The History and Lineage of Daeng Selili in Perak
Daeng Selili is a legendary name in the state of Perak. He was an individual said to be highly skilled in combating the pirates who were rampant around Pulau Sembilan.
Daeng Selili is also said to be the individual who proposed the rotation system for the Sultan of Perak, which incorporated some characteristics of the Temenggung customs. Beyond that, Daeng Selili held the title of Orang Kaya Kaya Maharajalela, which carried a formidable power: the authority to execute summary beheadings without question. The emergence of this great figure greatly assisted in the formation of the Perak Sultanate system as we see it today. Daeng Kuning, who is the ancestor of
Grandmaster Dato' Meor Abdul Rahman Bin Uda Mohd Hashim
the founder of Silat Seni Gayong Malaysia, was also said to be a close friend of Daeng Selili. Their close relationship exerted a powerful and significant influence throughout Perak. According to casual internet searches regarding Daeng Selili, many stories and accounts are depicted differently and inconsistently. Some state that Daeng Selili married Raja Su binti Almarhum Raja Mansur, the younger sister of the late Sultan Muzaffar Shah III (the 13th Sultan of Perak), who ruled Perak from 1728 to 1752. Others tell stories of Daeng Selili being frequently associated with great names in Perak history such as Megat Terawis, the Bugis, the 5 Daeng brothers, and many more. However, their history in Perak is not officially written or recorded. According to brief research conducted by the page
Keturunan Daeng Selili
on the social media site Facebook, the name Daeng Selili is said to have first appeared when Daeng Hanasah, also known as Daeng Hitam, began fighting the pirates who controlled the waters of Perak.
Daeng Hanasah and Daeng Selili were brothers of Bugis Luwu descent. Their father was the Sultan of Aceh, who was married to a princess of the Pajung Luwu. However, there are facts that make this statement inconsistent with the narrative, leading to the emergence of new versions of the story. Looking back to 1998, the Indonesian government awarded one of their national heroes with the Bintang Patra and Bintang Mahaputra Aripradana as recognition for his services in fighting to liberate Tanah Wajo from Dutch colonial rule. Behind this struggle, this figure also fought to eliminate Western dominance in South Sulawesi. History repeated itself when his descendant, who held the title of Dato' Maharajalela, also fell while fighting against Western colonialism in the Malay Peninsula.
What is interesting and worth emphasizing here is that the warrior who received the Bintang Patra and Bintang Mahaputra Aripradana awards from the Indonesian government was actually a descendant of Daeng Selili. Consequently, there is another version stating that Daeng Selili was actually the warrior who received the title Petta Pammadarekaengngi Wajona To Wajoe. His name was La Maddukelleng, said to have been born in 1703. His father was La Mata Esso Arung Peneki bin Sangkuru Mulajajie Arung Peneki Mula Sellengnge Arun Matoa Wajo XII (1607 - 1610), and his mother was Tenri Angka Arung Singkang, the biological sister of La Salewangeng To Tenrirua Arung Matoa Wajo XXX (reigned 1715-1736). Because of this, La Maddukelleng is also known by the names Arung Peneki and Arung Sengkang (Arung is a title similar to King / Ruler / Sultan). You should also know that Selili is actually the name of a place in Samarinda Ilir, Samarinda, East Kalimantan, Indonesia today. According to the Lontara Sukkuna Wajo, La Maddukelleng began his travels with hundreds of his officers when he was only in his teens. His first destination was the state of Johor, as he wanted to meet his relative named Daeng Mattekko. As fate would have it, it was unfortunate that when he arrived in Johor, he received the sad news that his relative had already been killed. The same fate befell the wife of Daeng Mattekko, who was pregnant and also passed away. Their wealth was seized by To Pasarai, a cousin of Arungpone Batari Toja Daeng Talaga. Finally, La Maddukelleng and his naval fleet came to Perak during the reign of the late Sultan Muzaffar Shah III (the 13th Sultan of Perak) along with his two children, Petta Torawi and Petta Tosiangka.
By using a strategy of combating pirates along the coast of Perak, he eventually won the heart of the Sultan of Perak and subsequently settled his children in Perak without revealing their true identities. This was a ruse to blind his enemies from continuing to hunt his family and to ensure the continuity of his descendants' struggle so they could live comfortably and safely. La Maddukelleng later returned to Wajo to continue his struggle against the Dutch colonizers and visited Perak from time to time. His children, who were left in Perak at that time, were able to hold important positions in the state government and were eventually married to royalty without the knowledge of the Dutch. Adapted from the Facebook page source:
- Keturunan Daeng Selili
