Dol Said


Dol Said or in full Dato' Abdul Said was a 19th-century Malay leader of an area called Naning, which was then part of Malacca on the Malay Peninsula. He opposed taxation by the British's taxation policy in the area and refused to pay it. This was a direct cause of a conflict known as the Naning War.
Dol Said's defiance led the British to send 150 soldiers led by Captain Wyllie to capture Naning in early August 1831. Naning however successfully defended itself by fighting a guerilla conflict and aid from other Malay allies, which included the chiefdoms of Seri Menanti, Rembau, Sungai Ujong, Johol and Muar. The British realised that the rebelling forces could not be easily suppressed, and requested reinforcement from the Yamtuan Muda Raja Ali in Rembau. Raja Ali agreed to send 600 troops to assist British in suppressing the revolt. Later in March 1832, British sent a larger force, consisting of 1200 soldiers to defeat Dol Said's men. In the second attack, Naning failed to receive military aid from its neighbours, and along with the presence of a huge British expedition force, caused Dol Said to retreat to Sri Menanti before surrendering himself to the British, effectively ending the conflict. The British then incorporated Naning into their colony of Malacca. Until today, Dol Said is still remembered and regarded as a nationalist hero in Malaysia who stood up to foreign aggression and colonialism.