Article

Aturan Sungei Ujong

From Munshipedia, the MBRAS digital historical encyclopedia

Aturan Sungei Ujong

R.N. Bland, an officer in charge at Kuala Pilah in the Negri Sembilan, published this transcription of the Aturan Sungei Ujong in 1895, presenting the constitutional and genealogical foundation of the state as recorded in its own tradition. The text traces the lineage from a Johor royal progenitor through the establishment of the two hereditary branches (Waris di Darat and Waris di Ayer), the imposition of Minangkabau customary law, and the internal dynastic conflicts that ultimately precipitated British intervention in the 1890s.

Summary

The Aturan opens with the mytho-historical origin of the Waris Sungei Ujong: a Sultan of Johor’s descendants, led by the Tengku Bendahara, ascended the Linggi River and, guided by the Jakun Batin Saribu Jaya, established a settlement at Silian which became the nucleus of the state. The Bendahara’s daughter married Raja Mambang, and their five children—Penghulu Silian, Penghulu Selat, Dato’ Semarga, Dato’ Klambu, and Dato’ Sri Mani—became the ancestors of the two ruling branches. Dato’ Klambu’s descendants inherited the Penghuluship (Waris di Darat), while Dato’ Semarga’s inherited the Bandarship (Waris di Ayer), with their respective jurisdictions divided along the river from Jeram Chipan upstream to the sea downstream (pp. 53–56).

The text then narrates the transfer of suzerainty from Johor to Menangkabau, prompted by Sultan Abdul Jalil’s grant of the four states (Sungei Ujong, Johol, Naning, Jelebu) to the Raja of Menangkabau as compensation for assistance in quelling the Mokeh Segama rebellion. Three successive Rajas from Menangkabau failed to impose their laws, until Raja Malewa succeeded in establishing the adat of To’ Perpatch and conferring formal titles and insignia on the four Penghulus and the Bandar (pp. 56–60). The four Penghulus then elected Raja Malewa as Yam Tuan, a position that passed through Raja Lenggang to Raja Radin, after which no Raja from Menangkabau was again accepted (pp. 60–61).

The final section of the Aturan records the constitutional crisis of the 1890s: Klana Sayid Abdulrahman’s attempt to place the state under British protection, his conflict with Bandar Nuggal over the sheltering of the exiled Raja Mahmud, the resulting armed confrontation, and the subsequent war with Sri Menanti under Tengku Antar, which ended all external Raja authority over Sungei Ujong. The document closes with a detailed enumeration of the revenue-sharing arrangements among the various chiefs under Malay rule (pp. 61–66).

Key Findings

  • The four Penghulus received the following titles from Raja Malewa: Penghulu of Sungei Ujong as “Orang Kaya Klana Petrakutuan,” Penghulu of Johol as “Orang Kaya Mentri Johan Pahlawan Leila Perkara,” Penghulu of Naning as “Orang Kaya Maharaja Murah,” and Penghulu of Jelebu as “Manek Mentri Akirzaman” (p. 60).
  • Insignia conferred on the four Penghulus and the Bandar comprised 2 spears, 2 swords, 2 long krises, 2 tongkuls, 2 pajar machin siang, 2 ular-ular, and 2 flags, with the right to fire five guns on state occasions; the Lembaga were permitted only three guns (p. 60).
  • The Linggi river dues were divided into three equal parts: one to the Dato’ Klana, one to the Dato’ Bandar, and one to the Dato’ Muda and his Waris; the poll tax of $1 per year on all Chinese went exclusively to the Klana, while the boat tax of $3 per vessel went exclusively to the Dato’ Bandar (p. 65).
  • The Panglima Besar levied a road tax of 15 cents per man on the route to Lukut (p. 65).
  • The Waris Si Silah—descendants of the adopted son of Penghulu Selat—were assigned the titles To’ Batin, To’ Leila Perkara, and To’ Datar, with jurisdiction over the deep forest hills and cultivated kampongs respectively, and were obliged to provide saffron, pepper, yams, and kladi for the Klana’s feasts (p. 63).
  • The conflict between Klana Sayid Abdulrahman and Bandar Nuggal was triggered by a letter from the Governor in Singapore requesting that Raja Mahmud, an enemy of the Raja of Selangor and Tunku Kudin, be expelled; the Bandar’s refusal led the Klana to appoint Panglima Besar Ahmad as a rival Bandar, and the subsequent fighting ended with both the Bandar and Raja Mahmud detained in Singapore (pp. 63–65).

Conclusion

Bland’s transcription presents the Aturan as a self-contained constitutional document in which the legitimacy of the two hereditary branches is derived from a single Johor royal ancestor, the legal framework is Minangkabau in origin but locally adapted, and the state’s sovereignty was effectively extinguished by the combined effects of internal dynastic warfare and British diplomatic pressure in the 1890s. The text functions as both a genealogical charter and a record of the state’s final constitutional arrangements before the imposition of a British Resident.

Context

  • Bland was serving as the British officer in charge at Kuala Pilah, Negri Sembilan, at the time of writing (March 1895), placing him within the colonial administrative apparatus that was actively reshaping the political structures he documents.
  • The Aturan itself appears to be a pre-existing Malay-language document that Bland translated and published; his editorial note confirms he saw the written letter of agreement between the Klana and Bandar Ahmad (p. 64), indicating the text was compiled from documentary and oral sources available to him in the field.

References