The Perak State Clock During the Reign of the 15th Sultan of Perak

The Misa Melayu chronicle provides a brief description and account of the hourglass used by the royal family at the Perak palace in the past. It is also mentioned that the Perak palace at that time possessed a large chiming clock made of glass.

The large chiming glass clock was officially managed by palace guards. Among other details provided, the clock was used as a timekeeper to sound signals (ceremonial cannon fire) in conjunction with welcoming the month of Ramadan, the Hari Raya Puasa and Hari Raya Haji celebrations, as well as other official palace events. We are all aware of the reign of the late Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain (the 15th Sultan of Perak), who ruled Perak from 1752 to 1765. The late Sultan of Perak was also quite famous, to the point that his story was immortalized in the lyrics of the song 'Cempaka Sari', named after the administrative center of Perak, which was written by the late Sultan Idris II (the 33rd Sultan of Perak). The era of the late Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain also marked the end of the Megat Terawis lineage serving as the Bendahara of Perak. During his reign, the construction of the Perak administrative center, Cempaka Sari—which was later renamed Indera Sakti—was actively carried out.

illustration of an antique hourglass

Bendahara Megat Abu Kasim, who was the Bendahara of Perak at the time, resigned from his position as the Bendahara of Perak from the Megat Terawis lineage by surrendering the symbols of the Bendahara's authority, as he disagreed with the state of the Perak administrative center, Indera Sakti, which he deemed unsuitable. The resignation of Megat Abu Kasim as Bendahara of Perak ended the tenure of the Bendahara position, which had been held by the Megat Terawis lineage for generations. Since the resignation of the Bendahara by Megat Abu Kasim, the Megat Terawis era ended, and the position of Bendahara during the time of Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain and thereafter was held by those not of the Megat Terawis lineage. Returning to the matter of the Perak state clock during the reign of the late Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain (the 15th Sultan of Perak), the clock was perhaps the largest clock in Perak at the time, obtained by the Perak rulers from the Dutch or the British.

Records regarding the large clock are not found in all other manuscripts, including the Misa Melayu published by R. O. Winstedt in 1919. The complete description of the clock is as follows (MS Or. 832, pages 56 to 57): "

The clock used by the government at that time was an hourglass filled with fine glass powder. It started at sunset. It would be turned once down and once up, for three cycles of turning. Then, the large gong was struck three times and the bell three times. This followed the cycles at five o'clock, seven o'clock, and nine o'clock, until the fifth time it was to be struck, completing its cycle. Then, the large gong was struck again three times, accompanied by the sound of the Nobat Subuh drums. And so, the day dawned. Each time the large gong was struck, it was followed by the bell ringing three times.

The clock was guarded by twelve groups (muqim), with twelve people per group, and each group took turns for a month, headed by an imam and other respectable men. Once their turn was over, the two groups would inspect [57] from below the palace up to the royal kitchen courtyard. Once the two groups had verified this, they returned to the front of the grand hall, stood in rows, and shook hands with both parties; one row remained, and one row returned to their place—'safe be those who leave, peaceful be those who remain,' said the two parties during the handover.

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The tomb of the late Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain (the 15th Sultan of Perak)

The reign of the late Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnain (the 15th Sultan of Perak) is considered the golden age of Perak because, during his time, the people lived in peace and prosperity, and the state dignitaries were all obedient and loyal to him. Sources and references

• A New Version of Hikayat Misa Melayu - Jelani Harun