Was Tun Saban Really Killed by Megat Terawis?
The story of Tun Saban is fascinating for all Malaysians, especially those native to Perak. As we know, Tun Saban was the ruler of Hulu Perak before the state of Perak had a royal prince appointed as its sultan.
Perhaps some of you, loyal readers of orangperak.com, have missed our previous article on who Tun Saban really was in the history of Perak. Tun Saban was actually the son of Bendahara Tun Perak. Tun Perak was a great individual who held the position of Bendahara Paduka Raja of Melaka, who later migrated to Hulu Muar. For more details on who Tun Saban really was, you can refer to the article
Who Was Tun Saban Really in Perak's History?
This article aims to uncover the secrets behind the story of how Tun Saban passed away. There are many versions with unknown authenticity as there are no specific records, only oral traditions passed down by our elders since long ago.
Among the most popular versions of the story, Tun Saban's death is described as very tragic, linked to a tale where he allegedly went to war with the forces of Sultan Muzaffar Shah I (the first Sultan of Perak). Roughly speaking, Tun Saban, who was said to hold power in Hulu Perak, did not want to submit to the rule of Sultan Muzaffar Shah I.
From the popular version of the story above, it is not known what the actual cause was for Tun Saban's refusal to submit to the rule of Sultan Muzaffar Shah I as the first Sultan of Perak, especially when we recall that it was Tun Saban, along with Nakhoda Kassim, who traveled to Kampar to meet Sultan Mahmud Shah (the 8th Sultan of Melaka) to request that one of his princes become the Sultan of Perak.
You can follow the story of
Beting Beras Basah Becomes Witness to the Arrival of the First Sultan of Perak
for more details regarding the event above. There is a theory stating that the cause of the war between Tun Saban and Sultan Muzaffar Shah I (the first Sultan of Perak) was because Tun Saban did not want to give his daughter, named Tun Merah, to be the Sultan's concubine. Besides the theory mentioned above as the cause of the war between Tun Saban and Sultan Muzaffar Shah I, it is also said that Tun Saban was slandered for intending to commit treason against the Sultan of Perak. Therefore, a Perak dignitary at that time named Megat Terawis was ordered to kill Tun Saban. Finally, Megat Terawis succeeded in killing Tun Saban at a location called Merah or Changkat Merah. It is said that Tun Saban was buried there before his remains were moved. Consequently, due to Megat Terawis's service in defending the Sultan by killing someone who intended to commit treason, he was appointed as the Bendahara of Perak, replacing Bendahara Tun Mahmud who returned to Johor.
How about you, loyal readers of orangperak.com? Have you ever heard other versions of the story regarding the death of Tun Saban? If so, please share them in the comments section for our collective scholarly discussion.
