157-661: Kinta River (Malay: Sungai Kinta ) is a river in Perak , Malaysia . It gets its name from the Kinta Valley , which surrounds Ipoh , the capital of Perak. Ipoh sits along this river. There are many limestone hills in the area surrounding the river, and there used to be many tin mines . The supposedly largest tin field in the world was discovered in 1876 in the Kinta Valley. The river was also well known for its wide variety of freshwater fish. The fisheries department reported
314-625: A market-driven economy and maintaining law and order while combatting the slavery widely practised across Perak at the time. The three-year Japanese occupation in World War II halted further progress. After the war, Perak became part of the temporary Malayan Union , before being absorbed into the Federation of Malaya . It gained full independence through the Federation, which subsequently became Malaysia on 16 September 1963. Perak
471-593: A state of emergency on 18 June 1948 marked the start of the Malayan Emergency . Perak and Johor became the main strongholds of the communist movement, the former through native-born figureheads like Abdullah CD and Rashid Maidin . In the early stages their actions were not co-ordinated, and the security forces were able to counter them. Earlier in 1947, the head of the Perak's Criminal Investigation Department , H. J. Barnard, negotiated an arrangement with
628-604: A "policy of confrontation " against the new state. This prompted the British, and their allies Australia and New Zealand , to deploy armed forces, although no skirmishes arising from the Indonesian attacks occurred around Perak. A second communist insurgency began in the Malay Peninsula in 1968. This affected Perak mainly through attacks from Hulu Perak by the communist insurgents who had previously retreated to
785-721: A Eurasian nurse and member of the Perak resistance, was tortured after the Japanese Kempeitai military police discovered a clandestine shortwave radio set in her home. John Davis, an officer of the British commando Force 136 , part of the Special Operations Executive (SOE), trained local guerrillas prior to the Japanese invasion at the 101 Special Training School in Singapore, where he sought Chinese recruits for their commando teams. Under
942-405: A Temusai child named Nakhoda Kassim. Before her death, she called on the ancestors of Sang Sapurba to take her place, to prevent the royal lineage from disappearing from the Malay Peninsula. Tun Saban and Nakhoda Kassim then travelled to Kampar, where Mahmud Shah agreed to their request and named his son the first Sultan of Perak. Perak's administration became more organised after the sultanate
1099-634: A further 80–100 miles (130–160 km) to the Perak River (Sungai Perak), damaging the route behind them to slow the Japanese advance. With the approval of Lieutenant-General Arthur Percival , the British mounted a defensive stand near the river mouth and in Kampar , leaving the towns of Ipoh, Kuala Kangsar and Taiping unguarded. Most civil administrations were closed down, since the European administrators and civilians evacuated south. By mid-December,
1256-481: A generous approach that avoided confrontation with local leaders. As a result, he was able to secure the co-operation of many rajas and village penghulu with his policy rather than resorting to force, despite giving transport infrastructure little attention during his term. In 1882, Frank Swettenham succeeded Low for a second term as the Resident of Perak. During his mandate, Perak's rail and road infrastructure
1413-611: A greater abundance of fish from the Intake Dam to Tasek, and from a secluded fish pool, 0.75 miles (1.21 km) down from Tanjung Rambutan . Fishing in this area used to be a major local activity until the fisheries gradually closed down. Kinta River is one of the main branches of the Perak River . Major settlements along the river are: 4°05′40″N 101°00′45″E / 4.09444°N 101.01250°E / 4.09444; 101.01250 This article related to
1570-514: A licence from the company were liable to forfeiture of their ships and cargo (half of which would go to the Crown and half to the company), as well as imprisonment at the "royal pleasure." The charter named Thomas Smythe as the first governor of the company, and 24 directors (including James Lancaster) or "committees", who made up a Court of Directors. They, in turn, reported to a Court of Proprietors, who appointed them. Ten committees reported to
1727-412: A monthly allowance from the state treasury in compensation. British intervention marked the beginning of Perak's transition from a primarily Malay society to a multi-ethnic one. The new style of government worked to promote a market-driven economy , maintain law and order, and combat slavery , seen by the British as an obstacle to economic development and incompatible with a capitalist economy . Under
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#17327724710691884-538: A period in Siak on the island of Sumatra . He became sultan through the efforts of Tun Saban, a local leader and trader between Perak and Klang. There had been no sultan in Perak when Tun Saban first arrived in the area from Kampar in Sumatra. Most of the area's residents were traders from Malacca and Selangor , and from Siak, Kampar, and Jambi in Sumatra. Among them was an old woman, Tok Masuka from Daik , who raised
2041-416: A plan for reform. Under its terms, Johor , Terengganu, Kelantan, Kedah-Penang, and Perlis would be restored and federated. Johor would control Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan , and Malacca. An 800-square-mile (2,100 km ) area in southern Johor would be incorporated into Singapore for defence purposes. In the context of the military alliance between Japan and Thailand and their joint participation in
2198-568: A private fleet of 200 ships. It specialised in the spice trade and gave its shareholders 40% annual dividend. The British East India Company was fiercely competitive with the Dutch and French throughout the 17th and 18th centuries over spices from the Spice Islands . Some spices, at the time, could only be found on these islands, such as nutmeg and cloves; and they could bring profits as high as 400 per cent from one voyage. The tension
2355-817: A quiet life in the Seychellois community, and had communications access to Government House . After many years, the Sultan was pardoned following petitioning by the Seychellois and correspondence between W. H. Hawley of Government House, Mauritius, and Secretary of State for the Colonies Henry Holland . He was allowed to return to the Malay Peninsula, and spent most of his later life in Singapore and Penang before returning to Kuala Kangsar in Perak in 1922. British Resident in Perak Hugh Low proved an effective administrator, preferring to adopt
2512-719: A relative of the Grand Mughal , though there is no evidence to suggest that it was his daughter and her retinue. The loot from the Ganj-i-Sawai had a total value between £325,000 and £600,000, including 500,000 gold and silver pieces, and has become known as the richest ship ever taken by pirates. When the news arrived in England it caused an outcry. To appease Aurangzeb, the East India Company promised to pay all financial reparations, while Parliament declared
2669-582: A reluctance to submit to Siamese authority. One example of this resistance was the Sultanate of Pattani under Sultan Muhammad, who refused to aid Siam during the Siamese war of liberation. This led Rama I's younger brother, Prince Surasi , to attack Pattani in 1786. Many Malays were killed, and survivors were taken to the Siamese stronghold in Bangkok as slaves . Siam's subjugation of Pattani served as
2826-665: A result of the close relationship created by the Anglo-Japanese Alliance . Early in July 1941, a Ceylonese Malay policeman serving under the British administration in Perak raised an alert after a Japanese business owner living in the same building told him that Japanese troops were on their way, approaching not around Singapore from the sea, as expected by the British, but from Kota Bharu in Kelantan, with bicycle infantry and rubber boats . The policeman informed
2983-529: A return of some 5,000 per cent. Thus started an important element in the eastern design during the late sixteenth century. Soon after the Spanish Armada 's defeat in 1588, the captured Spanish and Portuguese ships and cargoes enabled English voyagers to travel the globe in search of riches. London merchants presented a petition to Elizabeth I for permission to sail to the Indian Ocean. The aim
3140-600: A river in Malaysia is a stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . Perak Perak ( Malay pronunciation: [peraʔ] ; Perak Malay : Peghok ; Jawi : ڤيراق ) is a state of Malaysia on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula . Perak has land borders with the Malaysian states of Kedah to the north, Penang to the northwest, Kelantan and Pahang to the east, and Selangor to
