The Siamese invasion of Kedah was a military operation mounted by the
Kingdom of Siam Kingdom of Siam may refer to:
* Sukhothai Kingdom (1238–1351)
* Ayutthaya Kingdom (1351–1767)
* Thonburi Kingdom (1768–1782)
* Rattanakosin Kingdom (1782–1932)
* Thailand
Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and official ...
against the
Sultanate of Kedah in November 1821, in the area of what is now northern
Peninsula Malaysia
Peninsular Malaysia ( ms, Semenanjung Malaysia; Jawi: سمننجڠ مليسيا), or the States of Malaya ( ms, Negeri-negeri Tanah Melayu; Jawi: نڬري-نڬري تانه ملايو), also known as West Malaysia or the Malaysian Peninsula, ...
.
Background
The
Sultanate of Kedah had been a
tributary state
A tributary state is a term for a pre-modern state in a particular type of subordinate relationship to a more powerful state which involved the sending of a regular token of submission, or tribute, to the superior power (the suzerain). This to ...
to Siam during the
Ayutthaya period, though the extent of Siamese influence over Northern Malay Sultanates varied over time. After the
Fall of Ayutthaya
Autumn, also known as fall in American English and Canadian English, is one of the four temperate seasons on Earth. Outside the tropics, autumn marks the transition from summer to winter, in September ( Northern Hemisphere) or March ( Sou ...
in 1767, the Northern Malay Sultanates were freed from Siamese domination temporarily. In 1786,
Francis Light
Captain Francis Light ( – 21 October 1794) was a British explorer and the founder of the British colony of Penang (in modern-day Malaysia) and its capital city of George Town in 1786. Light and his lifelong partner, Martina Rozells, were th ...
managed to obtain a lease of
Penang Island
Penang Island ( ms, Pulau Pinang; zh, 檳榔嶼; ta, பினாங்கு தீவு) is part of the state of Penang, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British Ea ...
from
Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah of Kedah on behalf of
British East India Company
The East India Company (EIC) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in the Indian Ocean region, initially with the East Indies (the Indian subcontinent and Southea ...
in exchange for British military supports against the Siamese or Burmese. However, in the same year, Siam re-exerted control over Northern Malay Sultanates and sacked
Pattani. Francis Light, however, failed to secure the British military assistance against Siam and Kedah came under Siamese suzerainty. The ''
bunga mas
The bunga emas dan perak ( "golden and silver flowers", th, ต้นไม้เงินต้นไม้ทอง ), often abbreviated to bunga mas ( Jawi: "golden flowers"), was a tribute sent every three years to the king of Ayutthaya ( ...
'' was sent triennially to the Bangkok court.
During the
Burmese Invasion of Phuket in 1809,
Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II
Paduka Sri Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II ibni al-Marhum Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah (died 3 January 1845) was the 22nd Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1803 to 1821 and 1842 to 1845.
He was appointed as Heir Apparent (''Uparaja'') by t ...
, who was known in Thai sources as "Tuanku Pangeran" ( th, ตวนกูปะแงหรัน), contributed a sizable force from Kedah to aid the Siamese against the Burmese. In 1813, King
Rama II
Phra Phutthaloetla Naphalai ( th, พระพุทธเลิศหล้านภาลัย, 24 February 1767 – 21 July 1824), personal name Chim ( th, ฉิม), also styled as Rama II, was the second monarch of Siam under the Chakri ...
commanded Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah of Kedah to bring the
Sultanate of Perak
The Sultan of Perak (سلطان ڤيراق) is one of the oldest hereditary seats among the Malay states.
When the Sultanate of Malacca empire fell to Portugal in 1511, Sultan Mahmud Syah I retreated to Kampar, Sumatra, and died there in ...
under Siamese control. Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah then sent forces to capture and occupy Perak under the domination of Kedah on behalf of Siam in 1818. This earned Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah a great favor of the Siamese king, who raised the sultan to the rank of ''Chao Phraya'' - which was superior to
Nakhon Noi the governor of Ligor or
Nakhon Si Thammarat
Nakhon Si Thammarat Municipality ( th, เทศบาลนครนครศรีธรรมราช, ; from Pali ''Nagara Sri Dhammaraja'') is a municipality (''thesaban nakhon'') in Southern Thailand, capital of Nakhon Si Thammarat prov ...
who held the rank of ''Phraya''. In 1811, Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah came into conflicts with his brother Tunku Bisnu. Tunku Bisnu approached ''Phraya'' Nakhon Noi of Ligor and sought Siamese support. Tunku Bisnu was then made the ruler of
Setul
Setul, officially the Kingdom of Setul Mambang Segara ( ms, Kerajaan Setul Mambang Segara; Jawi: ; ; ) was a traditional Malay kingdom founded in the northern coast of the Malay Peninsula. The state was established in 1808 in wake of the par ...
