56-633: The Larut Wars were a series of four wars that began in July 1861 and ended with the signing of the Pangkor Treaty of 1874 . The conflicts were fought among local Chinese secret societies over the control of mining areas in Perak which later involved a rivalry between Raja Abdullah and Ngah Ibrahim, making it a war of succession . The First Larut War began in July 1861 when arguments over control of watercourse to their mines escalated and led members of
112-418: A British Resident was sent to Sungei Ujong. Tan Kim Ching Tan Kim Ching ( Chinese : 陳金鐘 ; Pe̍h-ōe-jī : Tân Kim-cheng ; 1829 – 27 February 1892), also known as Tan Kim Cheng , was a Chinese politician and businessman. He was the eldest of the three sons of Tan Tock Seng , the founder and financier of Tan Tock Seng Hospital . He was consul for Japan , Thailand and Russia , and
168-584: A conspiracy to scuttle Chiu's farming syndicate. Tan Kim Cheng's testimony was a godsend for Chiu and Khoo. Tan and his father Tan Tock Seng, representing most of the Malacca-born Hokkien, led the Haizhang group while their archrivals Cheang Sam Teo and his son, Cheang Hong Lim led the Zhang Hai group, the division between Hokkien migrants from Quanzhou and Zhangzhou. Tan had three wives and
224-474: A man of sufficient abilities to show (him) a good system of government". On 26 September 1872, Chung Keng Quee had already presented a petition, signed by himself and 44 other Chinese leaders, seeking British interference following the attack of 12,000 men of Chung Shan by 2,000 men of Sen Ning ( The Petition ). The need to restore law and order in Perak gave cause for a new British policy concerning intervention in
280-509: A man of sufficient abilities to show (him) a good system of government." Chung Keng Quee had already presented a petition on 26 September 1872, signed by himself and 44 other Chinese leaders, seeking British interference following the attack of 12,000 men of Chung Shan by 2,000 men of Sen Ning. The British immediately saw this as an opportunity to expand its influence in Southeast Asia and to strengthen its monopoly on tin exports. As
336-684: A period of ten years. Tan Kim Ching together with an English merchant in Singapore (W. H. M. Read) drafted a letter to Governor Sir Andrew Clarke, which Abdullah signed, in which Raja Muda Abdullah expressed his desire to place Perak under British protection, and "to have a man of sufficient abilities to show him a good system of government." In the British intervention in Malaya 1867-1877 Parkinson tells us that Sir Andrew Clarke, just weeks after his arrival in Singapore, had already found evidence of
392-721: A result, the Pangkor Treaty of 1874 was signed. The Malay translation of the treaty was prepared by Frank Swettenham and Mohamed Said, the munshi for the Straits Settlements. The Chinese chiefs arrived on 13 January, the Hai San group was accompanied by Swettenham , while the Ghee Hins group was escorted by Pickering . Mantri Ngah Ibrahim arrived the next day, escorted by his lawyer R. C. Woods and his security chief T. C. Speedy . Raja Muda Abdullah and
448-418: A total of 19 children. He had seven children with his first wife, Chua Yee Ren, three children with Khunying, Puen Anukulsiamkit, and nine children in his third marriage. His eldest daughter, Tan Cheng Gay ( Chinese : 陳靜雅 ; pinyin : Chén Jìngyā ), who had been taught Chinese and also a little English, was the first among those appointed trustees of his estate to take out probate of his will, one of
504-523: A view commonly held by modern Malaysian nationalists. In the resulting Perak War (1875–1876), the British defeated the rebels, executed Lela and expelled both Raja Abdullah and Ngah Ibrahim to the Seychelles on the accusation that they had been involved in the conspiracy to assassinate Birch. The British appointed Yusuf Sharifuddin Muzaffar Shah as regent of Perak in 1877 and appointed him as
560-460: Is this proximity that might explain how the next battle began. The Third Larut War was rumoured to have erupted in 1871 over a scandal – an extra-marital relationship involving the Ghee Hin leader and the wife of a nephew of the Hai San leader, Chung Keng Quee . Upon discovery, the couple was caught, tortured, put into a pig basket and thrown into a disused mining pond where they drowned. Avenging
616-777: The Hai San Secret Society to drive the members of the Ghee Hin society out of Klian Baharu (now Kamunting ). The Governor of the Straits Settlements , Orfeur Cavenagh intervened and the Mentri of Larut , Ngah Ibrahim , was made to compensate the Ghee Hin with $ 17,447 on behalf of the Sultan of Perak. The Second Larut War took place in 1865 and was sparked by a gambling quarrel in June between members of