3297-519: A state of uncertainty prevailed in Perak. This was exacerbated by a deadly cholera epidemic that swept through the state, killing many royal family members. Perak chieftains were left with no alternative but to turn to Aceh's Sultan Iskandar Thani , who sent his relative, Raja Sulong, to become the new Sultan of Perak as Muzaffar Shah II . Aceh's influence on Perak began to wane when the Dutch East India Company (VOC) arrived, in
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#17327724710693454-428: A typically hot, humid and wet equatorial climate , and experiences significant rainfall throughout the year. The temperature remains fairly constant, between 21 and 27 °C (70 and 81 °F). Humidity is often above 80%. Annual rainfall is about 3,000 millimetres (120 in), the central area of the state receiving an average of 5,000 mm (200 in) of rain. The state experiences two monsoon seasons:
3611-696: A warning to the other Malay tributary states, particularly Kedah, they too having been forced to provide thousands of men, and food supplies, throughout the Siamese resistance campaign against the Burmese. In 1795, the Dutch temporarily withdrew from Malacca for the duration of the Napoleonic Wars in Europe. Malacca's authority was transferred to the British Resident . When war ended, the Dutch returned to administer Malacca in 1818. In 1818,
3768-637: A young Mughal Prince as Emperor with the Company as the de jure protectors of the Empire from their position of direct control in Bengal. This relationship was repeatedly strained as the Company continued its expansion and exploitation, however it lasted in some form until 1858 when the last Mughal Emperor was exiled as the Company was disbanded and its assets were taken over by the British Crown. In 1634,
3925-438: Is believed to have culminated in the semi-legendary Gangga Negara kingdom. The Malay Annals mention that Gangga Negara at one time fell under Siamese rule, before Raja Suran of Thailand sailed further south down the Malay Peninsula. By the 15th century, a kingdom named Beruas had come into existence. Inscriptions found on early tombstones of the period show clear Islamic influence, believed to have originated from
4082-630: Is ethnically, culturally and linguistically diverse. The state is known for several traditional dances: bubu , dabus , and labu sayong , the latter name also referring to Perak's unique traditional pottery . The head of state is the Sultan of Perak , and the head of government is the Menteri Besar . Government is closely modelled on the Westminster parliamentary system , with the state administration divided into administrative districts. Islam
4239-550: Is situated in the west of the Malay Peninsula on the coast of the Strait of Malacca . Its exclusive economic zone (EEZ) extends into the Strait. It is the second largest Malaysian state on the Malay Peninsula, and the fourth largest in Malaysia. The state has 230 kilometres (140 mi) of coastline, of which 140.2 kilometres (87.1 mi) are affected by coastal erosion . Mangrove forests grow along most of Perak's coast, with
4396-455: Is the state religion , and other religions may be practised freely. Malay and English are recognised as the official languages of Perak. The economy is mainly based on services and manufacturing . There are many theories about the origin of the name Perak. Although not used until after 1529, the most popular etymology is " silver " (in Malay : perak ); associated with tin mining from
4553-595: Is the longest river in the state, at some 400 km (250 miles), and is the Malay Peninsula's second longest after the Pahang River . It originates in the mountains of the Perak-Kelantan- Yala border, snaking down to the Strait of Malacca. Other major rivers include the Beruas, Jarum Mas, Kurau, Larut, Manjung, Sangga Besar, Temerloh, and Tiram Rivers. Perak is located in a tropical region with
4710-697: The Fancy , reached the Straits of Bab-el-Mandeb , where he teamed up with five other pirate captains to make an attack on the Indian fleet returning from the annual pilgrimage to Mecca . The Mughal convoy included the treasure-laden Ganj-i-Sawai , reported to be the greatest in the Mughal fleet and the largest ship operational in the Indian Ocean, and its escort, the Fateh Muhammed . They were spotted passing
4867-686: The Anglo-Siamese Treaty , signed in Bangkok in 1909, Siam ceded its northern Malay tributary states of Kedah, Kelantan , Perlis, and Terengganu and nearby islands to Great Britain . Exceptions were the Patani region, which remained under Siamese rule, and Perak, which regained the previously lost inland territory that became the Hulu Perak District . The treaty terms stipulated that the British, through their government of
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5024-631: The Burma campaign against the Allied forces, in 1943 the Empire of Japan gave Thailand its former Malay tributary states of Kedah, Kelantan, Perlis, and Terengganu, which had been ceded to the British under the 1909 treaty. These territories were then administered as Thailand's Four Malay States ( Thai : สี่รัฐมาลัย ), with Japanese troops maintaining a presence. Perak suffered under harsh military control, restricted movement, and tight surveillance throughout
5181-601: The English Company Trading to the East Indies ) was floated under a state-backed indemnity of £2 million. The powerful stockholders of the old company quickly subscribed a sum of £315,000 in the new concern, and dominated the new body. The two companies wrestled with each other for some time, both in England and in India, for a dominant share of the trade. It quickly became evident that, in practice,
5338-627: The First Opium War in 1839, which involved a succession of British naval attacks along the Chinese coast over the course of several months. As part of the Treaty of Nanjing in 1842, the Qing were forced to give British merchants special treatment and the right to sell opium. The Chinese also ceded territory to the British, including the island of Hong Kong . The prosperity that the officers of
5495-717: The Kempeitai in June 1944. On 16 December 1944, a second intelligence network, comprising five Malay SOE agents and two British liaison officers, Major Peter G. Dobree and Captain Clifford, was parachuted into Padang Cermin, near Temenggor Lake Dam in Hulu Perak under the codename Operation Hebrides. Its main objective was to set up wireless communications between Malaya and Force 136 headquarters in Kandy , British Ceylon , after
5652-649: The Kingdom of Reman , then illegally operated tin mines in Klian Intan, angering the Sultan of Perak and provoking a dispute that escalated into civil war. Reman, aided by Siam, succeeded in controlling several inland districts. In 1821, Siam invaded and conquered the Sultanate of Kedah, angered by a breach of trust. The exiled Sultan of Kedah turned to the British to help him regain his throne, despite Britain's policy of non-engagement in expensive minor wars in
5809-823: The Malay Peninsula , they preyed on Spanish and Portuguese ships there before returning to England in 1594. The biggest prize that galvanised English trade was the seizure of a large Portuguese carrack , the Madre de Deus , by Walter Raleigh and the Earl of Cumberland at the Battle of Flores on 13 August 1592. When she was brought in to Dartmouth she was the largest vessel ever seen in England and she carried chests of jewels, pearls, gold, silver coins, ambergris , cloth, tapestries, pepper, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, benjamin (a highly aromatic balsamic resin used for perfumes and medicines), red dye, cochineal and ebony. Equally valuable
5966-542: The Mesolithic Hoabinhian era. In 1959, a British artillery officer stationed at an inland army base during the Malayan Emergency discovered the Tambun rock art , identified by archaeologists as the largest rock art site in the Malay Peninsula. Most of the paintings are located high above the cave floor, at an elevation of 6–10 metres (20–33 ft). Seashells and coral fragments scattered along
6123-556: The Rattanakosin Kingdom ( Chakri dynasty ) led by Rama I , as the successor of the Thonburi Kingdom, turned its attention to its insubordinate southern Malay subjects, fearing renewed attacks from Burma along the western seaboard of the Malay Peninsula. Attention to the south was also needed because of disunity and rivalries among the various southern tributary sultanates, stemming from personal conflicts and
6280-741: The Sepoy Rebellion of 1857 , the Government of India Act 1858 led to the British Crown assuming direct control of present-day Bangladesh, Pakistan and India in the form of the new British Indian Empire . The company subsequently experienced recurring problems with its finances, despite frequent government intervention. The company was dissolved in 1874 under the terms of the East India Stock Dividend Redemption Act enacted one year earlier, as