.
In 1820, King
Bagyidaw
Bagyidaw ( my, ဘကြီးတော်, ; also known as Sagaing Min, ; 23 July 1784 – 15 October 1846) was the seventh king of the Konbaung dynasty of Burma from 1819 until his abdication in 1837. Prince of Sagaing, as he was commonly known ...
of Burma planned another invasion of Siam, in which the Kedah Sultanate would inevitably become involved. Tunku Mom, a younger brother of the sultan, informed ''Phraya'' Nakhon Noi that the sultan of Kedah was forming an alliance with the Burmese against Siam. Lim Hoi, a Phuket-based Chinese merchant caught a Burmese ship bearing a Burmese letter to the Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah. ''Phraya'' Nakhon Noi then relayed the information to the Bangkok court. King Rama II ordered the sultan of Kedah to go to Bangkok to explain. Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah of Kedah did not go and ceded ''bunga mas'' altogether. King Rama II then ordered ''Phraya'' Nakhon Noi of Ligor to invade Kedah Sultanate in 1821.
Campaigns
The Siamese had still been unsure about the intentions of the sultan and Kedah had not aware of Siamese invasion. ''Phraya'' Nakhon Noi had already organized a fleet of 7,000 men at
Trang and
Satun
Satun (, , ms, Setul) is a town (''thesaban mueang'') in southern Thailand, capital of the Satun Province. It covers the whole ''tambon'' Phiman of Mueang Satun. Satun lies 985 km south of Bangkok. As of 2005 it has a population of 21,498 ...
in his preparations against the speculated Burmese invasions. Pretending to launch attack on
Mergui
Myeik (, or ; mnw, ဗိက်, ; th, มะริด, , ; formerly Mergui, ) is a rural city in Tanintharyi Region in Myanmar (Burma), located in the extreme south of the country on the coast off an island on the Andaman Sea. , the estimate ...
and
Tenasserim Coast, ''Phraya'' Nakhon Noi requested Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin for provisions. When the Kedahan did not arrive to provide supplies, Nakhon Noi headed his fleet towards
Alor Setar
Alor Setar ( Jawi: الور ستار, Kedahan: ''Loqstaq'') is the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia. It is the second-largest city in the state after Sungai Petani and one of the most-important cities on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia ...
in November 1821.
When Nakhon Noi arrived at Alor Setar, the Kedahan were still unaware of Siamese intention to invade. Paduka Maharaja Sura the ''Bendahara'' ceremoniously received the Siamese entourage. Once in the fort, Nakhon Noi ordered his men to attack. Paduka Maharaja Sura the ''Bendahara'' was captured and Paduka Seri Raja the ''Laksamana'' was killed in battle. However, Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah managed to flee from the city and took refuge on
Penang Island
Penang Island ( ms, Pulau Pinang; zh, 檳榔嶼; ta, பினாங்கு தீவு) is part of the state of Penang, on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia. It was named Prince of Wales Island when it was occupied by the British Ea ...
, then under British control. Villages were torched and homes were looted. A great number of Malays also fled to Penang and
Province Wellesley
A province is almost always an administrative division within a country or state. The term derives from the ancient Roman ''provincia'', which was the major territorial and administrative unit of the Roman Empire's territorial possessions outsi ...
.
Aftermath
After taking the city, ''Phraya'' Nakhon Noi established the Siamese administration over the Kedah State and made his son ''Phra'' Pakdiborrirak as the Siamese governor of Kedah. Siam imposed the direct rule through Ligor and installed Siamese personnel in Kedah, thus the sultanate ceased to exist for a time. For his victory over Kedah, King Rama II raised Nakhon Noi to the rank of ''Chao Phraya'' and granted his son ''Phra'' Pakdiborrirak the title of ''Phraya'' Abhaydhibetr. ''Phraya'' Abhaydhibetr would govern Kedah on behalf of his father the governor of Ligor for seventeen years from 1821 until 1838.
By 1822 there was a rise in the population of the British territories caused by an influx of Malays displaced by the invasion. The Siamese presence in Kedah threatened British holdings in Penang, who speculated the Siamese invasion of the island. This prompted
Marquess of Hastings
Marquess of Hastings was a title in the Peerage of the United Kingdom. It was created on 6 December 1816 for Francis Rawdon-Hastings, 2nd Earl of Moira.
