Tun Muhammad Tahir, better known as Tun Mutahir was (Bendahara Seri Maharaja, Raja Bendahara Pahang V (1847-1863)) the last Bendahara

Bendahara

Bendahara is an administrative position within classical Malay kingdoms before the intervention of European powers during the 19th century. A bendahara was appointed by a sultan and was a hereditary post. It was the office that is held by bendahara family...

 of the Old Johor Sultanate

Johor Sultanate

The Sultanate of Johor was founded by Malaccan Sultan Mahmud Shah's son, Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah II in 1528. Johor was part of the Malaccan Sultanate before the Portuguese conquered Malacca's capital in 1511...

. As also the last Raja Bendahara of Pahang, he ruled the vassal

Vassal

A vassal or feudatory is a person who has entered into a mutual obligation to a lord or monarch in the context of the feudal system in medieval Europe. The obligations often included military support and mutual protection, in exchange for certain privileges, usually including the grant of land held...

 state of Pahang

Pahang

Pahang is the third largest state in Malaysia, after Sarawak and Sabah, occupying the huge Pahang River river basin. It is bordered to the north by Kelantan, to the west by Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan, to the south by Johor and to the east by Terengganu and the South China Sea.Its state...

 until his death in 1863 following the Pahang Civil War.

Early life

He was born in 1803. His father is Tun Ali, Bendahara Siwa Raja and his mother was Che Wan Ngah of the Bendahara family. He was privately educated as was the customs of the nobility then. In 1832, he was proclaimed as Bendahara Muda (Bendahara in waiting) in a ceremony in Lingga, then capital of the Johore empire. He had 3 spouses: Tengku Kechik the princess of the Johore Sultan, Sultan Abdul Rahman; Tengku Chik, the princess of the Kedah Sultan, Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin II; and Tengku Chik princess of the Johore Sultan, Sultan Muhammad. Tun Ali also married Chik Puan Lingga in 1832 and Tun Ahmad was born from this union.

Bendaharaship and Civil War

Tun Ali entered into a semi-retirement in 1847 and handed the reins to Tun Mutahir. Tun Mutahir followed the policy of Bendahara Ali and not much is written about his reign. In 1857 Bendahara Ali signed a proclamation indicating that Tun Ahmad be put to death due to his misconduct. Bendahara Ali wanted Tun Ahmad and his accomplice be put to death.

Tun Ahmad immedietely fled to Singapore and returned to Pahang at the time of the death of Tun Ali. Conflict broke between both parties which resulted in a civil war which engulfed Pahang. This conflict not only involved the Pahang princes but also involved Temenggung of Johore, the Terengganu Sultan as well as the British playing a political role. The war is the most decisive in the history of the Old Johore Sultanate. The conflict ended when Tun Mutahir was mortally wounded in 1863.

Aftermath of Civil War

Tun Mutahir was buried in Bukit Timbalan, Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru

Johor Bahru is the capital city of Johor in southern Malaysia. Johor Bahru is the southernmost city of the Eurasian mainland...

, Johor. Tun Ahmad ousted Tun Mutahir and he had no interest of continuing as the Bendahara of Johor. He was proclaimed as Sultan Ahmad I in 1882 and founded the modern Pahang Sultanate which sealed the breakup of the Johor Sultanate. The Temenggung of Johor

Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor

Sultan Sir Abu Bakar ibni Daing Ibrahim was the 21st Sultan of Johor. He was also informally known as "The Father of Modern Johor", as many historians accredited Johor's development in the 19th century to Abu Bakar's leadership...

(Maharaja 1868–1885) was given recognition by the British and proclaimed the Sultan of Johor three years later.