6437-439: The Straits of Malacca by ousting the Portuguese in 1640–1641. With reduced Portuguese and Spanish influence in the region, the EIC and VOC entered a period of intense competition, resulting in the Anglo-Dutch wars of the 17th and 18th centuries. The British were also interested in trans-Himalayan trade routes, as they would create access to untapped markets for British manufactured goods in Tibet and China. This economic interest
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6594-410: The Sultanate of Malacca , the east coast of the Malay Peninsula, and the rural areas of the Perak River . The first organised local government systems to emerge in Perak were the Manjung government and several other governments in Central and Hulu Perak (Upper Perak) under Raja Roman and Tun Saban. With the spread of Islam, a sultanate subsequently emerged in Perak; the second oldest Muslim kingdom in
6751-525: The Titiwangsa , Bintang and Keledang Ranges , where all of them are part of the larger Tenasserim Hills system that connects Myanmar , Thailand and Malaysia. The discovery of an ancient skeleton in Perak revealed missing information on the migration of Homo sapiens from mainland Asia through Southeast Asia to the Australian continent. Known as Perak Man, the skeleton is dated at around 10,000 years old. An early Hindu or Buddhist kingdom, followed by several other minor kingdoms, existed before
6908-518: The United Malays National Organisation 's local mobilization in the same decade. In 1961, the Prime Minister of the Federation of Malaya, Tunku Abdul Rahman , sought to unite Malaya with the British colonies of North Borneo , Sarawak , and Singapore . The Federation of Malaysia came into being on 16 September 1963, despite growing opposition from the governments of Indonesia and the Philippines , and from communist sympathisers and nationalists in Borneo. The Indonesian government later initiated
7065-427: The arrival of Islam . By 1528, a Muslim sultanate began to emerge in Perak, out of the remnants of the Malaccan Sultanate . Although able to resist Siamese occupation for more than two hundred years, the sultanate was partly controlled by the Sumatra -based Aceh Sultanate . This was particularly the case after the Aceh lineage took over the royal succession. With the arrival of the Dutch East India Company (VOC), and
7222-542: The destruction and defeat of the Siamese Ayutthaya Kingdom in 1767 by the Burmese Konbaung dynasty , neighbouring Malay tributary states began to assert their independence from Siam. To further develop Perak's tin mines, the Dutch administration suggested that its 17th sultan, Alauddin Mansur Shah Iskandar Muda, should allow Chinese miners into Perak. The sultan himself encouraged the scheme in 1776, requesting that additional Chinese workers be sent from Dutch Malacca . The Fourth Anglo-Dutch War in 1780 adversely affected
7379-459: The plain-pouched hornbill . Mammal species include the Seladang , Asian elephant , and Malayan tiger . The area is also notable for harbouring high concentrations of at least three Rafflesia species. The Pulau Sembilan (Nine Islands) State Park in western Perak covers an area of 214,800 hectares (530,782 acres). Its coral reefs are home to coral reef fish species. In addition, 173 freshwater fish species have been identified as native to
7536-441: The 1770s in exchange for goods like porcelain and tea , causing a series of opioid addiction outbreaks across China in 1820. The ruling Qing dynasty outlawed the opium trade in 1796 and 1800, but British merchants continued illegally nonetheless. The Qing took measures to prevent the East India Company from selling opium, and destroyed tens of thousands of chests of opium already in the country. This series of events led to
7693-431: The 2,183-metre (7,162 ft) Mount Korbu , is located in the district of Kinta near the border with the state of Kelantan. Other mountain ranges in Perak are the Bintang Mountains and the Keledang Range . Alluvium covers much of the plains, with detached masses of sedimentary rock appearing at rare intervals. An extensive network of rivers originates from the inland mountain ranges and hills. Perak's borders with
7850-404: The Americas ; and several other sea-farers who had served with Drake and Raleigh. On 22 September, the group stated their intention "to venture in the pretended voyage to the East Indies (the which it may please the Lord to prosper)" and to themselves invest £30,133 (over £4,000,000 in today's money). Two days later, the "Adventurers" reconvened and resolved to apply to the Queen for support of
8007-417: The British Chief Police Officer in Ipoh, but his claim was laughed off. By 26 December 1941, the Imperial Japanese Army (IJA) had arrived in Ipoh, the capital, moving southwards from Thailand. The following day they went on to Taiping , leaving destruction and heavy casualties in their wake. The British forces, retreating from the north of the Malay Peninsula under Lieutenant-General Lewis Heath , had moved
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#17327724710698164-444: The British and the Dutch. It enabled the British to expand their control in the Malay Peninsula without interference from other foreign powers. The 1874 Pangkor Treaty provided for direct British intervention, with Perak appointing a British Resident . Following Perak's subsequent absorption into the Federated Malay States (FMS), the British reformed administration of the sultanate through a new style of government, actively promoting
8321-478: The British could suppress pirate activity along the Perak coast where it became part of the Straits Settlements . The same year, the British and Siam concluded the Burney Treaty , signed by British Captain Henry Burney and the Siamese government, the British agreed not to intercede in the affairs of Kedah despite their friendly relations with Kedah's ruler, and the Siamese agreed not to attack Perak or Selangor. The discovery of tin in Larut and rapid growth of
8478-424: The British state and the Royal Navy in the form of the West Africa Squadron , which discovered various ships had contained evidence of the illegal trade. In 1613, during the rule of Tokugawa Hidetada of the Tokugawa shogunate , the British ship Clove , under the command of Captain John Saris , was the first English ship to call on Japan. Saris was the chief factor of the EIC's trading post in Java, and with
8635-475: The Court of Directors. By tradition, business was initially transacted at the Nags Head Inn, opposite St Botolph's church in Bishopsgate , before moving to East India House in Leadenhall Street . Sir James Lancaster commanded the first East India Company voyage in 1601 aboard Red Dragon . The following year, whilst sailing in the Malacca Straits , Lancaster took the rich 1,200 ton Portuguese carrack Sao Thome carrying pepper and spices. The booty enabled
8792-419: The Dutch base in Batavia . This warehouse was also destroyed in further attacks in 1690, but was repaired when the Dutch returned with reinforcements. In 1699, when the regional dominant Sultanate of Johor lost its last Malaccan dynasty sultan, Sultan Mahmud Shah II , Perak now had the sole claim of being the final heir of the Sultanate of Malacca. However, Perak could not match the prestige and power of either
8949-466: The Dutch monopoly over the tin trade in Perak was renewed, with the signing of a new recognition treaty. The same year, when Perak refused to send a bunga mas tribute to the Siamese court, Rama II of Siam had Kedah attack Perak. The Sultanate of Kedah knew the intention behind the order was to weaken ties between fellow Malay states, but complied, unable to resist Siam's further territorial expansion into inland Hulu Perak. Siam's tributary Malay state,
9106-415: The Dutch. This compelled the company to formally abandon their efforts in the Spice Islands, and turn their attention to Bengal where, by this time, they were making steady, if less exciting, profits. After gaining the indifferent patronage of the Mughal Empire , whose cities were 'the megacities of their time' and whose wealth was unrivaled outside of Asia in the 17th Century, the Company's first century in
9263-430: The EIC surrendered in 1690, and the company sent envoys to Aurangzeb 's camp to plead for a pardon. The company's envoys had to prostrate themselves before the emperor, pay a large indemnity, and promise better behaviour in the future. The emperor withdrew his troops, and the company subsequently re-established itself in Bombay and set up a new base in Calcutta. The East India Company's archives suggest its involvement in
9420-429: The English. In March 1604, Sir Henry Middleton commanded the company's second voyage . General William Keeling , a captain during the second voyage, led the third voyage aboard Red Dragon from 1607 to 1610 along with Hector under Captain William Hawkins and Consent under Captain David Middleton . Early in 1608, Alexander Sharpeigh was made captain of the company's Ascension , and general or commander of
