skinner, the dating of the civil war in kelantan referred to in the kesah pelayaran abdullah

8/2/2019 Skinner, The Dating of the Civil War in Kelantan Referred to in the Kesah Pelayaran Abdullah

1/6

C. Skinner

The dating of the civil war in Kelantan referred to in the Kesah Pelayaran Abdullah

In: Bijdragen tot de Taal-, Land- en Volkenkunde 121 (1965), no: 4, Leiden, 433-437

This PDF-file was downloaded from http://www.kitlv-journals.nl


2/6

THE DATING OF THE CIVIL WAR INKELANTAN REFERRED TO IN THEKESAH PELAYARAN ABDULLAHn his interesting article on the Kesah Pelayaran Abdullah Mohd.

Taib Osman tackles the problem of dating various events in thehistory of Kelantan during the late 1830's.1 Taib's conclusions are asfollows: Sultan Muhammad I died in 1835 and was succeeded (in thesame year) by his brother Raja Zainal. Raja Zainal reigned until1837 when (as the result of the civil war described by Munshi Abdullahin the Kesah) he was driven out and succeeded by his nephew, Senik(later known as Sultan Muhammad II).The main source supporting 1835 as the year of Sultan MuhammadI's death is apparently Haji Abdullah's fragment (compiled in 1868)on the history of Trengganu and Kelantan 2 where it is stated thatthe death occurred on 27 Safar 1251.3 It is apparently this date thathas been accepted by Rentse (working, it would appear, largely uponevidence furnished by Dato' Nik Mahmud),4 by Saad Shukri,5 andeven by present-day members of the Kelantan royal family.6 Vellatoo, with the Thai sources available to him, chooses to follow Rentseand accepts 1835 as the date of Muhammad I's death.7In doing so however Vella ignores the Thai Annals of Kelantanwhich relate that "Sultan Muhammad died in the year of the Dog,1 Mohd. Taib Osman: KES. Although the article gives his name as 'Mohd.Taib Ustnan', I have reason to believe that he prefers the spelling 'Mohd. TaibOsman'. I shall refer to him below simply as 'Taib'.2 Abdullah: TRE, p. 12. In his introduction, Marriot (the editor of the fragment)says that it was written "in about 1878", but the text shows that it was copiedin 1876 from a compilation made in 1868.3 24/25 June 1835.4 Rentse: KEL (c.f. also Rentse and Mahmud: SAL). Dato' Haji Nik Mahmudwas the author of the Rengkasan Chetera Kelantan mentioned by Taib, andalso the owner of the manuscript of the Hikayat Seri Kelantan.5 Saad Shukri: KEL, (c.f. also Saad Shukri: SEJ, apparently a revised versionof the former).6 Assuming that their approval was obtained for the 1961 Coronation Souvenir.7 Vella: RAM, p. 70.


3/6

4 3 4 C. SKINNER.the 10th year of the cycle",8 i.e. in the year beginning in April, 1837.Taib himself, although quoting Graham in another context, does notmention that Graham says that Muhammad I's death occurred "aboutthe year 1837" and also states that Senik and his adherents seizedpower in 1838.9 It is significant that Graham's account of events iscorroborated by the Shair Musoh Kelantan, a contemporary sourcewhich, although giving no dates, is far more reliable for the eventsof the late 1830's than is the Hikayat Seri Kelantan.The most convincing argument for taking 1837 and not 1835 as thedate of Muhammad I's death is supplied by a collection, of letterswritten by Senik (Muhammad II) and his contemporaries in theyear 1839.10 Senik's seal (as Raja of Kelantan) reads:

"He who trusts in God the Raja of Kelantan may Godpreserve his dominion, his good works and his merits son ofthe late A Luang Tan A.H . 1254." "The seal of Long Ahmad (a cousin and an opponent of Senik)who had been appointed 'Raja Muda' by Raja Zainal runs as follows:

"He who trusts in Almighty God the Raja Muda of Kelantan son of the late Yusuf may God preserve his dominion and hisgood works A.H. 1253."