History
The Rawdon family descended from Francis Rawdon (d. 1668), of Rawdon, Yorkshire. H ...
, the
Governor-General of India
The Governor-General of India (1773–1950, from 1858 to 1947 the Viceroy and Governor-General of India, commonly shortened to Viceroy of India) was the representative of the monarch of the United Kingdom and after Indian independence in 1 ...
, to send
John Crawfurd
John Crawfurd (13 August 1783 – 11 May 1868) was a Scottish physician, colonial administrator, diplomat, and author who served as the second and last Resident of Singapore.
Early life
He was born on Islay, in Argyll, Scotland, the son of S ...
to Bangkok, leading to the first contact between Siam and the
British Empire
The British Empire was composed of the dominions, colonies, protectorates, mandates, and other territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It began with the overseas possessions and trading posts esta ...
in the
Rattanakosin period. Crawfurd arrived in Bangkok in April 1822, he presented the personal letter of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah to King Rama II blaming Nakhon Noi "the Raja of Ligor" for the incidents. The agreements were not reached as Siam asserted her authorities over Kedah and the sultan. Three years later in 1825, ''Chao Phraya'' Nakhon Noi prepared a fleet to invade and conquer the sultanates of Perak and
Selangor
Selangor (; ), also known by its Arabic language, Arabic honorific Darul Ehsan, or "Abode of Sincerity", is one of the 13 Malaysian states. It is on the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia and is bordered by Perak to the north, Pahang to the east ...
.
Robert Fullerton
Sir Robert Fullerton (16 January 1773 – 6 June 1831) was a Scottish colonial administrator who served as the first Governor of the Straits Settlements, appointed by the East India Company.
Early life
He was born in Edinburgh the son of William ...
warned the Raja of Ligor that the Siamese invasion of the sultanates would violate the
Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824, also known as the Treaty of London, was a treaty signed between the United Kingdom and the Netherlands in London on 17 March 1824. The treaty was to resolve disputes arising from the execution of the Anglo-D ...
but the warnings went unheeded. Fullerton then sent gunboats to impose blockade on the Trang River in modern
Trang Province where the brigantine fleet of Nakhon Noi was being dispatched and the Siamese expedition was called off.
The
Burney Treaty
The treaty between Kingdom of Siam and Great Britain commonly known as the Burney Treaty was signed at Bangkok on 20 June 1826 by Henry Burney, an agent of British East India Company, for Britain, and King Rama III for Siam. It followed an earl ...
was concluded between Siam and British Empire on 26 June 1826. The Burney Treaty allowed the Siamese view of their rights to prevail. The
British government
ga, Rialtas a Shoilse gd, Riaghaltas a Mhòrachd
, image = HM Government logo.svg
, image_size = 220px
, image2 = Royal Coat of Arms of the United Kingdom (HM Government).svg
, image_size2 = 180px
, caption = Royal Arms
, date_es ...
accepted Siamese influence over Kedah in exchange for free trade on stocks and provisions between Siam and Prince of Wales Island and Siam's relinquished claims on Selangor. The British also agreed to move Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin to somewhere else. The Article XIII of the treaty stated that: "''The English engage that they will make arrangements for the former Governor of Queda to go and live in some other Country, and not at Prince of Wales' Island or Prye, or in Perak, Salengore, or any Burmese Country.''" The former sultan of Kedah was then forcibly moved to
Malacca
Malacca ( ms, Melaka) is a state in Malaysia located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, next to the Strait of Malacca. Its capital is Malacca City, dubbed the Historic City, which has been listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site si ...
. However, Penang continued to be the center of resistance to Siamese rule. Tengku Kudin, a nephew of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin, captured Alor Setar from the Siamese in 1831,
though ''Chao Phraya'' Nakhon Noi retook Alor Setar four months later. Another resistance of Kedah came in 1838 when two nephews of Sultan Admah Tajuddin joined with Wan Mali to take Alor Setar. Only after the death of ''Chao Phraya'' Nakhon Noi in 1838 that the native Malay rule was restored. Tunku Anom was made the governor of Kedah in 1838 until when Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin pledged for himself to be restored. The Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin, after twenty years of exile, was eventually restored to the Kedah Sultanate in 1842 under Siamese suzerainty.
Notes
{{reflist
Conflicts in 1821
1821 in Asia
1820s in Siam
History of Kedah
19th century in Siam
19th century in Malaysia