9577-492: The FMS, would assume responsibility for all debts owed to Siam by the four ceded Malay states, and relinquish British extraterritorial rights in Siam. There had been a Japanese community in Perak since 1893, managing the bus service between the town of Ipoh and Batu Gajah , and running brothels in Kinta . There were a number of other Japanese-run businesses in Ipoh, including dentists , photo studios , laundries , tailors , barbers , and hotels. Activity increased as
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#17327724710699734-424: The Government of India Act had by then rendered it vestigial, powerless, and obsolete. The official government machinery of the British Empire had assumed its governmental functions and absorbed its armies. In 1577, Francis Drake set out on an expedition from England to plunder Spanish settlements in South America in search of gold and silver. Sailing in the Golden Hind he achieved this, and then sailed across
9891-416: The Indian Ocean region , initially with the East Indies (South Asia and Southeast Asia), and later with East Asia. The company gained control of large parts of the Indian subcontinent and Hong Kong . At its peak, the company was the largest corporation in the world by various measures and had its own armed forces in the form of the company's three presidency armies , totalling about 260,000 soldiers, twice
10048-430: The Indian Ocean. The company achieved a major victory over the Portuguese in the Battle of Swally in 1612, at Suvali in Surat . The company decided to explore the feasibility of a foothold in mainland India, with official sanction from both Britain and the Mughal Empire , and requested that the Crown launch a diplomatic mission. Company ships docked at Surat in Gujarat in 1608. The company's first Indian factory
10205-404: The Japanese at the Battle of Kampar and at the mouth of the Perak River, the Japanese advance along the trunk road, followed up with bombing and water-borne incursions, forced the British to retreat further south. The Japanese occupied all of Malaya and Singapore. Tokugawa Yoshichika, of the Tokugawa clan whose ancestors were Shoguns who ruled Japan from the 16th to 19th centuries, proposed
10362-403: The Japanese had reached Kroh in the interior of Perak, moving in from Kota Bharu in Kelantan. The Japanese arrived both from the east and by boat along the western coast. Within 16 days of their first landings, they had captured the entire northern part of the Malay Peninsula. The British were left trying to blockade the main road heading south from Ipoh. While the defending troops briefly slowed
10519-400: The Japanese occupation and until 1945. The press in occupied Malaya, including the English-language occupation-era newspaper The Perak Times , was entirely under the control of the Dōmei News Agency ( Dōmei Tsushin ), publishing Japanese-related war propaganda . The Dōmei News Agency also printed newspapers in Malay, Tamil , Chinese , and Japanese. The indigenous Orang Asli stayed in
10676-402: The Kinta Valley Home Guard (KVHG) to protect it from the communists. Often described as a private Chinese Army, most of the KVHG's Chinese members had links to the Kuomintang. Many of the Kuomintang guerrillas were absorbed from the Lenggong area, where there were also members of Chinese secret societies whose main purpose was to defend Chinese private property against the communists. Throughout
10833-444: The Kuomintang-influenced OCAJA leader Leong Yew Koh . This resulted in most OCAJA members being absorbed into the national Special Constabulary, and fighting against the MPAJA's successor, the Malayan National Liberation Army (MNLA). The Kinta Valley , one of the richest tin mining areas in Malaya, accounted for most of the country's tin exports to the United States. On 1 May 1952, the Perak Chinese Tin Mining Association established
10990-446: The MPAJA's failure to do so. The Malay states became unstable following Japan's surrender to the Allies in 1945. This was exacerbated by the emergence of nationalism and a popular demand for independence as the British Military Administration took over from 1945 to 1946 to maintain peace and order, before the British began introducing new administrative systems under the Malayan Union . The four Malay states held by Thailand during
11147-399: The Malacca or Johor Sultanates. The early 18th century started with 40 years of civil war where rival princes were bolstered by local chiefs, the Bugis and Minang, fighting for a share of the tin revenue. The Bugis and several Perak chiefs were successful in ousting the Perak ruler, Sultan Muzaffar Riayat Shah III in 1743. In 1747, Sultan Muzaffar Riayat Shah III, now only holding power in
11304-565: The Malay Peninsula after the neighbouring Kedah Sultanate . Based on Salasilah Raja-Raja Perak (Perak Royal Genealogy), the Perak Sultanate was formed in the early 16th century on the banks of the Perak River by the eldest son of Mahmud Shah , the 8th Sultan of Malacca . He ascended to the throne as Muzaffar Shah I, first Sultan of Perak, after surviving the capture of Malacca by the Portuguese in 1511 and living quietly for
11461-623: The Malay Peninsula at the time, which the EIC upheld through the Governor-General of India . Siam's subsequent plan to extend its conquests to the southern territory of Perak failed after Perak defeated the Siamese forces with the aid of mixed Bugis and Malay reinforcements from the Sultanate of Selangor . As an expression of gratitude to Selangor for assisting it to defeat Siam, Perak authorised Raja Hasan of Selangor to collect taxes and revenue in its territory. This power, however,
11618-543: The Mughal emperor Shah Jahan extended his hospitality to the English traders to the richest region of the Mutual Empire Bengal , and in 1717 customs duties were completely waived for the English in Bengal. The company's mainstay businesses were by then cotton, silk, opium, indigo dye , saltpetre , and tea. The Dutch were aggressive competitors and had meanwhile expanded their monopoly of the spice trade in
11775-863: The Mughal-ruled areas was spent cultivating their relationship with the Mughal Dynasty, and conducting peaceful trade at great profit. At first it should be said the EIC was drawn into the Mughal system, acting as a kind of vassal to Mughal authority in present-day Bangladesh: from this position that the EIC would ultimately outplay and outmaneuver everyone else in the region, to eventually use that same system to hold power. What started as trading posts on undesirable land were developed into sprawling factory complexes with hundreds of workers sending exotic goods to England and managing protected points to export English finished goods to local merchants. The Company's initial rise in Bengal and successes generally came at
11932-784: The Pacific Ocean in 1579, known then only to the Spanish and Portuguese. Drake eventually sailed into the East Indies and came across the Moluccas , also known as the Spice Islands, and met Sultan Babullah . In exchange for linen, gold, and silver, the English obtained a large haul of exotic spices, including cloves and nutmeg. Drake returned to England in 1580 and became a hero; his circumnavigation raised an enormous amount of money for England's coffers, and investors received
12089-421: The Sultan of Kedah to regain his throne. Throughout 1824, Siam aimed to expand its control towards Perak and Selangor. The dispute between the British and Dutch formally ceased when Dutch Malacca in the Malay Peninsula was exchanged with British Bencoolen in Sumatra, both parties agreeing to limit their sphere of influence through the signing of the 1824 Anglo-Dutch Treaty . In July 1825, an initial negotiation
12246-537: The Sultan of Kedah to the throne. The mission failed. In 1823, the Sultanates of Perak and Selangor signed a joint agreement to block the Dutch tin monopoly in their territories. EIC policy shifted with the First Anglo-Burmese War in 1824 with Siam becoming an important ally. Through its governor, Robert Fullerton , Penang tried to convince the main EIC authority in India to continue helping
12403-457: The Thai border. The Perak State Information Office launched two types of psychological warfare to counter the increasing communist propaganda disseminated from the insurgents' hide-out. The campaign against the second insurgency was carried out as two separate efforts, because communist activities in Perak were split into two factions. One faction involved infiltrators from across the Thai border;
12560-544: The VOC had secured a monopoly over the tin trade, setting up a store in Perak. Following long competition between Aceh and the VOC over Perak's tin trade, on 15 December 1653, the two parties jointly signed a treaty with Perak granting the Dutch exclusive rights to tin extracted from mines located in the state. A fort was built on Pangkor Island in 1670 as a warehouse to store tin ore mined in Perak even though Perak nobles had destroyed an earlier store structure, on orders from
