Kedah Sultanate

The Sultanate of Kedah was the earliest sultanate in the Malay Peninsula and arguably the earliest in Southeast Asia founded in year 1136.

Kedah Kingdom

Kedah Kingdom (630-1136) was founded by Maharaja Derbar Raja of Gemeron around 630 CE and the Hinduism dynasty ended with Phra Ong Mahawangsa converted to Islam.

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 their friendship ended. The first Chola attack began in the year 1025, Rajendra's army sack Kadaram and the Srivijaya capital and took the Srivijaya king Sangrama Vijayottungavarman captive. The kingdom was restored to him only after he acknowledged Chola suzerainty. 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. [http://www.sikhtimes.com/news_062903a.html] [http://www.sabrizain.org/malaya/hindu1.htm]

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 has come from Rajendra's own inscriptions with six located on the Malay peninsula, four on Sumatra, the other being the Nicobar islands. Paul Wheatley have 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 does not extend further than the Malay peninsula.

Denounced Hinduism

In the late 11th century, war infested Srivijaya sent ambassadors from Jambi and Palembang to China to seek peace 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 of Kedah Phra Ong Mahawangsa denounced the traditional Hinduism caste system and he converted to Islam introduced by Arabs from neighboring 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 Raja of Kedah was Maharaja Derbar Raja, a fleeing king from Gameron of Persia.

History

Around 170 CE a group of native refugees of Hindu 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 Abbas) in Persia was defeated in battle and escaped to Ceylon, 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.

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.

Kedah Sultans

This is a list of Sultans of Kedah. Dates of reign are given beside the names of each sultan.

* Sultan Muzaffar Shah I (1160-1179)
* Sultan Muazzam Shah (1179-1201)
* Sultan Mohammed Shah (1201-1236)
* Sultan Maazul Shah (1236-1280)
* Sultan Mahmud Shah I (1280-1320)
* Sultan Ibrahim Shah (1320-1373)
* Sultan Sulaiman Shah I (1373-1422)
* Sultan Atadullah Muhammed Shah (1422-1472)
* Sultan Muhammed Jiwa Zainal Abidin I (1472-1506)
* Sultan Mahmud Shah II (1506-1546)
* Sultan Muzaffar Shah II (1546-1602)
* Sultan Sulaiman Shah II (1602-1625)
* Sultan Rijaluddin Shah (1625-1651)
* Sultan Muhiyuddin Shah (1651-1661)
* Sultan Ziauddin Al-Mukarram Shah (1661-1687)
* Sultan Atadullah Muhammed Shah II (1687-1698)
* Sultan Abdullah I Al-Muazzam Shah (1698-1706)
* Sultan Ahman Tajuddin Halim Shah I (1706-1709)
* Sultan Abdullah II (1709-1723)
* Sultan Atadullah Muhammed III (1723-1741)
* Sultan Muhammed Jiwa Zainal Abidin II (1741-1778)
* Sultan Abdullah Makarram Shah III (1778-1797)
* Sultan Ziyauddin Mukarram Shah II (1797-1803)
* Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin II Halim Shah (1803-1843)
* Sultan Zainal Rashid Muadzam Shah II (1843-1854)
* Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin III Mukarram Shah (1854-1879)
* Sultan Zainal Rashid Muadzam Shah III (1879-1881)
* Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah (1881-1943)
* Sultan Badli Shah (1943-1958)
* Sultan Abdul Halim Muadzam Shah (1958-)

ee also

* Bujang Valley
* Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa
* Sultanate of Malacca

External links

* [http://uqconnect.net/~zzhsoszy/states/malaysia/kedah.html List of Kedah sultans]
* http://www.kdh.icu.gov.my/english/file%20html/profilnegeri.htm
* [http://www.nobat.hostrocket.com/datang.html Nobat]
* [http://www.mykedah.com/e_10heritage/e102_1.html#sub1 Kedah State Public Library Corporation, supported by Kedah State Government]