Abdullah Mukarram Shah of Kedah


Paduka Sri Sultan Abdullah Mukarram Shah ibni al-Marhum Sultan Muhammad Jiwa Zainal Adilin Mu'adzam Shah II was the 20th Sultan of Kedah. His reign was from 1778 to 1797. In 1780, he ordered the fortress of Kota Kuala Bahang that has been destroyed by Aceh in 1619 to be rebuilt in exactly the same as the original plan. The Sultan appoint Hafiz Sab as the architecture of the fortress.

The threat of Siam

The war between Burma and Siam lasted from the year 1753 to the year 1781. While the war was still ongoing, Kedah had stopped the delivery of "Bunga Mas" to Siam. After the war ended, Siam once again became a very powerful force and demanded Kedah to send more "Bunga Mas" to Siam. The Sultan of Kedah, Sultan Abdullah, felt threatened by the demands of Siam. He wanted to preserve the sovereignty of Kedah and welfare of the people. Sultan Abdullah had no choice but to seek military assistance from East India Company. Sultan Abdullah offered Pinang if the EIC was willing to protect kedah from the Siamese threat. Francis Light knows the importance of the Penang Port and Military Bases. The offer was irresistible, although EIC wanted to protect the interests of trade with Siam.

The agreement, occupation and betrayal

Francis Light personally have come to an agreement with Sultan Abdullah in the year 1786. Sultan Abdullah let Francis Light to stay in Penang provided that he must provide military assistance for Kedah when needed.
The agreement consists of :
On 11 August 1786, the Union Jack was raised. Francis Light named Penang as "Prince of Wales Island" and their settlement as "Georgetown".after the British King, King George III. This marks the start of the British Occupation in Malaya. The year 1786, Siam conquered Patani and threatens Kedah. Sultan Abdullah demanded military assistance from the EIC as the agreement indicated. The EIC refused to give assistance because Sultan Abdullah only agreed with Francis Light, but not the EIC. Sultan Abdullah forced Francis Light out of Penang. Francis Light was reluctant to let go of Penang and offered payment of damages but was rejected by Sultan Abdullah. In 1791, Sultan Abdullah with the help of Riau, Siak and Selangor, was able to prepare a navy to attack and retake Penang. Francis Light asked assistance from the British Military to attack the stronghold of Sultan Abdullah in Seberang Perai. Sultan Abdullah lost and had come to a peace treaty on the 1st of May, 1791. With this peace treaty, EIC officially annexed Penang. As a reward, EIC will pay as much as 6000 Spanish Dollars every year to Sultan Abdullah.

Family