12717-493: The VOC's increasing conflicts with Aceh, Perak began to distance itself from Acehnese control. The presence of the English East India Company (EIC) in the nearby Straits Settlements of Penang provided additional protection for the state, with further Siamese attempts to conquer Perak thwarted by British expeditionary forces. The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 was signed to prevent further conflict between
12874-545: The adventurer Edward Michelborne , the nobleman William Cavendish and other aldermen and citizens. She granted her charter to their corporation named Governor and Company of Merchants of London trading into the East Indies . For a period of fifteen years, the charter awarded the company a monopoly on English trade with all countries east of the Cape of Good Hope and west of the Straits of Magellan . Any traders there without
13031-546: The appointment of a Resident who would advise the sultan on all matters except religion and customs, and oversee revenue collection and general administration, including maintenance of peace and order. The treaty marked the introduction of a British residential system , with Perak going on to become part of the Federated Malay States (FMS) in 1895. It was also a shift from the previous British policy of non-intervention in Perak's affairs. James W. W. Birch
13188-504: The area of Upper Perak, signed a treaty with Dutch Commissioner Ary Verbrugge under which Perak's ruler recognised the Dutch monopoly over the tin trade, agreed to sell all tin ore to Dutch traders, and allowed the Dutch to build a new warehouse fort on the Perak River estuary. With construction of the new warehouse near the Perak River (also known as Sungai Perak), the old warehouse was abandoned permanently and left in ruins. The mid-18th century saw Sultan Muzaffar ruling inland Perak while
13345-1040: The assistance of William Adams , an English sailor who had arrived in Japan in 1600, he was able to gain permission from the ruler to establish a commercial house in Hirado on the Japanese island of Kyushu : We give free license to the subjects of the King of Great Britaine, Sir Thomas Smythe, Governor and Company of the East Indian Merchants and Adventurers forever safely come into any of our ports of our Empire of Japan with their shippes and merchandise, without any hindrance to them or their goods, and to abide, buy, sell and barter according to their own manner with all nations, to tarry here as long as they think good, and to depart at their pleasure. Unable to obtain Japanese raw silk for export to China, and with their trading area reduced to Hirado and Nagasaki from 1616 onwards,
13502-716: The authority of Perak-born Chin Peng , who took over the CPM administration after former leader Lai Teck disappeared with party funds. Under Chin's authority, the MPAJA killed those they considered to have been Japanese collaborators during the war, who were mainly Malays. This sparked racial conflict and Malay retaliation. Death squads were also dispatched by the CPM to murder European plantation owners in Perak, and Kuomintang leaders in Johor . The Malayan government's subsequent declaration of
13659-564: The beginnings of the British Raj in the Indian subcontinent . The company eventually came to rule large areas of the Indian subcontinent, exercising military power and assuming administrative functions. Company-ruled areas in the region gradually expanded after the Battle of Plassey in 1757 and by 1858 most of modern India, Pakistan and Bangladesh was either ruled by the company or princely states closely tied to it by treaty. Following
13816-518: The cave floor are evidence that the area was once underwater. The significant numbers of statues of Hindu deities and of the Buddha found in Bidor , Kuala Selensing, Jalong, and Pengkalan Pegoh indicate that, before the arrival of Islam , the inhabitants of Perak were mainly Hindu or Buddhist . The influence of Indian culture and beliefs on society and values in the Malay Peninsula from early times
13973-540: The chaos widened and the stakes were raised. Ultimately, the company won out, generally through as much diplomacy and state-craft(fraud and deception). The gradual rise of the EIC within the Mughal network culminated in the Second Anglo-Maratha War , in which the Company successfully ousted the Empire's official protectors in the Maratha, the Maratha high water point in their rise to power, and installed
14130-690: The coast of China that helped secure EIC ports in China, independently attacking the Portuguese in the Persian Gulf Residencies primarily for political reasons. The company established trading posts in Surat (1619) and Madras (1639). By 1647, the company had 23 factories and settlements in India, and 90 employees. Many of the major factories became some of the most populated and commercially influential cities in Bengal, including
14287-493: The coastal region was ruled by Raja Iskandar, animosity grew between the two as Raja Iskandar was unable to reach the tin-bearing highlands while the sultan had restricted access to the strait. Reconciliation occurred later with Iskandar's marriage to the sultan's daughter. His accession in 1752 saw unprecedented peace in Perak, especially due to an alliance (which lasted until 1795) with the Dutch to protect Perak against external attacks. When repeated Burmese invasions resulted in
14444-580: The codename Operation Gustavus, Davis and five Chinese agents landed on the Perak coast north of Pangkor Island on 24 May 1943. They established a base camp in the Segari Hills, from which they moved to the plains to set up an intelligence network in the state. In September 1943, they met and agreed to co-operate with the MPAJA, which then provided Force 136 with support and manpower. This first intelligence network collapsed, when many of its leaders, including Lim Bo Seng , were caught, tortured and killed by
14601-611: The company closed its factory in 1623. The first of the Anglo-Indian wars occurred in 1686 when the company conducted naval operations against Shaista Khan , the governor of Mughal Bengal . This led to the siege of Bombay and the subsequent intervention of the Mughal Emperor, Aurangzeb . Subsequently, the English company was defeated and fined. In September 1695, Captain Henry Every , an English pirate on board
14758-574: The company enjoyed allowed them to return to Britain and establish sprawling estates and businesses, and to obtain political power, such as seats in the House of Commons. Ship captains sold their appointments to successors for up to £500. As recruits aimed to return to Britain wealthy by securing Indian money, their loyalties to their homeland increased. The company developed a lobby in the English parliament. Pressure from ambitious tradesmen and former company associates (pejoratively termed Interlopers by
14915-555: The company's factories in India and imprison their officers, who were almost lynched by a mob of angry Mughals , blaming them for their countryman's depredations, and threatened to put an end to all English trading in India. To appease Emperor Aurangzeb and particularly his Grand Vizier Asad Khan , Parliament exempted Every from all of the Acts of Grace (pardons) and amnesties it would subsequently issue to other pirates. The East India Company started selling opium to Chinese merchants in
15072-518: The company), who wanted to establish private trading firms in India, led to the passing of the deregulating act in 1694. This act allowed any English firm to trade with India, unless specifically prohibited by act of parliament, thereby annulling the charter that had been in force for almost 100 years. When the East India Company Act 1697 ( 9 Will. 3 . c. 44) was passed in 1697, a new "parallel" East India Company (officially titled
15229-400: The continent as they individually contended with others, steadily amassing more land and power in India to themselves. In the 18th Century, the primary source of the Company's profits in Bengal became taxation in conquered and controlled provinces, as the factories became fortresses and administrative hubs for networks of tax collectors that expanded into enormous cities. The Mughal Empire was
15386-461: The differences between Selangor and Ligor. A month later, in August 1825, Sultan of Selangor Ibrahim Shah signed a friendship and peace treaty with the EIC, represented by John Anderson, ending the long feud between the governments of Selangor and Perak. Under the treaty, Selangor gave assurances to the British that it would not interfere in the affairs of Perak; the border between Perak and Selangor
