Sultan Muzaffar Shah I (The First Sultan of Perak)
The story of the first Sultan of Perak is one that should be remembered by today's generation, as this is where the sovereignty of the State of Perak, led by a sultan, began and continues to this day.
The Origins of the First Sultan of Perak
When Sultan Mahmud Shah ruled the state of Malacca from 1488 to 1511, the state of Kelantan was also under the protection of the Malacca Sultanate.
Sultan Mahmud Shah was married to the daughter of the Sultan of Kelantan, named Puteri Onang Kening. One of the sons of Sultan Mahmud and the Kelantan Princess was named Raja Muzaffar, who was born in 1505.
When Malacca fell to the Portuguese in 1511, Sultan Mahmud Shah, along with his wife, son, and entourage, retreated to the state of Johor (Ulu Muar).
They then moved to Pahang and later to Pulau Bentan (Riau), where he established his government. While in Pulau Bentan, Raja Muzaffar was designated as the heir apparent and married to Tun Terang.
Tun Terang was the stepdaughter of Sultan Mahmud Shah, being the daughter of Tun Fatimah and her first husband (Tun Ali Anak Tun Tahir Seri Nara Diraja Melaka).
When Tun Fatimah became the wife of Sultan Mahmud Shah (her second husband), they had a son named Raja Ali (Raja Kecil Besar). This son was installed as the heir apparent and made the Junior Sultan with the title Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah II, taking the place of his half-brother, Raja Muzaffar.
Bentan was defeated by the Portuguese in 1526. Sultan Mahmud Shah then retreated to Kampar in Sumatra. When he passed away in Kampar around 1528, Raja Ali succeeded him.
Beginning the Journey to the State of Perak
Raja Muzaffar Shah, along with his wife and son, Raja Mansur, then departed from Kampar, stopped in Kelang, and proceeded to the state of Perak.
Raja Muzaffar was appointed by the people of Perak as the first Sultan of Perak. At the same time, his younger brother, Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah II, who was in Kampar, departed for Pahang and later founded a new state and established his government in Johor.
That is the story of the first Sultan of Perak as recorded in the Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals). However, the history according to the Perak royal chronicles tells a different story.
While Sultan Mahmud Shah was residing in Kampar, the state of Perak did not yet have a sultan. The people of Perak then sent their representatives, Tun Saban and Nakhoda Kasim, to Kampar to have an audience with Sultan Mahmud.
The Son of the Sultan of Malacca Becomes the Sultan of Perak
The purpose of the representatives from Perak in seeking an audience with Sultan Mahmud was to request his consent for one of his sons to be made the sultan of Perak.
This was because Perak, which was originally the Beruas Kingdom and Manjong Kingdom, had been under the suzerainty of the Malacca Sultanate since the time Sultan Mahmud Shah ruled Malacca.
Sultan Mahmud Shah then granted the request of the representatives from Perak, and his son, Raja Muzaffar, was commanded to go to Perak along with several royal regalia to become the sultan.
From Kampar, Raja Muzaffar then went to Kelang to visit his family. From Kelang, guided by Nakhoda Tumi who originated from Manjong, Raja Muzaffar continued his journey to Perak.
The Arrival of the First Sultan of Perak
Raja Muzaffar's arrival in Perak was welcomed at Beting Beras Basah, and he was then taken upstream via the Perak River to enter the state of Perak.
Raja Muzaffar was then installed as the first Sultan of Perak with the title Sultan Muzaffar Shah at Tanah Abang (Air Mati), located in the Lambor Kanan area.
The Sejarah Melayu states that Sultan Muzaffar Shah invited Tun Mahmud (Seri Agar Raja), the son of Paduka Tuan (Tun Isap Berakah) from Selangor, to come to Perak.
The Bendahara to the First Sultan of Perak
Tun Mahmud was then appointed as the first Bendahara (Prime Minister) of Perak. Not long after, Tun Mahmud was summoned by Sultan Alauddin Riayat Shah, who was ruling in Johor.
According to the Perak royal chronicles, not long after Sultan Muzaffar Shah ascended the throne in Perak, a misunderstanding arose between him and Tun Saban.
This was said to be because Tun Saban did not want to give his daughter, Tun Merah, to be the wife of Sultan Muzaffar Shah. The Sultan of Perak then ordered his servants to take Tun Merah to the palace, which eventually sparked a war.
The war broke out between the followers of the Sultan of Perak and the followers of Tun Saban. Sultan Muzaffar Shah then offered the rank of Bendahara of Perak to anyone who could kill Tun Saban.
A man of royal descent from Pagar Ruyong (Minangkabau) who had come to Perak with Sultan Muzaffar Shah from Kampar, named Megat Terawis, answered the Sultan's call.
During the war, Megat Terawis finally succeeded in killing Tun Saban, and Sultan Muzaffar Shah then appointed Megat Terawis as the Bendahara of Perak, replacing Tun Mahmud who had gone to Johor.
Since then, the position of Bendahara of Perak was held by the descendants of Megat Terawis until it ended during the reign of Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain (the 15th Sultan of Perak).
During the reign of Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain (the 15th Sultan of Perak), the Bendahara Megat Abu Kasim resigned from his position by returning the 'bawar' or 'baur' (the symbol of office) to the Sultan of Perak. The story goes that this was due to his dissatisfaction with the state of the palace that had been built at Pulau Indera Sakti.
After Tun Saban passed away, the entire state of Perak was placed under the rule of Sultan Muzaffar Shah, with his administrative center at Tanah Abang.
The Reign of the First Sultan of Perak
Sultan Muzaffar Shah I began ruling the state of Perak in 1528 until 1549, when he passed away after reigning for 21 years.
He was buried at Tanah Abang and is referred to as Marhum Tanah Abang. The word 'abang' originally meant 'red' and not 'elder brother', so the area is now understood as Tanah Merah (Red Land).
References:
- Sejarah Perak, Buyong Adil (pp. 6 - 9)
