Sultanate of Johor
This article concerns the Sultanate of Johor. For office of the sultan, see Sultan of Johor.The
Sultanate of Johor (or sometimes
Johor-Riau) was founded by
Malaccan Sultan Mahmud Shah's son, Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah in
1528. Johor was part of the Malaccan Sultanate before the
Portuguese conquered Malacca's capital in
1511. At its height, the sultanate controlled modern-day
Johor,
Riau and parts of southeastern
Sumatra. In
1946, it became part of the
Malayan Union. Two years later, it joined the
Federation of Malaya and subsequently, the
Federation of Malaysia in
1963.
In
1511,
Malacca fell to the Portuguese and Sultan
Mahmud Shah was forced to flee Malacca. The sultan made several attempts to retake the capital but his efforts were fruitless. The Portuguese retaliated and forced the sultan to flee to
Pahang. Later, the sultan sailed to
Bintan and established a new capital there. With a base established, the sultan rallied the disarrayed
Malay forces and organized several attacks and blockades against the Portuguese position.
Frequent raids on Malacca caused the Portuguese severe hardship and it helped to convince the Portuguese to destroy the exiled sultan's forces. A number of attempts were made to suppress the Malay but it wasn't until
1526 that the Portuguese finally razed Bintan to the ground. The sultan then retreated to
Kampar in
Sumatra and died two years later. He left behind two sons named Muzaffar Shah and Alauddin Riayat Shah.
Muzaffar Shah continued on to establish
Perak while Alauddin Riayat Shah became the first sultan of Johor.
The new sultan established a new capital by the Johor River and from there, continued to harass the Portuguese in the north. He consistently worked together with his brother in Perak and the sultan of Pahang to retake Malacca, which by this time was protected by the fort
A Famosa.
On the northern part of Sumatra around the same period,
Aceh was beginning to gain substantial influence over the
Straits of Malacca. With the fall of Malacca to
Christians' hands,
Muslim traders often skipped Malacca in favor of Aceh. Ergo, Malacca and Aceh became direct competitors.
With the Portuguese and Johor frequently locking horns, Aceh launched multiple raids against both sides in order to tighten its grip on the straits. The rise of Aceh encouraged the Portuguese and Johor to sign a truce and divert their attention to Aceh. The truce, however, was short-lived and with Aceh severely weakened, Johor and the Portuguese had each other in their sights again.
In the
17th century, the
Dutch reached
Southeast Asia. The Dutch were no friend of the Portuguese and allied themselves with Johor. Finally in
1641, the Dutch and Johor defeated the Portuguese. Malacca hence became a Dutch territory and remained so until the
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 was signed.
During the triangular war, within the Johor empire,
Jambi emerged as a regional economic and political power. Soon in
1666, it tried to break free from Johor and between 1666 and
1673, a civil war erupted between Johor and the Sumatran state. The war was disastrous for Johor as Johor's capital, Batu Sawar, was sacked by Jambi. After the sack, the capital of Johor was frequently moved to avoid the threat of attack from Jambi.
Throughout the decade, Jambi continued to exert extraordinary influence on Johor. In
1679 however,
Laksamana Tun Abdul Jalil paid
Bugis mercenaries to fight alongside Johor against Jambi. Soon afterward, Jambi was brought to its knees.
Sultan Mahmud Shah II of Johor died in
1699 without an heir. The problem was quickly solved when the viceroy
Bendahara Abdul Jalil declared himself the new sultan and called himself Sultan Abdul Jalil IV. Many however felt that the declaration was illegal.
The Bugis, which played an important role in defeating Jambi two decades earlier, had a huge influence in Johor. Apart from the Malays, another influential faction in Johor at that time was the
Minangkabau. Both the Bugis and the Minangkabau realized how the death of Sultan Mahmud II had provided them with the chance to exert power in Johor. The Minangkabau introduced a Minangkabau prince, Raja Kecil from
Siak who claimed he was the posthumous son of Sultan Mahmud II. The prince met with the Bugis and promised the Bugis wealth and political power if they helped the prince to win the throne. However, Raja Kecil broke his promise and installed himself as the new sultan of Johor (Sultan Abdul Jalil Rahmat Shah) without the knowledge of the Bugis. Sultan Abdul Jalil IV fled to Pahang where he was later killed by an assassin hired by Raja Kecil.