15543-615: The exception of Pangkor Island, with its rich flora and fauna , where several of the country's forest reserves are located. There is extensive swampland along the coastal alluvial zones of the west coast between central Perak and southern Selangor . Perak has an overall total forest cover of 1,027,404.31 hectares (2,538,771 acres), including 939,403.01 hectares (2,321,315 acres) of forest lands , 41,616.75 hectares (102,837 acres) of mangroves, and another 2,116.55 hectares (5,230 acres) of forest plantations. A total of 995,284.96 hectares (2,459,403 acres) of forest has been gazetted by
15700-480: The expense of competing European powers through the art of currying favors and well-placed bribes, as the company was matched at every step with French expansion in the region (whose equivalent company carried substantial royal support). See French East India Company . Throughout the entire century the company only resorted to force against the Mughals once, with terrible consequences. The Anglo-Mughal war (1686–1690)
15857-491: The first emergency the British authorities and their Malayan collaborators fought against the communists. This continued even after the proclamation of the independence of the Federation of Malaya , on 31 August 1957. As a result, most of the communist guerrillas were successfully pushed across the northern border into Thailand. Other radical left nationalist movements started in Perak like those under Ahmad Boestamam and Burhanuddin al-Helmy ; but were eventually overwhelmed by
16014-502: The fourth voyage. Thereafter two ships, Ascension and Union (captained by Richard Rowles), sailed from Woolwich on 14 March 1608. This expedition was lost. Initially, the company struggled in the spice trade because of competition from the well-established Dutch East India Company . This rivalry led to military skirmishes, with each company establishing fortified trading posts, fleets, and alliances with local rulers. The Dutch, better financed and supported by their government, gained
16171-651: The imperial patronage, soon expanded its commercial trading operations. It eclipsed the Portuguese Estado da Índia , which had established bases in Goa , Chittagong , and Bombay ; Portugal later ceded Bombay to England as part of the dowry of Catherine of Braganza on her marriage to King Charles II . The East India Company also launched a joint attack with the Dutch United East India Company (VOC) on Portuguese and Spanish ships off
16328-497: The interest of both Malay royalty and commoners. Good relations with the country's rulers resulted in Islamic scholars being appointed as palace officers and dignitaries, teachers, and religious judges, contributing to the further spread of Islam. Islam is now seen as a major factor that shaped current attitudes towards standing up for Malay rights. Perak has a total land area of 20,976 square kilometres (8,099 sq mi), and
16485-566: The interior during the occupation. Much of their community was befriended by Malayan Communist Party guerrillas , who protected them from outsiders in return for information on the Japanese and their food supplies. Strong resistance came mainly from the ethnic Chinese community, whilst some Malays collaborated with the Japanese through the Kesatuan Melayu Muda (KMM) movement for Malayan independence. But Malay support waned with increasingly harsh Japanese treatment of civilians during
16642-620: The late sultan's widow and his 16 children were taken as captives to Sumatra. Sultan Mansur Shah I's eldest son, Raja Alauddin Mansur Syah , married an Acehnese princess and subsequently became the Sultan of Aceh. The Sultanate of Perak was left without a ruling monarch, and Perak nobles went to Aceh in the same year to ask the new Sultan Alauddin for a successor. The ruler sent his younger brother to become Perak's third monarch. Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Shah ruled Perak for seven years, maintaining
16799-644: The link between the Straits Settlements on the Malay coast and the British authority in India was broken, with separate administration and the transfer of the respective territories to the Colonial Office . The Anglo-Dutch Treaties of 1870–1871 enabled the Dutch to consolidate control over Aceh in Sumatra. This later escalated into the Aceh War . Internal conflicts ensued in Perak. In 1873,
16956-415: The mid-17th century. When Perak refused to enter into a contract with the VOC as its northern neighbours had done, a blockade of the Perak River halted the tin trade, causing suffering among Aceh's merchants. In 1650, Aceh's Sultana Taj ul-Alam ordered Perak to sign an agreement with the VOC, on the condition that the tin trade would be conducted exclusively with Aceh's merchants. By the following year,
17113-541: The name Perak derives from the Malay phrase " kilatan ikan dalam air" (the glimmer of fish in water), which looks like silver. Perak has been translated into Arabic as دار الرضوان ( Dār al-Riḍwān ), "abode of grace". [REDACTED] Sultanate of Perak 1528–1895 [REDACTED] Federated Malay States 1895–1942 [REDACTED] Empire of Japan 1942–1945 [REDACTED] Malayan Union 1946–1948 [REDACTED] Federation of Malaya 1948–1963 [REDACTED] Malaysia 1963–present Among
17270-491: The northeast and southwest seasons. The northeast season occurs from November to March, the southwest from May to September, and the transitional months for the monsoon seasons are April and June. The northeast monsoon brings heavy rains, especially in the upper areas of Hulu Perak, causing floods. Little effect of the southwest monsoon is felt in the Kinta Valley, although coastal areas of southern Perak occasionally experience thunderstorms , heavy rain and strong, gusting winds in
17427-696: The occupation. Two Chinese guerrilla organisations operated within Perak in northern Malaya. One, the Overseas Chinese Anti-Japanese Army (OCAJA), was aligned with the Kuomintang . The other, the Malayan Peoples' Anti-Japanese Army (MPAJA), was closely associated with the Chinese Communist Party . Although both opposed the Japanese, there were clashes between the two groups. Sybil Kathigasu ,
17584-402: The original company faced scarcely any measurable competition. The companies merged in 1708, by a tripartite indenture involving both companies and the state, with the charter and agreement for the new United Company of Merchants of England Trading to the East Indies being awarded by Sidney Godolphin, 1st Earl of Godolphin . Under this arrangement, the merged company lent a sum of £3,200,000 to
17741-481: The other was a communist group living among local inhabitants. With the end of British rule in Malaya and the subsequent formation of the Federation of Malaysia, new factories were built and many new suburbs developed in Perak. But there was also rising radicalism among local Malay Muslims, with increasing Islamisation initiated by several religious organisations, and by Islamic preachers and intellectuals who caught
17898-556: The pirates hostis humani generis ("the enemy of humanity"). In mid-1696 the government issued a £500 bounty on Every's head and offered a free pardon to any informer who disclosed his whereabouts. The first worldwide manhunt in recorded history was underway. The plunder of Aurangzeb's treasure ship had serious consequences for the English East India Company. The furious Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb ordered Sidi Yaqub and Nawab Daud Khan to attack and close four of
18055-656: The plot, were banished to the British Seychelles in the Indian Ocean in 1876. During his exile, the sultan had use of a government-owned residence at Union Vale in Victoria , Mahé . The other exiled chiefs were given allowances, but remained under strict surveillance. The sultan and his chiefs were temporarily relocated to Félicité Island for five years, before being allowed to return to Victoria in 1882 when turmoil in Perak had subsided. The sultan led
18212-409: The power of the EIC, King Charles II granted the EIC (in a series of five acts around 1670) the rights to autonomous territorial acquisitions, to mint money, to command fortresses and troops and form alliances, to make war and peace, and to exercise both civil and criminal jurisdiction over the acquired areas. In 1689, a Mughal fleet commanded by Sidi Yaqub attacked Bombay. After a year of resistance
18369-498: The pre-1707 Mughal fiefs and holdings, with their capital Delhi routinely under the control of Maratha, Afghan, or usurper generals' armies. The EIC was able to take advantage of this chaos, slowly assuming direct control of the province of Bengal , and fighting numerous wars against the French for control of the east coast. The Company's position in the Mughal court as it fell apart made it possible to sponsor various powerful people on
18526-413: The predawn and early morning. The jungles of Perak are highly biodiverse . The state's main natural park, Royal Belum State Park , covers an area of 117,500 hectares (290,349 acres) in northern Perak. It contains 18 species of frog and toad , 67 species of snake , more than 132 species of beetle , 28 species of cicada , 97 species of moth , and 41 species of dragonfly and damselfly . The park