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#1732776588287672-638: The Larut Wars (1861–1874), between the local Malay elites and frequent clashes between Chinese secret societies disrupted the supply of tin from the mines of Perak. In 1871, Sultan Ali of Perak died. However, Raja Abdullah , the heir apparent , had not been present at his funeral. Raja Bendahara Sultan Ismail was proclaimed Sultan of Perak instead. At the same time, two Chinese secret societies, Ghee Hin (led by Chin Ah Yam) and Hai San (led by Chung Keng Quee ), fought against each other over control of
728-531: The British actively became involved in three other Malay states: Negeri Sembilan , Selangor and Pahang . These states, along with Perak, were later reorganised into the Federated Malay States . Clarke arrived in November 1873 and he put Perak, Selangor and Sungei Ujong under British protection within a year, and Pahang in 1888. In 1875, a British Resident was sent to Selangor. In 1874,
784-673: The Chinese community. Tan died of suspected heart disease on 27 February 1892 and his remains were interred at his private burial ground at the thirteenth mile on the Changi Road. His grave was transferred to Bukit Brown in 1940. The setting up of the Tao Nan School , established on 18 November 1906, financed by the Hokkien Huay Kuan (which was led by Tan Kim Ching before he died), was initiated by Tan Boo Liat,
840-531: The Chinese miners and secret societies. The Straits Settlement Penang Chinese seeing their investments destroyed in the Larut Wars sought intervention from the British. Over 40,000 Chinese from the Go-Kuan and Si-Kuan were engaged in the war. The Perak Sultanate, involved in a protracted succession struggle, was unable to maintain order. Things were increasingly getting out of hand and chaos was proving bad for
896-516: The Ghee Hin there. Had Ngah Ibrahim not already aligned himself with the Hai San, he would not have got it. As it was, he arrived at an accommodation with Tan Kim Ching whose influence among the Chinese, at that time, was without comparison. After going through the introduction provided by the Ghi Hin from Penang Tan Kim Ching offered to put Abdullah on the throne in return for five elevenths (5/11) of all duties collected between Telok Serah and Krian for
952-454: The Hai San regained Larut, the Ghee Hin, supported by Raja Abdullah, counter-attacked with arms and men from Singapore and China. Ngah Ibrahim's properties in Matang were destroyed. Local Malay residents were also killed and their property, destroyed. Trouble spread to Krian, Pangkor and Dinding . The Malay chiefs who had taken sides in the Larut Wars were now alarmed at the disorder created by
1008-721: The Hai Sans and the mines in Klian Bharu (Kamunting) to the Ghee Hins. Scholar Irene Liao has connected with this settlement the establishment in the 1880s in Taiping of the first temple in the Malay peninsula devoted to goddess He Xiangu (何仙姑). Liao sees the establishment of the temple as an "effort to reconcile" after the wars, and "as part of a cultural strategy to symbolically integrate all Guangdong immigrants into one community". Many Chinese miners came from Zengcheng District ,
1064-533: The Malay chiefs arrived on 15 January. The afternoon session (circa 3:30 p.m.) on 16 January was a one-to-one meeting between Mantri Ngah Ibrahim and Clarke, in which Clarke highlighted to the Mantri that the problem in Larut was a direct consequence of his vacillating policy. The second day of the conference (17 January) was the meeting between Clarke and the Malay chiefs, whose opinions were individually considered before
1120-677: The Malay states were vassals of Siam but British intervention brought them under the control of the British Empire as "independent states". Eventually Patani was reannexed in 1909 as part of the Kingdom of Siam). Exercising this influence, during the time of Sir Andrew Clarke , Tan Kim Ching was instrumental in settling a difficulty that arose between the Siamese and Perak governments. King Mongkut of Siam (also known as King Rama IV) wanted someone to educate his immediate family without
1176-534: The Malays, Chinese and British. In her book The Golden Chersonese and The Way Thither (published in 1892) Victorian traveller and adventuress Isabella Lucy Bird (1831–1904) describes how Raja Muda Abdullah as he turned to his friend in Singapore, Tan Kim Ching . Tan, together with an English merchant in Singapore drafted a letter to Governor Sir Andrew Clarke which Abdullah signed. The letter expressed Abdullah's desire to place Perak under British protection, and "to have
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#17327765882871232-485: The Peace). The agreement dictated: Raja Ismail did not attend the meeting arranged between Sir Andrew Clarke and Raja Abdullah. He did not recognise the agreement but had no choice as he was faced with the alliance between Raja Abdullah and the British. As a result, Raja Abdullah was made sultan, and Sir James W. W. Birch was appointed as Perak's first British Resident after the treaty came into force. Following this,
