Rasu Bin Shahrom ( Jawi: راسو بن شهروم ), also popularly known as Tok Gajah (

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

for 'Lord Elephant'), was a

nobleman of

Pahang Kingdom The Pahang Kingdom (Malay: ''Kerajaan Pahang'', Jawi: كراجاءن ڤهڠ ) was a Malay state that existed from 1770 to 1881, and is the immediate predecessor of the modern Malaysian state of Pahang. The kingdom came into existence with the c ...

and modern

Pahang Sultanate The Pahang Sultanate (Malay: ''Kesultanan Pahang'', Jawi: كسلطانن ڤهڠ ) also referred as the Old Pahang Sultanate, as opposed to the Modern Pahang Sultanate, was a Malay Muslim state established in the eastern Malay peninsula in 15 ...

. He was one of the loyal followers of the then Wan Ahmad, and one of the important figures in the

Pahang Civil War The Pahang Civil War (Malay: ''Perang Saudara Pahang'', Jawi: ڤرڠ ساودارا ڤهڠ), also known as the Brothers War or the Bendahara War was a civil war fought from 1857 to 1863, between forces loyal to the reigning Raja Bendahara Tun ...

. Due to his outstanding gallantry during the war, Rasu rose from the rank of ''

khatib In Islam, a khatib, khateeb or hatib ( ar, خطيب ''khaṭīb'') is a person who delivers the sermon (''khuṭbah'') (literally "narration"), during the Friday prayer and Eid prayers. The ''khateeb'' is usually the prayer leader ('' imam''), ...

'' to ''Imam Perang'' (equivalent to a '

Captain general Captain general (and its literal equivalent in several languages) is a high military rank of general officer grade, and a gubernatorial title. History The term "Captain General" started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of Command ...

'). In 1872, Pahang joined the

Klang War The Klang War or Selangor Civil War was a series of conflicts that lasted from 1867 to 1874 in the Malay state of Selangor in the Malay Peninsula (modern-day Malaysia). It was initially fought between Raja Abdullah bin Raja Jaafar, the admin ...

on the side of Tengku Kudin. Rasu and Tok Bahaman, were the two key Pahang warlords, who with their exceptional leadership emerged victorious in several important battles in

Ulu Klang Ulu Klang (alternately Hulu Klang, Hulu Kelang or Ulu Kelang, is a mukim and a state constituency in Gombak District, Selangor, Malaysia. It is one of five state constituencies administered by Majlis Perbandaran Ampang Jaya (MPAJ). It includes ...

Kepong Kepong is a town in northern Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. The name is a Malay word meaning "Enclose" or "Surround", as the town is surrounded by a mountain range. Places of interest * FRIM Kepong (Forest Research Institute Malaysia) * Temasek Pewt ...

Kuala Lumpur , anthem = '' Maju dan Sejahtera'' , image_map = , map_caption = , pushpin_map = Malaysia#Southeast Asia#Asia , pushpin_map_caption = , coordinates = , su ...

Kuala Selangor Kuala Selangor is a town in northwestern Selangor, Malaysia. It is the largest town and administrative centre of the coterminous Kuala Selangor District. Etymology The name ''Kuala Selangor'' means Estuary of the Selangor River. History ...

and

Hulu Selangor Hulu Selangor is a district in Selangor, Malaysia. It contains the towns of Serendah, Batang Kali and Kuala Kubu Bharu. Its principal town is Kuala Kubu Bharu. The district is located in the northeastern part of Selangor and borders the state ...

. Pahang's involvement had turned the tide of war to Tengku Kudin's favor, effectively ending the war in

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 ...

. In recognition of his exploits in the war, Rasu received the title ''Orang Kaya Imam Perang Indera Gajah'' of Pahang, where the nickname ''Tok Gajah'' was derived, and he was further rewarded with the gift of

Pulau Tawar Pulau Tawar is a mukim in Jerantut District, Pahang, Malaysia Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Se ...

as his personal fief. From the establishment of a British Agency in 1887, the Pahang politics came under the purview of the British government. Increasing pressure was exerted upon the Sultan by the residing British Agent,

Hugh Clifford Sir Hugh Charles Clifford, (5 March 1866 – 18 December 1941) was a British colonial administrator. Early life Clifford was born in Roehampton, London, the sixth of the eight children of Major-General Sir Henry Hugh Clifford and his wife Jos ...

, to administer the state according to the British ideals of just rule and modernisation. This had effectively plunged the state into a seething cauldron of discontent with clashes between traditional chiefs and the British. Tok Bahaman, the chief of Semantan, joined by other nobleman of the interior including Rasu and his son

Mat Kilau Muhammad Kilau bin Rasu ( ms, محمد كيلاو بن راسو, label= Jawi, script=arab, italic=unset; 1866/67 – 16 August 1970) popularly know as 'Mat Kilau', or alternatively known as Mohamed bin Ibrahim or 'Mat Siam', was a local chieftain ...

, rose to arm and openly challenged the British encroachment in the state. The ensuing

Pahang Uprising The Pahang Uprising ( Malay: ''Pemberontakan Pahang'', Jawi: ڤمبرونتقن ڤهڠ), also known as the Pahang Rebellion or the Pahang War, was an anti-colonial uprising in Pahang, Malaysia, between 1891 and 1895. The uprising was largely led b ...

which was won by the British, had made Rasu and his son exiles in

Terengganu Terengganu (; Terengganu Malay: ''Tranung'', Jawi: ), formerly spelled Trengganu or Tringganu, is a sultanate and constitutive state of federal Malaysia. The state is also known by its Arabic honorific, ''Dāru l- Īmān'' ("Abode of Faith"). ...

, where he died in 1901. In modern times, the name ''Tok Gajah'' is also renowned as the nickname of the state football team

Sri Pahang FC Sri Pahang Football Club () is a Malaysian professional football club based in Kuantan, Pahang. Founded in 1959 and has traditionally worn a yellow home kit since. At the beginning, club's home matches were held around the city public fields an ...

, although it tends to associate more with its literal meaning, the

elephant Elephants are the largest existing land animals. Three living species are currently recognised: the African bush elephant, the African forest elephant, and the Asian elephant. They are the only surviving members of the family Elephantidae an ...

,Pahang 3 JDT 1: Tok Gajah take two-goal lead against Southern Tigers in first leg
/ref> which is a symbol of Pahang, rather than the historical figure.

Notes

Bibliography

* * {{citation , last = Linehan , first = William , title = History of Pahang , publisher = Malaysian Branch Of The Royal Asiatic Society, Kuala Lumpur , year = 1973 , isbn = 978-0710-101-37-2 History of Pahang People from Pahang 1901 deaths