemen
, Sheikh Abdullah bin Ja'afar Quamiri, to Durbaraja II's palace
at Bukit Mariam in 1136. The audience resulted in the king's conversion to Islam. He adopted the name "Mud'zafar Syah
" and established the sultanate of Kedah, which continues to rule today.
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
and one of the oldest Sultanates in the world, founded in year 1136.
Kedah Kingdom
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
Invasion of Chola
In the early 11th century, inscriptions indicate that ties of friendship still existed between Chola and Kadaram of Srivijaya, however the commercial monopoly claimed by the Srivijayan Maharajas led to the end of their friendship. The first Chola attack began in the year 1025, RajendraRajendra Chola I
Rajendra Chola I was the son of Rajaraja Chola I and was one of the greatest rulers of Tamil Chola dynasty of India. He succeeded his father in 1014 CE as the Chola emperor...
's army sacked Kadaram and the Srivijaya
Srivijaya
Srivijaya was a powerful ancient thalassocratic Malay empire based on the island of Sumatra, modern day Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. The earliest solid proof of its existence dates from the 7th century; a Chinese monk, I-Tsing, wrote that he visited Srivijaya in 671 for 6...
capital and took the Srivijaya king Sangrama Vijayottungavarman captive. The kingdom was restored to him only after he acknowledged Chola's sovereignty. The aim of the Cholas was probably just to force the empire to open its shipping lanes as Srivijaya was some 1,500 miles remote and difficult to control. Recovered Tamil
Tamil script
The Tamil script is a script that is used to write the Tamil language as well as other minority languages such as Badaga, Irulas, and Paniya...
inscriptions from the region show that there was Chola military presence till at least year 1088 in the Malay archipelago
Malay Archipelago
The Malay Archipelago refers to the archipelago between mainland Southeastern Asia and Australia. The name was derived from the anachronistic concept of a Malay race....
.
Scholars like R.C. Majumdar think that the emperor despatched more than one expedition to humble the Srivijayas, with 13 towns in the archipelago sacked by the Cholas as recorded by Rajendra's own inscriptions with six located on the Malay peninsula, four on Sumatra, the another found on the Nicobar islands. Paul Wheatley has been sceptical of Rajendra's claims about the number of towns his army sacked, but most agree that a raid did take place.
George Spencer pointed out that the campaign is plausible because it fits the Chola pattern of compulsive expansion in this period, fits the aim of Rajendra to exceed his father's accomplishments and fits the persistent Chola need to locate fresh sources of plunder or tribute. There is evidence to show that the king of Kambujadesa
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
sent a chariot to the Chola, probably to appease him so that his strategic attention did not extend further than the Malay peninsula.
Conversion to Islam
In the late 11th century, war infested Srivijaya sent ambassadors from Jambi and Palembang to China to seek a peaceful solution against the Chola attack with newly emerging Jambi Muslims sent two more ambassadors to China in 1082 and 1088. This suggests that the power frequently shifted between Jambi and Palembang. Right after the Chola military left Kadaram, the 9th Hindu rajah, Dubar Raja II, renounced the HinduismHinduism
Hinduism is the predominant and indigenous religious tradition of the Indian Subcontinent. Hinduism is known to its followers as , amongst many other expressions...
and converted to Islam, which was introduced by Muslims from neighbouring Aceh
Aceh
Aceh is a special region of Indonesia, located on the northern tip of the island of Sumatra. Its full name is Daerah Istimewa Aceh , Nanggroë Aceh Darussalam and Aceh . Past spellings of its name include Acheh, Atjeh and Achin...
, he also changed his name to Sultan Mudzafar Shah. He ruled the northern region of Malay Peninsula
Malay Peninsula
The Malay Peninsula or Thai-Malay Peninsula is a peninsula in Southeast Asia. The land mass runs approximately north-south and, at its terminus, is the southern-most point of the Asian mainland...
from 1136 to 1179. According to the Kedah Annals
Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa
Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa or The Kedah Annals is an ancient Malay literature that chronicles the bloodline of Merong Mahawangsa and the foundation of the Kedah, a state in Malaysia. Though there are historical accuracies, there are many incredible assertions...
, the first king of Kedah was Maharaja Derbar Raja I, a fleeing king from Gameron
Bandar Abbas
Bandar-Abbas or Bandar-e ‘Abbās , also Romanized as Bandar ‘Abbās, Bandar ‘Abbāsī, and Bandar-e ‘Abbās; formerly known as Cambarão and Port Comorão to Portuguese traders, as Gombroon to English traders and as Gamrun or Gumrun to Dutch merchants) is a port city and capital of Hormozgān Province on...
in Persia.
