Pengkalan Hulu Was Once a Sovereign State of Reman
The history of the Malay sultanate of Reman is said to have begun in 1810 when Tuan Tok Nik Tok Leh, a member of the Patani royal family, led protests and a rebellion to fiercely gain independence for the Reman territory from Patani. Historically, the state of Reman was actually part of Patani, which is now under the administration of Thailand.
A major war once broke out between these two kingdoms, Reman and Patani, which weakened both sides in various aspects. Because of this, the Siamese government indirectly found a good opportunity to expand its power southward as the conflict between these two powers continued without end. Finally, as everyone knows, both powers fell under Siamese rule.
Map of Reman State
During its golden age, Reman was a sovereign state. For the loyal readers of orangperak.com, its location stretched from the upper reaches of the Patani River and Sungai Tanjung Mas all the way to the Lenggong area in the state of Perak. Thus, Reman was indirectly one of the largest states within the Patani nation.
Flag of Reman / Rahman State
Therefore, Hulu Perak was originally part of the state of Reman, and the state of Reman was part of the Patani territory. The Patani Malays were the first to inhabit and clear the forests in the upper reaches of the Perak River. Thus, the Raja of Reman considered the Upper Perak River area to be under his dominion, and he went to Kelian Intan to operate tin mines there. You can refer to
The Story Behind the Civil War in Hulu Perak
for more information regarding this matter.
Ceremony of lowering the Reman State flag
The original name of Pengkalan Hulu was Kroh. The name Kroh was given by the Raja of Reman himself when he noticed that the water catchment area from the Selarong river—a dam he had built—became murky (keruh) whenever his elephants bathed there. Seeing the murky water, the Raja of Reman named the area Kroh. Today, Kroh has been renamed and is known as Pengkalan Hulu.
The story of Kroh being renamed to Pengkalan Hulu occurred during the reign of Sultan Idris Shah II. On January 4, 1984, Sultan Idris II consented to changing the name from Kroh to Pengkalan Hulu because the location was often a stopover for him when visiting the Hulu Perak District. The remnants of the dam built by the Raja of Reman have indirectly contributed to the development of a lake park called Tasek Takong in Pengkalan Hulu.
In 1902, the Siamese government abolished the monarchical system in the state of Reman, and that was the end of the state of Reman on this earth. The Siamese government handed over the Hulu Perak district to the Perak government, and the handover ceremony for the Hulu Perak district was held in Kroh on July 16, 1909, as a result of the Bangkok Treaty. The former palace of Tuan Jagung, belonging to the last Raja of Reman, still exists today in Kampung Selarong. The last Raja of Reman is said to have been killed by the Siamese in 1901, though some opinions suggest he survived and fled to a secret location.
