Sultan of Pahang

Sultan of Pahang
Provincial/State
Arms of His Royal Highness the Sultan of Pahang
Incumbent
Ahmad Shah
Details
Style	His Royal Highness
Heir apparent	Tengku Abdullah
First monarch	Muhammad Shah
Formation	1470

Sultan of Pahang is the title of the constitutional head of Pahang, Malaysia. The current sultan is Ahmad Shah. He is the Head of the Islam in the state and the source of all titles, honours and dignities in the state.

History

After the Srivijaya empire collapsed, around the 1000, Pahang was claimed first by Majapahit, Siam, and then by Sultanate of Malacca. Pahang was fought over by the Portuguese, the Dutch, Johor, and Aceh for most of the 16th century. During this time, its population was mostly killed or enslaved, its rulers murdered and its economy ruined.

After the decline of Aceh in the mid-17th century, Pahang came under the rule of Johor. However, Sultans of Pahang, descended from the Malacca and the Bendahara Johor royal dynasties, have ruled the state almost continuously from 1470, and gradually recovered a great degree of autonomy.

As the Johor Empire was falling apart with the loss of the Riau-Lingga territories, Temenggung Ibrahim of Johor understood this situation and quickly signed a treaty with Bendahara Tun Mutahir of Pahang in 1861. The treaty recognizes the territories of Johor (mainland), the Temenggung and his descendent's right to rule it, mutual protection and mutual recognitions of Pahang and Johor. With the signing of this treaty, the remnants of the Empire became 2 independent states, Johor and Pahang.

From 1858 to 1863, Pahang was fought over in a civil war between the two sons of the reigning Bendahara of Pahang. The war ended when Wan Ahmad was proclaimed the new sultan in 1887, but his role from that point onward was largely ceremonial, as the British forced him to sign a treaty bringing the country under control of a British Resident.

List of rulers

House of Melaka

Sultan of Pahang

1. 1470-1475: Muhammad Shah
2. 1475-1497: Ahmad Shah
3. 1497-1512: Abdul Jamil Shah reign jointly with Mansur Shah I
4. 1497-1519: Mansur Shah I reign jointly with Abdul Jamil Shah
5. 1519-1530: Mahmud Shah
6. 1530-1540: Muzaffar Shah
7. 1540-1555: Zainal Abidin Shah
8. 1555-1560: Mansur Shah II
9. 1560-1575: Abdul Jamal Shah
10. 1575-1590: Abdul Kadir Alauddin Shah
11. 1590-1592: Ahmad Shah II
12. 1592-1614: Abdul Ghafur Muhiuddin Shah
13. 1614-1615: Alauddin Riayat Shah
14. 1615-1617: Abdul Jalil Shah III first time
15. 1617-1623: Interregnum

Sultan of Johor-Pahang-Riau-Lingga (Johor Empire)

From 1623, Pahang was nominally merged with Johor when Johor's Sultan Abdullah Ma'ayat Shah died and Raja Bujang emerged as the new ruler of Johor-Pahang. Installed as Abdul Jalil Riayat Shah III, he reigned until 1677. With the decline of Aceh, Johor-Pahang gradually extend its suzerainty over the Riau-Lingga islands.

1. 1623-1677: Abdul Jalil Shah III
   • 1641-1676: Yamtuan Muda Raja Bajau - heir apparent to the Johor throne who ruled Pahang as separate dominion until his death in 1676.
2. 1677-1685: Ibrahim Shah
3. 1685-1699: Mahmud Shah II

House of Bendahara

Sultan of Johor-Pahang-Riau-Lingga (Johor Empire)

When Mahmud Shah II died in 1699, Bendahara Tun Abdul Jalil became Sultan of Johor-Pahang-Riau-Lingga and assumed the title Sultan Abdul Jalil Shah IV. His appointment was accepted by Johor chiefs based on an understanding that the Bendahara would succeed to the throne if the Sultan died without heirs.

1. 1699-1720: Abdul Jalil Shah IV (Bendahara Tun Abdul Jalil)
2. 1722-1760: Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah
3. 1760-1761: Abdul Jalil Muazzam Shah
4. 1761-1761: Ahmad Riayat Shah
5. 1761-1770: Mahmud Shah III

Raja Bendahara of Pahang

By the early 19th century, the Johor-Pahang-Riau-Lingga empire had begun to break up. After 1806, the empire's constituent parts effectively became principalities, and the cultural unity that had hitherto existed between the Malay Peninsula and the islands of Riau-Lingga was gradually destroyed. The signing of Anglo-Dutch Treaty in 1824 further undermined the cohesion of the Johor-Pahang-Riau-Lingga empire and contributed to the emergence of Pahang and Johor as independent states. The Treaty confirmed, among other things, that the islands south of Singapore, including Java and Sumatra, were to remain the preserve of the Dutch, while the Peninsula would be within the British sphere of influence. The Malay Rulers were not consulted about the Treaty, and the Johor-Pahang-Riau-Lingga empire became irrevocably divided when a succession dispute gave rise to two centres of power, one in Riau-Lingga (under Abdul Rahman Muazzam Shah, r. 1812-1832) and the other in Johor (under Hussein Shah, r.1819-1835).

From here, the Raja Bendahara of Pahang grew increasingly independent. While Bendahara Tun Ali had acknowledged Abdul Rahman as his overlord, the Anglo-Dutch Treaty confined the Sultan to Riau-Lingga, where he was deemed a vassal of the Dutch, and prevented him from exercising his control over the Malay Peninsula, which had come under the British. Bendahara Tun Ali declared his autonomy from the empire by 1853. He was able to maintain peace and stability during his reign, but his death in 1856 precipitated civil war among his sons, Tun Mutahir and Tun Ahmad, the result of which the formation of modern Pahang Sultanate.

1. 1770-1802: Tun Abdul Majid
2. 1802-1803: Tun Muhammad
3. 1803-1806: Tun Koris
4. 1806-1847: Tun Ali
5. 1847-1863: Tun Mutahir
6. 1863-1881: Tun Ahmad later proclaimed as Sultan

Sultan of Modern Pahang

1. 1881-1914: Ahmad Muazzam Shah
2. 1914-1917: Mahmud Shah
3. 1917-1932: Abdullah
4. 1932-1974: Abu Bakar
5. 1974–present: Ahmad Shah

Family tree

Rulers of Pahang from both the Melaka and the Bendahara dynasties, belong to the principal royal house of Malay world that claimed descent from the legendary founder of Singapura, Sang Nila Utama. The Melaka branch originated from Melaka Sultanate (1400-1511) had close marriage relationship with the Bendahara branch that traditionally hold the position of Bendahara since the time of Singapura. Sang Nila Utama's cognatic descendants have historically reigned in Melaka, Aceh and Pattani, and also have been reigning in Pahang, Johor, Perak and Terengganu until today.

The honorific Malay title "Tun" in this tree is hereditary (ambilineal) and strictly for nobility of Bendahara family. It differs from modern usage that awarded to commoners. "♀Putri" ('princess') is used for a female descendant with unidentified name.

      A Monarch       Raja Bendahara of Pahang

See also

• Pahang