History
Around 170 CE a group of native refugees of HinduHindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
faith arrived at Kedah, joining them soon were peoples from nearby islands and from the northern Mon-Khmer region. Ancient Kedah covered the areas of Kuala Bahang, Kuala Bara, Kuala Pila and Merpah, and the inhabitants of Kedah appointed Tun Derma Dewa and Tun Perkasa as their village chiefs.
The king from Gemeron
In the year 630 CE, Maharaja Derbar Raja of Gemeron (now known as Bandar AbbasBandar Abbas
Bandar-Abbas or Bandar-e ‘Abbās , also Romanized as Bandar ‘Abbās, Bandar ‘Abbāsī, and Bandar-e ‘Abbās; formerly known as Cambarão and Port Comorão to Portuguese traders, as Gombroon to English traders and as Gamrun or Gumrun to Dutch merchants) is a port city and capital of Hormozgān Province on...
) in Persia was defeated in battle and escaped to Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and he was later blown off course by a storm to the remote shores of Kuala Sungai Qilah, Kedah. The inhabitants of Kedah found him to be a valiant and intelligent person, and they made him the king of Kedah. In the year 634 CE, a new kingdom was formed in Kedah consisting of Persian royalty and native Malay of Hindu faith, the capital was Langkasuka
Langkasuka
Langkasuka was an ancient Hindu Malay kingdom located in the Malay Peninsula...
.
Nobat
The Nobat musical instruments of Nagara and Nepiri were introduced to Kedah by Maharaja Derbar Raja. The instrument is also called semambu. The band is led by the king, and it consists of drums, a gong, a flute and a trumpet. Today, Nobat is a Royal orchestra, played only during royal ceremonies such as inaugurations, weddings, and funerals. The building which houses the instruments and where the ensemble rehearses is known as the Balai Nobat, literally the Office of Nobat.List of rulers
According to tradition, the founding of the Kedah kingdom (or Kadaram) occurred around 630 CE, replacing the ancient kingdom of LangkasukaLangkasuka
Langkasuka was an ancient Hindu Malay kingdom located in the Malay Peninsula...
. It is said to have been founded by Durbaraja I, a Hindu who originated from Gemeron in Persia. The Hindu dynasty ended when the ninth king Durbaraja II, styled "Phra Ong Mahawangsa" by the Siamese, converted to Islam in 1136.
Pre-Islamic era
The following is a list of kings of Kadaram, nine in total. Each used the Hindu title of maharajaMaharaja
Mahārāja is a Sanskrit title for a "great king" or "high king". The female equivalent title Maharani denotes either the wife of a Maharaja or, in states where that was customary, a woman ruling in her own right. The widow of a Maharaja is known as a Rajamata...
. The exact dates of each king's reign are not known.
- Sri Paduka Maharaja Durbar Raja I (c. 630–?)
- Sri Paduka Maharaja Diraja Putra
- Sri Paduka Maharaja Maha Dewa I
- Sri Paduka Maharaja Karna Diraja
- Sri Paduka Maharaja Karma
- Sri Paduka Maharaja Maha Dewa II
- Sri Paduka Maharaja Darma Raja
- Sri Paduka Maharaja Maha Jiwa
- Sri Paduka Maharaja Durbar Raja II (?–1136; succeeded as Sultan of Kedah, see below)
- Source for the list of sultans is the Muzium Negeri Kedah, Alor Setar, Malaysia. "The sultans of Kedah".
Islamic era
The beginning of the use of the title sultanSultan
Sultan is a title with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic language abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", and "dictatorship", derived from the masdar سلطة , meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be used as the title of certain rulers who...
in Kedah is attributed to a visit by a Muslim scholar from Yemen
Yemen
The Republic of Yemen , commonly known as Yemen , is a country located in the Middle East, occupying the southwestern to southern end of the Arabian Peninsula. It is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the north, the Red Sea to the west, and Oman to the east....
, Sheikh Abdullah bin Ja'afar Quamiri, to Durbaraja II's palace
Istana
Istana is a Malay and Indonesian word meaning palace.-Notable Istanas:*Istana Besar, 19th and early 20th century residence of the Sultan of Johor*Istana Bogor, one of presidential palaces of Indonesia in Bogor, West Java...
at Bukit Mariam in 1136. The audience resulted in the king's conversion to Islam. He adopted the name "Mud'zafar Syah
Sultan Mudzafar Shah I
Sultan Mudzafar Shah I,or Phra Ong Mahawangsa was the first Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1136-1179. He was the last King of Kedah. After his conversion to Islam, he later became the founder of the Kedah Sultanate, which still existed to this day....