18683-588: The prehistoric sites in Malaysia where artefacts from the Middle Palaeolithic era have been found are Bukit Bunuh , Bukit Gua Harimau, Bukit Jawa, Bukit Kepala Gajah, and Kota Tampan in the Lenggong Archaeological Heritage Valley . Of these, Bukit Bunuh and Kota Tampan are ancient lakeside sites, the geology of Bukit Bunuh showing evidence of meteoric impact . The 10,000-year-old skeleton known as Perak Man
18840-558: The project. Although their first attempt had not been completely successful, they sought the Queen's unofficial approval to continue. They bought ships for the venture and increased their investment to £68,373. They convened again a year later, on 31 December 1600, and this time they succeeded; the Queen responded favourably to a petition by George, Earl of Cumberland and 218 others, including James Lancaster, Sir John Harte , Sir John Spencer (both of whom had been Lord Mayor of London ),
18997-456: The region's battlefields for a thousand years, with cannon so well integrated that the Mughals fought with cannon mounted on elephants; all were no match to line infantry with decent discipline supported with field cannon. Repeatedly, a few thousand company sepoys fought vastly larger Mughal forces numerically and came out victorious. Afghan, Mughal, and Maratha factions started creating their own European-style forces, often with French equipment, as
19154-459: The richest in the world in 1700, and the East India Company tried to strip it bare for a century thereafter. Dalrymple calls it "the single largest transfer of wealth until the Nazis." What was in the 17th century the production capital of the world for textiles was forced to become a market for British-made textiles. Statues, jewels, and various other valuables were moved from the palaces of Bengal to
19311-480: The ruler of one of Perak's two local Malay factions, Raja Abdullah Muhammad Shah II , wrote to the Governor of the Straits Settlements, Andrew Clarke , requesting British assistance. This resulted in the Treaty of Pangkor , signed on Pangkor Island on 20 January 1874, under which the British recognised Abdullah as the legitimate Sultan of Perak. In return, the treaty provided for direct British intervention through
19468-546: The size of the British Army at certain times. Originally chartered as the "Governor and Company of Merchants of London Trading into the East-Indies," the company rose to account for half of the world's trade during the mid-1700s and early 1800s, particularly in basic commodities including cotton , silk , indigo dye , sugar , salt , spices , saltpetre , tea , and later, opium . The company also initiated
19625-648: The slave trade began in 1684, when a Captain Robert Knox was ordered to buy and transport 250 slaves from Madagascar to St. Helena . The East India Company began using and transporting slaves in Asia and the Atlantic in the early 1620s, according to the Encyclopædia Britannica, or in 1621, according to Richard Allen. Eventually, the company ended the trade in 1834 after numerous legal threats from
19782-517: The south. Thailand 's Yala and Narathiwat provinces both lie to the northeast. Perak's capital city, Ipoh , was known historically for its tin -mining activities until the price of the metal dropped, severely affecting the state's economy. The royal capital remains Kuala Kangsar , where the palace of the Sultan of Perak is located. As of 2018, the state's population was 2,500,000. Perak has diverse tropical rainforests and an equatorial climate . The state's main mountain ranges are composed of
19939-409: The state government as forest reserve, scattered across 68 areas throughout the state. Perak's geology is characterised by eruptive masses, which form its hills and mountain ranges . The state is divided by three mountain chains into the three plains of Kinta, Larut and Perak, running parallel to the coast. The Titiwangsa Range passes along the eastern borders of Perak, with its highest point,
20096-405: The state's large mineral deposits, reflecting Perak's position as one of the world's largest sources of tin. The first Islamic kingdom established in the state was of the lineage of the Sultanate of Malacca . Some local historians have suggested that Perak was named after Malacca's bendahara , Tun Perak . In maps prior to 1561, the area is marked as Perat . Other historians believe that
20253-479: The state. Another natural attraction, the tin-mining ponds in Kinta District, was gazetted as a state park in 2016. The Kinta Nature Park, Perak's third state park, covers an area of 395.56 hectares (977 acres). East India Company The East India Company ( EIC ) (1600–1874) was an English, and later British, joint-stock company founded in 1600 and dissolved in 1874. It was formed to trade in
20410-547: The states of Kedah, Penang and Selangor are marked by rivers, including the Bernam and Kerian Rivers . Perak has 11 major river basins of more than 80 km (50 miles). Of these, the Perak River basin is the largest, with an area of 14,908 km (5,756 sq mi), about 70% of the total area of the state. It is the second largest river basin on the Malay Peninsula, after the Pahang River basin. The Perak River
20567-408: The straits en route to Surat . The pirates gave chase and caught up with the Fateh Muhammed some days later, and meeting little resistance, took some £40,000 of silver. Every continued in pursuit and managed to overhaul Ganj-i-Sawai , which resisted strongly before eventually striking . Ganj-i-Sawai carried enormous wealth and, according to contemporary East India Company sources, was carrying
20724-498: The tin ore trade in the 19th century saw an increasing influx of Chinese labour. Later, rivalry developed between two Chinese secret societies . This, coupled with internal political strife between two faction of Perak's local Malay rulers, escalated into the Larut Wars in 1841. After 21 years wars, neighbouring Kedah freed itself from full Siamese rule in 1843, although it remained a Siamese tributary state until 1909. By 1867,
20881-625: The tin trade in Perak, and many Chinese miners left. In a move which angered the Siamese court, neighbouring Kedah's Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah then entered into an agreement with the British East India Company (EIC), ceding Penang Island to the British in 1786 in exchange for protection. Siam regained strength under the Thonburi Kingdom , led by Taksin , after freeing itself from Burmese occupation. After repelling another large-scale Burmese invasion ,
21038-536: The townhouses of the English countryside. Bengal in particular suffered the worst of Company tax farming, highlighted by the Great Bengal famine of 1770 . The primary tool of expansion for the company was the Sepoy. The Sepoys were locally raised, mostly Muslim, soldiers with European training and equipment, who changed warfare in present-day South Asia. Mounted forces and their superior mobility had been king on
21195-751: The unbroken lineage of the Malacca dynasty. Although Perak did fall under the authority of the Acehnese Sultanate, it remained entirely independent of Siamese control for over two hundred years from 1612, in contrast with its neighbour, Kedah, and many of the Malay sultanates in the northern part of the Malay Peninsula, which became tributary states of Siam. In 1620, the Acehnese sultanate invaded Perak and captured its sultan. When Sultan Sallehuddin Riayat Shah died without an heir in 1635,
21352-540: The upper hand by establishing a stronghold in the spice islands (now Indonesia), enforcing a near-monopoly through aggressive policies that eventually drove the EIC to seek trade opportunities in India instead. The English company opened a factory (trading post) in Bantam on Java on its first voyage, and imports of pepper from Java remained an important part of the company's trade for twenty years. English traders frequently fought their Dutch and Portuguese counterparts in
21509-514: The voyagers to set up two " factories " (trading posts) – one at Bantam on Java and another in the Moluccas (Spice Islands) before leaving. On return to England in 1603, they learned of Elizabeth's death, but Lancaster was knighted by the new king, James I , on account of the voyage's success. By this time, the war with Spain had ended but the company had profitably breached the Spanish-Portuguese duopoly; new horizons opened for
21666-575: The walled forts of Fort William in Bengal, Fort St George in Madras, and Bombay Castle . The first century of the Company, despite its original profits coming primarily from piracy in the Spice Islands between competing European powers and their companies, saw the East India Company change focus after suffering a major setback in 1623 when their factory in Amboyna in the Moluccas was attacked by
