The Sultanate of Selangor Exists Because of the Sultan of Perak

This article is not intended to belittle any party; it is history that should be remembered and known by all so it is not lost to time.

In this edition of orangperak.com, we will recount the events surrounding how the first Sultan of Selangor was appointed, a story closely linked to the 16th Sultan of Perak, Sultan Mahmud Syah II, who ruled the state at the time. Do you know who the first Sultan of Selangor was? For our loyal readers at orangperak.com, Raja Lumu was the first Sultan of Selangor. Raja Lumu, better known as Sultan Salehuddin Shah, was the son of Daeng Chelak, the second Yamtuan Muda of Johor, who was of Bugis descent. It all began in 1740, when Raja Lumu's father, Daeng Chelak, arrived in Selangor with his forces from Riau to battle the forces of Daeng Mateko. At that time, Daeng Mateko was said to be causing unrest in the Selangor region. After the battle, Daeng Mateko was defeated and fled to Siak to save himself. Consequently, Daeng Chelak, having emerged victorious, gained the support of the people of Kuala Selangor and was appointed as the leader of the region. From that day on, Daeng Chelak frequently traveled between Selangor and Riau. Daeng Chelak's wife was Tengku Mandak, a princess of the Johor-Riau Sultanate, daughter of Sultan Abdul Jalil Riayat Shah (the 11th Sultan of Johor) and younger sister to Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Alam Syah (the 13th Sultan of Johor). Their happy marriage was blessed with two children. Their children were Raja Lumu, the eldest, and Raja Haji Fisabilillah, the second.

Raja Haji

All that lives must eventually die; on May 19, 1745, Daeng Chelak passed away while in Riau, leaving behind young children. His passing left the position of Yamtuan Muda of Johor-Riau vacant. His sons, Raja Haji and Raja Lumu, could not succeed him as they were still young and entering their teenage years. Therefore, the position of Yamtuan Muda of Johor-Riau was handed to Daeng Kemboja, a cousin of Raja Lumu. Daeng Kemboja was the son of Daeng Parani, and while in Selangor, he was appointed as leader by the Bugis community there. In 1748, Sultan Sulaiman Badrul Shah, the 13th Sultan of Johor, appointed Daeng Kemboja as the third Yamtuan Muda of Riau. Daeng Chelak's sons were tasked with becoming leaders in Riau and Selangor once they reached adulthood. By 1766, Raja Lumu had come of age and was ready to lead Selangor. He desired to free Selangor from the grip of Johor-Riau, realizing that his chances of ever holding the position of Yamtuan Muda of Riau were slim or non-existent. Thus, Raja Lumu aspired to liberate Selangor from Johor-Riau and become the Sultan of the region. To achieve this, Raja Lumu sought recognition from the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Mahmud Shah II, the 16th Sultan of Perak. Factors that made Perak the choice for Raja Lumu to strengthen his position included the fact that Sultan Mahmud Shah II was a descendant of the Melaka Sultanate, Raja Lumu lacked the royal regalia for Selangor, the administrative situation in Johor, Raja Lumu's origins from Riau, and the issue of sovereignty. Raja Lumu wanted to solidify his position and that of his descendants as the true rulers of Selangor, no longer under the authority of the Johor-Riau Kingdom, which was as powerful as Perak at the time. With recognition from the Sultan of Perak, Raja Lumu's position in the Selangor government would be strengthened and beyond dispute.

The state of Selangor lacked the royal regalia and coronation traditions, such as specific titles and a royal seal, to establish its true existence. A royal coronation is incomplete without regalia such as

Nobat

or the Nafiri. This deficiency led Raja Lumu, who lacked musical instruments or the Nobat, to seek recognition from the Sultan of Perak to appoint him as the first Sultan of Selangor. According to the customs of the State of Perak, no Sultan is considered sovereign until they are installed with the sound of the Nobat. A kingdom is only acknowledged when its ruler can display significant royal regalia, which are considered essential to demonstrate their power. Due to this, Raja Lumu took the necessary action of seeking recognition from the Sultan of Perak, who possessed all the equipment inherited from the Perak Sultanate. Raja Lumu is also said to have married a Perak Royal Princess and was then installed and titled by Sultan Mahmud Shah II, the 16th Sultan of Perak, as Sultan Sallehuddin Syah. Sultan Sallehuddin was then installed before the people of Selangor with the sounding of the Nobat from the State of Perak. It is clear that the absence of the Nobat prompted Raja Lumu to seek recognition from the Raja of Perak to appoint him as the first Raja of Selangor.

The installation of Raja Lumu as the Yam Tuan Muda of Selangor established a Bugis-descended sultanate institution in Selangor. It is clear that Raja Lumu was a determined individual when seeking recognition from the Sultan of Perak to become an independent ruler, even though it took a long time to obtain the Sultan of Perak's permission to enter the state.