" and established the sultanate of Kedah, which continues to rule today.
| Number | Sultan | Reign |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sultan Mudzafar Shah I Sultan Mudzafar Shah I Sultan Mudzafar Shah I,or Phra Ong Mahawangsa was the first Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1136-1179. He was the last King of Kedah. After his conversion to Islam, he later became the founder of the Kedah Sultanate, which still existed to this day.... |
1136–1179 |
| 2 | Sultan Mu'adzam Shah Sultan Mu'adzam Shah -External links:*... |
1179–1201 |
| 3 | Sultan Muhammad Shah Muhammad Shah of Kedah -External links:*... |
1201–1236 |
| 4 | Sultan Mudzaffar Shah II Sultan Mudzaffar Shah II -External links:*... |
1236–1280 |
| 5 | Sultan Mahmud Shah I Sultan Mahmud Shah I -External links:*... |
1280– 1321 |
| 6 | Sultan Ibrahim Shah Sultan Ibrahim Shah -External links:*... |
1321– 1373 |
| 7 | Sultan Sulaiman Shah I Sultan Sulaiman Shah I -External links:*... |
1373–1422 |
| 8 | Sultan Ataullah Muhammad Shah I Sultan Ataullah Muhammad Shah I Sultan Ataullah Muhammad Shah I was the 8th Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1422 - 1472.-External links:*... |
1422–1472 |
| 9 | Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin I Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin I Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin I was the 9th Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1472 - 1506.-External links:*... |
1472–1506 |
| 10 | Sultan Mahmud Shah II Sultan Mahmud Shah II -External links:*... |
1506–1546 |
| 11 | Sultan Mudzaffar Shah III Sultan Mudzaffar Shah III -External links:*... |
1546–1602 |
| 12 | Sultan Sulaiman Shah II Sultan Sulaiman Shah II -External links:*... |
1602–1625 |
| 13 | Sultan Rijaluddin Muhammad Shah Sultan Rijaluddin Muhammad Shah Sultan Rijaluddin Muhammad Shah was the 13th Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1625 - 1651.-External links:*... |
1625–1651 |
| 14 | Sultan Muhyiddin Mansur Shah Sultan Muhyiddin Mansur Shah Sultan Muhyiddin Mansur Shah was the 14th Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1651 - 1661.-External links:*... |
1651–1661 |
| 15 | Sultan Dziaddin Mukarram Shah Sultan Dziaddin Mukarram Shah Sultan Dziaddin Mukarram Shah was the 15th Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1661 - 1687.-External links:*... |
1661–1687 |
| 16 | Sultan Ataullah Muhammad Shah II Sultan Ataullah Muhammad Shah II Sultan Ataullah Muhammad Shah II was the 16th Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1687 - 1698.-External links:*... |
1687–1698 |
| 17 | Sultan Abdullah Mu'adzam Shah Sultan Abdullah Mu'adzam Shah Sultan Abdullah Mu'adzam Shah was the 17th Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1698 - 1706.-External links:*... |
1698–1706 |
| 18 | Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah I Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah I Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah I was the 18th Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1706 - 1709.-External links:*... |
1706–1709 |
| 19 | Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin II Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin II Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin II was the 19th Sultan of Kedah. He reign from 1710 - 1778 and is widely known as the founder of Alor Setar and many current landmarks in the city are attributed to him.... |
1710–1778 |
| 20 | Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah was the 20th Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1778 - 1797.-External links:*... |
1778–1797 |
| 21 | Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II was the 21st Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1797 - 1843.The Sultan's reign was marked by Siamese rule where its army invaded and occupied Kedah between 1821 and 1842. Local Kedahan Arab families supported the Sultan's efforts to lead resistance efforts... |
1797–1843 |
| 22 | Sultan Zainal Rashid Al-Mu'adzam Shah I Sultan Zainal Rashid Al-Mu'adzam Shah I Sultan Zainal Rashid Al-Mu'adzam Shah I was the 22nd Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1843 - 1854.-External links:*... |
1843–1854 |
| 23 | Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah was the 23rd Sultan of Kedah. He reigned from 1854 - 1879 and it was during this period that the new Balai Nobat consisting of a five-story building was built. The building was totally built of wood with zinc roofing.... |
1854–1879 |
| 24 | Sultan Zainal Rashid Mu'adzam Shah II | 1879- 1881 |
| 25 | Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah | 1881–1943 |
| 26 | Sultan Badlishah | 1943–1958 |
| 27 | Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah | 1958–present |
- Source for the list of sultans is the
See also
- Bujang ValleyBujang ValleyThe Bujang Valley or Lembah Bujang is a sprawling historical complex and has an area of approximately 224 square km. Situated near Merbok, Kedah, between Gunung Jerai in the north and Muda River in the south, it is the richest archaeological area in Malaysia.These archaeological remains show that...
- Hikayat Merong MahawangsaHikayat Merong MahawangsaHikayat Merong Mahawangsa or The Kedah Annals is an ancient Malay literature that chronicles the bloodline of Merong Mahawangsa and the foundation of the Kedah, a state in Malaysia. Though there are historical accuracies, there are many incredible assertions...
- Sultanate of Malacca
- List of Sunni Muslim dynasties