1288-557: The Straits Chamber of Commerce), secured the lease for Klang from Raja Abdullah bin Raja Jaafar, the administrator of Klang. Among the benefits of this lease arrangement was being able to collect taxes. Their attempts to collect taxes from Raja Mahdi whose father Raja Sulaiman was Klang's headman, however, sparked off a civil war that became known as The Klang War or The Selangor Civil War. Some historians have said that
1344-483: The affairs of the Malay States which resulted in the Pangkor Treaty. In 1874, the Straits Settlements governor Sir Andrew Clarke convened a meeting on Pulau Pangkor, at which Sultan Abdullah was installed on the throne of Perak in preference to his rival, Sultan Ismail. Documents were signed on 20 January 1874 aboard The Pluto at Pangkor Island to settle the Chinese dispute, clear the succession dispute and pave
1400-406: The candidate for the sultanship was decided. 18 January was a Saturday and no business was conducted. On 19 January the draft treaty was discussed with the Malay chiefs. The Treaty of Pangkor was officially sealed in the afternoon session of the concluding day (actually in the morning session of 20 January, another agreement between Clarke and the Chinese chiefs was signed, i.e. Bond of $ 50,000 to Keep
1456-673: The company opened a branch in Hong Kong . Tan also had mining concessions and had tin mining operations in the Kra Isthmus , Patani , Mount Ophir , Kampong Rusa, and various other places. He was also one of the earliest merchants to import silk from China . In 1863, Tan paid $ 120,000 to set up the Tanjong Pagar Dock Company and purchased two steamships, Siam and Singapore . In 1866, Tan, along with William Henry Macleod Read (Chairman of
1512-700: The construction of the Chui Eng School. Tan Kim Ching was a member of the Ghee Hin secret society and a supporter of the Raja Muda Abdullah of Perak and the Ghee Hin in Larut . It was Tan Kim Ching who had encouraged Abdullah to write seeking the involvement of the British. Released from his arrest at sea, and his temporary incarceration on Penang , and forbidden return to Perak, Abdullah ventured to Singapore in October 1873 to seek help from
1568-442: The continuing disturbances in Perak and Selangor. Apart from his executive council, he talked to Tan Kim Cheng. Clarke decided that both the Hai San and Ghee Hin should have access to Larut with neither side being excluded, a complete reversal of the policy of his predecessor, Sir Harry Ord . Tan Kim Ching agreed and wrote to the Ghee Hin on Penang to put this to them and advocate peace. Clarke then sent Pickering to Penang to talk to
1624-479: The death of their leader, the Ghee Hin had 4,000 mercenaries imported from mainland China via Penang attacked the Hai San and for the first time, the Hai San were driven out of Larut. About 10,000 Hai San men sought refuge in Penang. Months later, the Hai San supported by Ngah Ibrahim recovered their Matang and Larut mines. At this time, Raja Abdullah a claimant to the throne of Perak (in opposition to Sultan Ismail who
1680-407: The fray. Both sides were later exhausted and came to terms. An official inquiry took place and both the Hai San and Ghee Hin societies were fined $ 5,000 each for violating the peace of Penang and their leaders exiled. By around 1870, there were a combined total of about 40,000 Hakka and Cantonese mine workers in the Larut district and the mining areas between the two groups were near to each other. It
1736-540: The government's decision to acquire Pearl's Hill, construction work began and Tan Kim Ching donated an additional $ 3,340. Tan together with Tan Swee Beng donated funds to build an ancestral temple to serve the needs of the Tan clan (people bearing the Tan surname) and in 1876 the Tan Si Chong Su was built. In 1849, when the Chinese school Chung Wen Ge was built, he donated $ 100. In 1854, he donated $ 150 towards
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1792-778: The grandson of Tan Kim Ching. Tan Kim Ching's residence at Siam House served as temporary grounds for the school which moved to its own premises in Armenian Street and later Marine Parade (1982). There are two roads named after him in Singapore: the Tan Kim Cheng Road in Bukit Timah and the Kim Cheng Street in Tiong Bahru . In 2014, a plaque was installed in Kim Cheng Street which narrate
1848-436: The history of Kra Buri began with its governor, Tan Kim Ching. Tan played a significant role in fostering relationships between Singapore and the colonial government on the one hand, and Siam and its ruler King Mongkut (Rama IV) on the other. He helped Sir Harry Ord secure a new treaty with Kedah in 1867, and played an integral role in ending the Larut wars by getting Abdullah to seek British intervention, which led to
