Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain (15th Sultan of Perak)

Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain was the son of the late

Sultan Muhammad Shah (14th Sultan of Perak)

. During the reign of his father and his uncle, the late

Sultan Muzaffar Shah III (13th Sultan of Perak)

as the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain was appointed as Raja Muda and resided at Pulau Tiga. In 1756, following the passing of Sultan Muzaffar Shah III, Raja Iskandar was appointed and installed as the 15th Sultan of Perak with the title Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain (15th Sultan of Perak). His wife, Raja Budak Rasul, was appointed as Raja Perempuan Perak, and his younger brother, Raja Kimas, was appointed as Raja Muda Perak. Another wife of Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain, a commoner named Cik Puteh Selamah Binti Panglima Kinta Tok Paloh, was given the title Paduka Maha Dewi. This Panglima Kinta Tok Paloh was later bestowed with the title Orang Kaya-Kaya Panglima Kinta Seri Amar Bangsa Diraja. The former Raja Perempuan Perak, who was the widow of the late Sultan Muzaffar Shah III, was then titled Yang Dipertuan Tua, and Tun Hamat was appointed as a royal herald (Bentara) with the title Seri Nara Diraja. Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain is said to have been installed at Berahman Indera (now known as Bota).

Not long after being installed as the Sultan of Perak, he moved his residence to Pulau Cempaka Sari on the banks of the Perak River, near Kuala Sungai Kinta. Pulau Cempaka Sari was later renamed Pulau Indera Sakti by the Sultan. During the reign of Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain, a new chapter began in the history of Perak, marking the end of the lineage of Megat Abdullah (Bendahara Garang), who descended from the line of Megat Terawis, in holding the position of Bendahara in the state of Perak.

Megat Abu Kasim, who served as Bendahara during the reign of Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain, resigned with the Sultan's consent, as the Sultan was dissatisfied with the state of his palace, which had been built under the supervision of the Bendahara at Pulau Indera Sakti. Two other high-ranking officials joined Megat Abu Kasim in requesting to resign: Temenggong Tan Bantan and Orang Kaya Menteri (Sharif Husain). After Megat Abu Kasim resigned, Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain appointed Sharif Abu Bakar Bin Sharif Jalaluddin (Tok Tambak, Pulau Pisang) to fill the vacant position of Bendahara. Shortly thereafter, Sharif Abu Bakar resigned, and Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain appointed his younger brother, Raja Alauddin, to become the Bendahara of Perak with the title Raja Bendahara Paduka Seri Maharaja Wazirul-Kabir. This new Raja Bendahara was also known as Bendahara Penyengat Hitam. In the history of Perak, this was the first time since the establishment of the Sultanate that the state had a Bendahara from the royal family. Since then, for over 200 years, the position of Bendahara was held by the Perak royal family until it was eventually held by Raja Abdul Rashid ibni Almarhum Sultan Idris.

The story of the golden age of Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain's reign in Perak is extensively recounted in the book Misa Melayu, written by Raja Chulan during his lifetime. Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain ruled the state of Perak for 14 years, from 1756 to 1770. References:

• Sejarah Perak, Buyung Adil, p. 33