21823-638: The war were returned to the British. This was done under a proposal by the United States , offering Thailand admission to the United Nations (UN) and a substantial American aid package to support its economy after the war. The MPAJA, under the Communist Party of Malaya (CPM), had fought alongside the British against the Japanese, and most of its members received awards at the end of the war. However, party policy become radicalised under
21980-433: Was a complete defeat, ending when the EIC effectively swore fealty to the Mughals to get their factories back. The East India Company's fortunes changed for the better in 1707 when Bengal and other regions under Mughal rule fell into anarchy after the death of the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb . A series of large-scale rebellions, and the collapse of the Mughal taxation system led to the effective independence of virtually all of
22137-427: Was appointed as Perak's first British Resident . His inability to understand and communicate well with the locals, ignorance of Malay customs, and disparagement of the efforts of the sultan and his dignitaries to implement British tax control and collection systems caused resentment. Local nationalist Maharaja Lela and the new monarch, Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah II, opposed him, and the following year, in 1875, Birch
22294-402: Was assassinated through a conspiracy of local Malay dignitaries Seputum, Pandak Indut, Che Gondah, and Ngah Ahmad. The assassination angered the British authority, and following anti-British uprisings in several areas, a major military campaign was fought by the British in Perak in 1875-76. The perpetrators were arrested and executed and the sultan and his chiefs, also suspected of involvement in
22451-486: Was consulted on Indian affairs and gave even more valuable information to Lancaster. In 1599, a group of prominent merchants and explorers met to discuss a potential East Indies venture under a royal charter . Besides Fitch and Lancaster, the group included Stephen Soame , then Lord Mayor of London ; Thomas Smythe , a powerful London politician and administrator who had established the Levant Company ; Richard Hakluyt , writer and proponent of British colonization of
22608-550: Was established and adopted Malacca's form of elective monarchy. With the opening up of Perak in the 16th century, the state became a source of tin ore. It appears that anyone was free to trade in the commodity, although the tin trade did not attract significant attention until the 1610s. Throughout the 1570s, the Sultanate of Aceh subjected most parts of the Malay Peninsula to continual harassment. The sudden disappearance of Perak's Sultan Mansur Shah I in 1577 gave rise to rumours of abduction by Acehnese forces. Soon afterwards,
22765-433: Was established in 1611 at Masulipatnam on the Andhra Coast of the Bay of Bengal , and its second in 1615 at Surat. The high profits reported by the company after landing in India initially prompted James I to grant subsidiary licences to other trading companies in England. However, in 1609, he renewed the East India Company's charter for an indefinite period, with the proviso that its privileges would be annulled if trade
22922-466: Was finalised; and Raja Hasan of Selangor was to be immediately exiled from Perak, paving the way for peace between the two Malay states and the resolution of the power struggle between the British and Siam. In 1826, the Kingdom of Ligor broke its promise and attempted to conquer Perak. A small British expeditionary force thwarted the attack. The Sultan of Perak then ceded to the British Dindings and Pangkor (the two now constitute Manjung District ) so that
23079-405: Was found inside the Bukit Gunung Runtuh cave at Bukit Kepala Gajah. Ancient tools discovered in the area of Kota Tampan, including anvils , cores , debitage , and hammerstones , provide information on the migrations of Homo sapiens . Other important Neolithic sites in the country include Bukit Gua Harimau, Gua Badak, Gua Pondok, and Padang Rengas , containing evidence of human presence in
23236-423: Was further gazetted as National Heritage Site by the federal government in 2012, and was inscribed on the World Heritage Site tentative list of UNESCO in 2017. Royal Belum State Park also hosts an estimated 304 bird species, including migratory species, in addition to birds endemic to the three forest reserve areas of Pangkor Island. Ten hornbill species are found within the area, including large flocks of
23393-412: Was held between Siam, represented by their tributary state the Kingdom of Ligor , and the EIC. The King of Ligor promised that Siam would not send its armada to Perak and Selangor, resolving the issue of its attacks. The British renounced any aspiration of conquering Perak or interfering in its administration, promising to prevent Raja Hasan of Selangor from making trouble in Perak, and to try to reconcile
23550-1113: Was highly successful, and Jahangir sent a letter to James through Sir Thomas Roe: Upon which assurance of your royal love I have given my general command to all the kingdoms and ports of my dominions to receive all the merchants of the English nation as the subjects of my friend; that in what place soever they choose to live, they may have free liberty without any restraint; and at what port soever they shall arrive, that neither Portugal nor any other shall dare to molest their quiet; and in what city soever they shall have residence, I have commanded all my governors and captains to give them freedom answerable to their own desires; to sell, buy, and to transport into their country at their pleasure. For confirmation of our love and friendship, I desire your Majesty to command your merchants to bring in their ships of all sorts of rarities and rich goods fit for my palace; and that you be pleased to send me your royal letters by every opportunity, that I may rejoice in your health and prosperous affairs; that our friendship may be interchanged and eternal. The company, which benefited from
23707-401: Was put in place. Increasing numbers of labourers were brought from India, primarily to work as railway and municipal coolies . The British introduced several changes to the local political structure, exerting influence on the appointment of the sultan and restricting the power of his chiefs to Malay local matters. The sultan and his chiefs were no longer entitled to collect taxes, but received
23864-402: Was showcased by the Anglo-Nepalese war (1814–1816). The Draft History of the Qing records the Chinese Qing dynasty as formally commencing trade with the British in 1698. Within the first two decades of the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company or Vereenigde Oostindische Compagnie , (VOC) was the wealthiest commercial operation in the world with 50,000 employees worldwide and
24021-432: Was so high between the Dutch and the British East Indies Trading Companies that it escalated into at least four Anglo-Dutch wars: 1652–1654, 1665–1667, 1672–1674 and 1780–1784. Competition arose in 1635 when Charles I granted a trading licence to Sir William Courteen , which permitted the rival Courteen association to trade with the east at any location in which the EIC had no presence. In an act aimed at strengthening
24178-412: Was soon misused, causing conflict between the two sultanates. When the EIC established a British presence in Penang, the British already had a trading post in Singapore , avoiding involvement in the affairs of the nearby Malay sultanates. In 1822, the British authority in India sent British diplomat John Crawfurd to Siam to negotiate trade concessions and gather information with a view to restoring
24335-438: Was the ship's rutter (mariner's handbook) containing vital information on the China , India, and Japan trade routes. In 1596, three more English ships sailed east but all were lost at sea. A year later however saw the arrival of Ralph Fitch , an adventurer merchant who, with his companions, had made a remarkable nine year overland journey to Mesopotamia , the Persian Gulf , the Indian Ocean, India and Southeast Asia. Fitch
24492-414: Was to deliver a decisive blow to the Spanish and Portuguese monopoly of far-eastern trade. Elizabeth granted her permission and in 1591, James Lancaster in the Bonaventure with two other ships, financed by the Levant Company , sailed from England around the Cape of Good Hope to the Arabian Sea , becoming the first English expedition to reach India that way. Having sailed around Cape Comorin to
24649-426: Was unprofitable for three consecutive years. In 1615, James I instructed Sir Thomas Roe to visit the Mughal Emperor Nur-ud-din Salim Jahangir (r. 1605–1627) to arrange for a commercial treaty that would give the company exclusive rights to reside and establish factories in Surat and other areas. In return, the company offered to provide the Emperor with goods and rarities from the European market. This mission
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