1904-515: The hospital gate acknowledges the donation of $ 3,000 by Tan Kim Ching. After all of that it was decided that the Tan Tock Seng Hospital had to move as the government wanted to build a new building. Tan agreed to the move, on condition that the rebuilt hospital should not cost less than the original one. He also requested a female ward, which his mother paid for in 1858 to perpetuate the memory of Tan Tock Seng. In 1858, two years after
1960-462: The hospital stayed empty for another two years because of insufficient funding. In 1852, in order to ease overcrowding at the hospital founded by his father Tan Tock Seng, Tan offered to bear the cost of additions to the building, approximately two thousand dollars ($ 2,000). His generous gesture led to many other merchants increasing monthly subscriptions to Tan Tock Seng Hospital. By 1854, the additions were completed. An inscription engraved in stone at
2016-544: The jury. In 1865 he was made a Justice of the Peace by the British Straits Settlements government. In 1888, he was appointed to the municipal council. Towards the end of his life he was prosecuted for keeping slaves, but he was discharged. On 25 July 1844, the foundation stone of the Tan Tock Seng Hospital was laid on Pearl's Hill. The stone was laid but the construction took three years. After that
2072-650: The main Chinese leaders (principally Chung Keng Quee and Chin Ah Yam ) and some Malays – including Abdullah – at Pulau Pangkor where the "Pangkor Engagement" was formulated and signed, recognising Abdullah as Sultan, and getting the Chinese to agree to settle their differences in Larut under British arbitration. During the tenure of Chiu Sin Yong's Revenue Farming syndicate in Singapore, backed by Khoo Thean Poh, Tan testified against Cheang Hong Lim and his group who had mobilized all of their allies and affiliates and organized
2128-404: The main center of the cult of He Xiangu. The newly appointed British Resident Minister James W. W. Birch was assassinated in 1875 on the orders of Lela Pandak Lam (alias Dato Maharaja Lela). Lela was a prince and mufti from Upper Perak, who was either motivated to protect his economic interests by restoring slavery , which had been prohibited by the British or to restore Perakian independence,
2184-650: The new Sultan of Perak in 1886. Pangkor Treaty of 1874 The Pangkor Treaty of 1874 was a treaty signed between Great Britain and the Sultan of Perak on 20 January 1874, on the Colonial Steamer Pluto , off the coast of Perak . The treaty is significant in the history of the Malay states as it legitimised British control of the Malay rulers and paved the way for British imperialism in Malaya . It
2240-537: The new state of truce. Three days later, Chung Keng Quee was appointed a member of the Pacification Commission headed by Captain S. Dunlop and Messrs. Frank Swettenham and William A. Pickering – one of the objectives of the commission was to arrange an amicable settlement of the squabbles over the tin mines at Larut. The Commissioners decided to allocate the mines in Klian Pauh (Taiping) to
2296-557: The person attempting to convert them to Christianity while educating them. He turned to Tan for a recommendation. On a suggestion from William Adamson of The Borneo Company, Tan recommended Anna Leonowens , a teacher in Singapore who is looking for work to support herself and her two children. When the King and Queen of Siam landed in Singapore in 1890 they stayed at Tan's home, "Siam House", in North Bridge Road. It
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2352-513: The rare instances of a Chinese lady being appointed and assuming the duties of executrix of the will of a Chinese testator. Five of his grandsons (and who were all sons of Tan Soon Toh), Tan Boo Liat , Tan Cheow Pin ( Chinese : 陳昭彬 ; pinyin : Chén Zhāobīn ), Tan Kwee Liang ( Chinese : 陳季良 ; pinyin : Chén Jìliáng ), Tan Kwee Swee ( Chinese : 陳季隨 ; pinyin : Chén Jìsuí ) and Tan Kwee Wah ( Chinese : 陳季騧 ; pinyin : Chén Jìguā ) were well known members of
2408-493: The respective headmen in Penang. Pickering gave Tan Kim Ching's letter to Chin Ah Yam. Twenty Ghee Hin headmen met through the night at the Ghee Hin Kongsi house considering Tan Kim Cheng's letter. In the morning they met with Pickering and agreed to surrender their forces in seven days time. Following that outcome and the outcome of a meeting with Chung Keng Quee whom Pickering also met, Sir Andrew Clarke then gathered
2464-594: The signing of treaties at Pangkor. When the Hokkien-Teochew Riots which broke out on 5 May 1854 over 400 people were killed during 10 days of violence. In a meeting with British authorities, Tan Kim Ching represented the Hokkiens and with his assurance and that of Seah Eu Chin of the Teochews, the situation was brought to an end. In March 1878 The Straits Asiatic Society (formed on 4 November 1877)
2520-460: The tin mines. Raja Muda Abdullah later appealed to the British regarding these two problems. He turned to Tan Kim Cheng , his friend in Singapore who was a well-known businessman. Tan, together with an English merchant in Singapore, drafted a letter to Governor Sir Andrew Clarke which Abdullah signed. The letter expressed Abdullah's desire to place Perak under British protection, and "to have