And finally the seal of Muhammad (the "Raja Kampong Laut" metby Munshi Abdullah),i3 who was appointed 'Perdana Menteri' by RajaZainal, runs as follows:"He who trusts in Almighty God Muhammad, Prime Ministerof Kelantan son of the late Ismail , may God preserve hisdominion and his good works A.H. 1253." 1 4

In other words, the seals of office of the men appointed by Raja Zainalupon succeeding Muhammad I, both date from A.H. 1253 (7 April1837-26 March 1838) while Senik's seal as Ruler of Kelantan (in8 Phongsaw adan Muang K elantan, p. 133. Due to its bias against R aja Zainaland his adherents, this source is not always reliable as to events, but most ofits dates appear to be accurate.9 Graham : K E L, p. 44-46.1 0 These letters are in the Wachirayan National Library, Bangkok (Catalogued

as 'Section 3' - Nos. 281-288, 290-293, 295, 297-308). For full details, see myforthcoming The Civil War in Kelantan in 1839.1 1 See Cat. Nos. 284-286, 288, 290, 293, 295.1 2 Cat. No. 301. Abdul lah: KES, p . 78-81.1 4 Cat. Nos. 299, 302, 305, 307.


4/6

TH E DATING OF THE CIVIL WAR IN KELANTAN. 435 . ,

succession to Raja Zainal) dates only from A.H. 1254 (27 March1838 - 16 March 1839).Turning now to the date of Munshi Abdullah's visit to Kelantan,any doubt could have been resolved by reference to the most obviousof contemporary sources the newspapers of the day. In 1837, whenSingapore boasted two newspapers,15 no mention can be found in theirfiles of any mission to Kelantan. In 1838 however issues of the weeklySingapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser during the monthsof March, April and May show that Abdullah's mission left Singaporebetween Monday 26 March and Wednesday 28 March, arrived off theKelantan river on 12 April, and returned to Singapore on the nightof Tuesday 24 April.16 Abdullah was thus correct when he wrotethat he left Singapore at midnight on the 1 Muharram (27/28 March)and arrived back there on the night of 29 Muharram A.H. 1254(24 April 1838)."As Abdullah arrived in Kelantan while Raja Zainal was still holdingout (albeit with difficulty), Senik's party could not have gained theupper hand until after April 1838. The usually reliable Shair MusohKelantan states that the Kelantanese mission to Bangkok (which wasbringing back to Kelantan Siamese recognition of Senik's seizure ofpower) had reached Nakhon Si Thammarat when news was receivedthere of the Kedah rising.18 As the Kedah rising broke out at thebeginning of August, we can assume that Senik's expulsion of RajaZainal had occurred a month or two earlier, in May or June, and thatSiamese recognition of Senik as Ruler of Kelantan had been grantedto him probably in July 1838.We may sum up as follows: Long Muhammad (later styled 'SultanMuhammad I') died (some time in or after April perhaps June?) 1 91 5 T h e Singapore Chronicle and Commercial Register and the Singapore FreePress and Mercantile Advertiser. The 'Chronicle' died on 30 September, 1837.(See Gibson-Hill: CHR.)1 6 See Singapore Free Press, especially issues for 29 March, 26 April and3 May 1838.1 7 Although of course he (or a copyist) erred in writing " A .H . 1253" as theyear of his departure, and "Sabtu" as the eve of his return. (Abdullah: KES,p. 25, p. 121).1 8 Shair Musoh Kelantan, p. 36-37.1 8 A.H. 1253 began on 7 April 1837. It is just possible that the "27 Safar A.H.1251" mentioned by Haji Abdullah (see above) is correct as to the day andmonth but not the year. If it were "27 S afar A .H . 1253" this would beequivalent to 2/3 June 1837. It is perhaps worthy of note that the ShairMusoh Kelantan, p. 12 says that Raja Zainal had been in power "abo ut ayear" when the disturbances broke out that led to his expulsion.


5/6

4 3 6 C . SKINNER.

in 1837. He was succeeded in the same year by his brother Raja Zainal(also known as 'Raja Banggul', up to that time Bendahara of Kelantan).Raja Zainal was soon involved in a civil war with his nephews, inparticular with Raja Penambang (whom Zainal had appointed 'Benda-hara') and Raja Penambang's brother Senik (later to be styled 'SultanMuhammad IF) whom Zainal had appointed 'Temenggong'. This civilwar was still going on when Munshi Abdullah's mission visited Kelantanin April 1838. Raja Zainal was driven out of Kelantan in May or Juneand Senik was recognized by the Siamese in July 1838.One final point. From the genealogical table on p. 359 of Ta ib'sarticle, it might be supposed that Senik was the elder and Raja Penam-bang the younger brother. In fact, all but one of the sources indicatethat the reverse was the case.20 This is to some extent confirmed bythe appointment made by Raja Zainal, for one would expect that the(far more senior) office of 'Bendahara' would go to the elder and notto the younger brother (for whom the title of 'Temenggong' wouldsuffice). Again, the fact that the Siamese, after recognising Senik, theyounger brother, as 'Sultan Kelantan Phaya Kelantan', felt compelledto award to Raja Penambang the (unusually high) titles of 'SultanDewa Phaya Changwang',21 would appear to indicate that Bangkokfelt Penambang to be of a seniority such as to warrant him being placedvirtually on the same footing as his younger brother, whom events hadmade the ruler of Kelantan. C. SKIN NE R