Dissatisfied with Raja Kecil's accession, the son of Sultan Abdul Jalil IV, Raja Sulaiman, asked Daeng Parani of the Bugis to aid him in his quest to reclaim the throne. In
1722, Raja Kecil was dethroned by Raja Sulaiman's supporters with Bugis assistance. Raja Sulaiman became the new Sultan of Johore, but he was a weak ruler and became a puppet of the Bugis. Daeng Parani's brother, Daeng Merewah, who was made Yam Tuan Muda (crown prince) was the man who actually controlled Johor.
In
1818, Sir
Stamford Raffles was appointed as the governor of
Bencoolen on western
Sumatra. However, he was convinced that the British needed to establish a new base in
Southeast Asia in order to compete with the Dutch. Though many in the
British East India Company opposed such idea, Raffles managed to convince
Lord Hastings of Company, then Governor General of
British India, to side with him. With the governor general's consent, he and his expedition was set to search for a new base.
Raffles' expedition arrived in Singapore on
January 29,
1819. He discovered a small Malay settlement at the mouth of
Singapore River headed by a
Temenggung (governor) of Johor. Though the island was nominally ruled by the sultanate, the political situation there was extremely murky. The current sultan,
Tengku Abdul Rahman, was under the influence of the Dutch and the Bugis. Hence, he would never agree to a British base in
Singapore.
However, Tengku Abdul Rahman was ruler only because his older brother,
Tengku Hussein or Tengku Long, had been away in Penang getting married when their father died in
1812. According to Malay culture, a person has to be by the dying sultan's side in order to be considered as the new ruler. The older brother wasn't happy with the development. Furthermore, the Temenggung preferred Tengku Hussien to the younger brother.
Upon learning Johor political scenario, Raffles made a deal with Tengku Hussein. The agreement states that the British would acknowledge Tengku Hussien as the legitimate ruler of Johor. Tengku Hussein and the Temenggung would receive yearly stipend from the British. In return, Tengku Hussein would allow Raffles to establish a trading post in Singapore. The treaty was ratified on
February 6, 1819.
With the Temenggung's help, Raffles managed to smuggle Hussein, then living in exile on one of the Riau Islands, back into Singapore.
The Dutch were extremely displeased with Raffles' action. However, with the signing of
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, the Dutch receded its opposition to British's presence in Singapore. The treaty also divided the Sultanate of Johor into modern Johor and the new Sultanate of
Riau.
In the newly formed Johor, although Tengku Hussein was the sultan, it was the Temenggung who wielded real authority. The Bugis on the other hand controlled Riau.
In
1855, under a treaty between the British in Singapore and Sultan Ali of Johor, the control over the state was formally ceded to Temenggung Ibrahim, with the exception of
Muar. Muar was later handed over to the Temenggung's control in
1877; this later contributed to the
Jementah Civil War. Temenggung Ibrahim opened up Bandar Tanjung Puteri in southern Johor as a major city. Bandar Tanjung Puteri would later be known as
Johor Bahru.
Temenggung Ibrahim was succeeded by his son, Temenggung Abu Bakar, who later took the title Seri Maharaja Johor. In
1866, he was formally crowned the Sultan of Johor.
Sultan Abu Bakar introduced a constitution and developed an efficient administration system. He also moved the official capital city of Johor to
Johor Bahru and ordered the constrution of Istana Besar, the official residence of the sultan in the city. Due to these achievements, Sultan Abu Bakar is known by the title "Father of Modern Johor".
Johor also enjoyed economic prosperity. An increased demand for
black pepper and
gambier in the nineteenth century lead to the opening up of farmlands to the influx of
Chinese immigrants, creating Johor's initial economic base. The
Kangchu system was put in place.
In
1914, Sultan Ibrahim, Sultan Abu Bakar's successor, was forced to accept a
British Resident and effectively became a crown colony of the Britain.
D.G. Campbell was dispatched as the first British advisor to Johor.
The
Second World War broke out in
1939 and Japan invaded British
Malaya in December
1941. The British, who were responsible for Johor's defense, were swiftly defeated by the Japanese and retreated to Singapore to make a stand. Japan occupied Johor from
1942 to
1945.
Singapore fell to the Japanese on
February 15 1942.
With the end of the war, the British came back and in
1946, Johor became part of the
Malayan Union. Opposition to the Union by Malay nationalists, led by Dato'
Onn Jaafar, however forced its dissolution and in
1948, the state joined a new federation called
Malaya. It achieved independence in
1957 along with the rest of the Malay Peninsula, and later in
1963, it was one of the fourteen states that formed
Malaysia.
*
Founding of modern Singapore*
Johor