2576-407: The two opposing secret societies. The Hai San members took 14 Ghee Hin as prisoners, 13 of whom were killed. The 14th escaped to inform his clan and the Ghee Hin retaliated by attacking a Hai San village, razing it to the ground and killing 40 men in the process. The battle continued back and forth and spread to Province Wellesley and the island of Penang while other secret societies started to join
2632-464: The vicinity of Orchard Road. In 1860 the Hokkien Huay Kuan was established in the premises of the Thian Hock Keng at Telok Ayer Street and Tan was installed as its first leader. He held the position of president for 30 years. He was especially noted for his establishment of a marriage registry for the Hokkiens. In 1864, he was elected to the grand jury as one of five Chinese members on
2688-523: The way for the acceptance of British Residency – Captain Speedy was appointed to administer Larut as assistant to the British Resident. Chung Keng Quee and Chin Ah Yam, leaders of the Hai San and Ghee Hin, respectively, were ennobled by the British with the title of Chinese Kapitan and the town of Larut was renamed Taiping ("太平" in Chinese, meaning "everlasting peace") as a confirmation of
2744-776: Was a member of the Royal Court of Siam . He was one of Singapore's leading Chinese merchants and was one of its richest men in Singapore at that time. He was also the first Asian member of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society . After his father's death, he became the Kapitan Cina of the Straits Chinese community. He is believed to have been the head of the Triad in Malaya. Tan
2800-475: Was bestowed the royal title Phraya Astongt Disrarak Siamprajanukulkij . He was also Special Commissioner for Siam in the Straits Settlements . He introduced his business partner in Singapore, Read, to the Siamese king in the late-1850s when the king desired to get out of a disadvantageous treaty with France. He had great influence on the Chinese outside the colony, especially in the northern Malay States bordering Siam, Kelantan and Patani (originally all
2856-476: Was carried on at "River-Side" (now known as Boat Quay ) from 1851 to 1859 with him as the sole owner. In 1860, Tan admitted his brother Tan Swee Lim as a partner, the firm was renamed as "Tan Kim Ching & Brother". Tan Swee Lim left the firm after a few months. The firm was finally renamed as "Kim Ching & Co.". With considerable success at the firm, Tan subsequently bought rice mills at Saigon, Siam, and elsewhere which supplied him with his milled rice. In 1888,
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#17327765882872912-512: Was installed in Abdullah's absence) after Sultan Ali ( r. 1865–1871 ) died in 1871, and an enemy of Ngah Ibrahim, took sides against the Hai San and Ngah Ibrahim and the wars between the Chinese miners transformed into civil war involving the Malay chiefs of Perak. Ghee Hin society [REDACTED] Perak Sultanate – Raja Abdullah forces [REDACTED] British Empire The Fourth Larut War occurred in 1873. Weeks after
2968-473: Was one of Singapore's leading Chinese merchants, one of the richest men in Singapore and had sizable business interests in Singapore, Siam, Vietnam and Malaya . His business boomed with rice mills he owned in Bangkok and Saigon . He helped to manage his father's firm, "Tan Tock Seng", which is named after his father. After his father's death, the firm was renamed as "Tan Kim Ching" after him. The business
3024-481: Was renamed The Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society and Tan Kim Ching was one of its founding members. Tan had a very close relationship with the royal family of Siam and often served as their go-between. In recognising the importance of his role, he was appointed ‘the first Siamese Consul in Singapore’ by King Mongkut in 1863 and in 1885, King Chulalongkorn elevated his title to that of consul-general. He
3080-406: Was reported that the king, who was expected to arrive in Singapore at Tanjong Pagar Wharf on board the royal vessel Ubon Burratit on 30 May 1890, had landed at Johnston's Pier instead. Due to the late arrival, only Tan was at the pier to receive him. When the king wished to acquire property in Singapore, he turned to Tan for recommendations which resulted in the acquisition of "Hurricane House" in
3136-526: Was the result of a multi-day conference organised by Andrew Clarke , the Governor of the Straits Settlements , to solve two problems: the Larut War , and Sultanship in Perak. Perak was a major tin producer throughout the 19th century, leading Britain, which had already colonised Penang , Malacca and Singapore , to consider Perak of significant importance. However, local strife, collectively known as
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