BIBLIOGRAPHYAbdullah (Haji)T R E : A Fragment of the History of Trengganu and Kelantan, ed . and t rans -la ted by H. Ma rr io t , JS B R A S 72 (1916) p . 3 -23.Abdul lah , (M unsh i , b . M unsh i Abd ul K adi r )K E S : Kisah Pelayaran Abdullah, ed. Kass im Ahmad, 2nd. ( revised) edi t ion,Kua la Lumpur , 1962 .

2 0 Only Re n ts e : KE L , p . 60 has i t tha t Ra ja P ena mb ang was the younge r b ro the rof Sen ik . Ab du l lah : TR E , p . 12, Hikayat Seri Kelantan p . I l l (ms . p . 61) ,Phongsawa dan Muang Kelantan p . 132 , and Ren tse and Ma hm ud : SA L,p. 306a, a l l indica te tha t Penambang was the e lder and Senik the younger .2 1 T a i b : K E S , p . 3 46 s a y s t h a t R a j a P e n a m b a n g ' s T h a i t it l e w a s ' P h ( a ) y a C h ePu an ' , bu t th i s i s the re su l t of h i s read ing [ch- p-w -a -n ] . Th e cor rec t read ingi s [ch-ng -w-a -n ] which i s the (K e lan ta n) Ma lay p ronunc ia t ion of the T ha i[ c a : n g w a : n g ] - " D e p u t y " . ' P h a y a C h a n g w a n g ' m e a n s s o m e t h in g l ik e ' D e p u t yRuler*. The grant of th is t i t le to Raja Penambang is recorded in the Phong-sawadan Muang Kelantan, p. 132.


6/6

THE DATING OF THE CIV IL WAR IN KELANTAN. 4 3 7Gibson-Hill (C. A.)C H R : The Singapore Chronicle (1824-37), JM B R A S 26 (1 ), 19S3, p. 175-189.Graham (W. A.)K E L : Kelantan, A State of the Malay Peninsula, Glasgow, 1908.Hikayat Seri KelantanHikayat Seri Kelantan, edited by Mohd. Taib bin Osman, (unpublished)M.A. thesis, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 1961.Mohd. Taib (bin Osman)K E S : A Note on Abdullah's Account of the Kelantan Civil War in his KesahPelayaran Abdullah, BK I 120 (1964) p. 342-349.Phongsawadan Muang Kelantan[Ph on gsa : wa da: n Mu ang K alantan] p. 131-148 in P rachu m Pho ng-sawadan [Prachu m Ph ong sa: wa da: n] part 2, 2nd. edition, Bangkok, 1933.Rentse (A.)K E L : History of Kelantan, JM B R A S, 12( 2), 1934, p. 44-62.Rentse (A.) and Mahmud (Dato' Nik)S A L : Salsilah Raja* Kelantan, JMBRAS, 14(3), 1936, facing p. 306.Saad Shukri (bin Haji Muda)K E L : Kilatan atau Riwayat Kelantan, serialized in the magazine 'Kenchana',Kota Bharu, 1930-31.S E J : Sejarah Kelantan, Kota Bharu, 1962 (here the author's name is givenas (As cad Shukri Haji Muda).Shair Musoh KelantanShair Musoh Kelantan, edited by Kassim bin Ahmad, (unpublished) M.A.thesis, University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur, 1961.Singapore Free PressSingapore Free Press and Mercantile Advertiser, (weekly) Singapore.National Library Archives, Singapore.SouvenirSouvenir (of the) Coron ation Celebrations of H. H . T uanku Yahya Petraibni almarhom Sultan Ibrahim, Kota Bharu, 1961.Vella (W. F.)R A M : Siam under Rama HI, New York, 19S7.

Dl. 121 29

skinner, the dating of the civil war in kelantan referred to in the kesah pelayaran abdullah

Documents