The Last Sultan of Lingga-Riau Empire

[Anonymous]

There was an exhibition on Johor-Lingga-Riau royalty regalia at the Malay Heritage Centre recently.

Crown, 19th century, Riau-Lingga (on loan from Museum National Indonesia). The crown once belonged to the royal family of Sultan Siak Sri Indrapura in Riau. It is made of gold, richly inlaid with diamonds and rubies and decorated with filigree designs using a varient of different techniques. It was dobated by Sultan Syariff Kassim II to the Indonesian government after their independence in 1945.

The Cogan, 19th century, Riau-Lingga (on loan from Museum National Indonesia). Part of the pusaka (sacked heirloom) regalia of the Sultan of Riau-Lingga. Its shape of a mountain is also symbolic during the wayang drama with all its implication of mountain and tree of life mythology. The Malay text written in jawi states that the ruler is the descendant of Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnaen who descended from Bukit Siguntang in Jambi, Indonesia.

The Keris, 19th century, Riau-Lingga Archipelago

fengshui contributed the following article to singaporeheritage after stumbling upon the grave of the Last Sultan of the Riau-Lingga Empire.

This will be API’s series of articles on Singapore early history, of which only few know ……..

---

Beneath the glittering gold and splendor of the Johor-Riau-Lingga crown, lies buried an fascinating and intriguing story of colonial and royal intrigue and drama.

The Johor-Lingga-Riau Empire was a centre of power tussle in the early nineteen century between British and Dutch competition for dominance of the region. It was also the centre of dynastic quarrels
between the Malays and the Bugis.

It all started with Sultan Mahmud Shah (1756 – 1811). He married Raja Hamidah, a Bugis Princess in 1804 and gave her as a dowry, the island of Penyengat. He also appoint her later on
as the Guardian of the Royal Regalia, which is a strong position as it can confer legitimacy to whoever was crowned using the Royal Regalia.

Unfortunately when he died, he did not name any successor, leaving the 2 sons (borne by common wives) fighting for the crown. The two sons were Tengku Hussein (the
eldest, and should be the rightly heir) and Tengku Abdul Rahman.

When the Sultan died, Tengku Hussein was away at that time for a wedding and the Dutch which favoured Tengku Abdul Rahman installed him as Sultan, but without the ceremonial Royal Regalia. Raja Hamidah had refused to surrender them for the installation of Sultan ‘Abdu’l Rahman. (Raja Hamidah is still honored for this act of defiance. Her grave is now a keramat in Penyengat)

Sir Stamford Raffles who was eyeing Singapore at that time brought the embattled Tengku Hussein from Riau to Singapore and then installed him as the Sultan of Singapore, who in return ceded Singapore to the British in return for their support.

The Anglo-Dutch Treaty in 1824 further spilt Johor-Lingga-Riau, portioning off the Malay peninsula and Singapore to the British and a large chunk of what would later become Indonesia
to the Dutch. Sultan Abdul Rahman remain in Lingga and was officially crowned by the Dutch in 1822 (they took the Royal Regalia by force from Raja Hamidah)

The Genealogy Map from Sultan Mahmud as follows:

Map source: Virginia Matheson, Mahmud Sultan of Lingga and Riau

As you can see from the map, Sultan Mahmud did not have any son but a daughter Fatimah.

When Sultan Sulaiman died in 1883, Tengku Fatimah’s son became the Sultan. He was Sultan Abdul Rahman Muadzam Shah II.

Sultan Abdul Rahman Muadzam Shah II
Last sultan of Lingga-Riau Empire

There was a dispute here on the Lingga lineage, and there was a claim that the rightful selection should have fallen on one of the sons of Sultan Muhammad when Sultan Sulaiman died in 1883 (ie go to the Malays) and not a descendent of Yang di-Pertuan Muda (YPTM) who was Bugis

In 1911, Sultan Abdul Rahman Muadzam Shah II, refusing Dutch overtures to take over administration of the kingdom, fled to Singapore. Before he left with his family to Singapore, it is said he ordered a scorched earth policy and laid waste to ruins his istana and manor in Penyengat Island.

His descendents are still staying in Singapore. The head of the Lingga royal household is Tengku Abdul Rahman bin Tengku Muhammad Yusuf bin Tengku Othman bin Sultan Abdul Rahman Muadzam Shah II since 1964.

As for Sultan Abdul Rahman Muadzam Shah II, he died in Singapore in 1930 and was buried here.

He was the last Sultan of the Lingga-Riau Empire.

Grave of Sultan Abdul Rahman Muadzam Shah II, in Singapore

References:

The Royal Ark, by Christoper Buyers
Bintan, Phoenix of the Malay Archipelago by Gilles Massot
Mahmud Sultan of Lingga and Riau (1823 – 1864), By Virginia Matheson

[Author]

Posts

[Anonymous]

There was an exhibition on Johor-Lingga-Riau royalty regalia at the Malay Heritage Centre recently.

Crown, 19th century, Riau-Lingga (on loan from Museum National Indonesia). The crown once belonged to the royal family of Sultan Siak Sri Indrapura in Riau. It is made of gold, richly inlaid with diamonds and rubies and decorated with filigree designs using a varient of different techniques. It was dobated by Sultan Syariff Kassim II to the Indonesian government after their independence in 1945.

The Cogan, 19th century, Riau-Lingga (on loan from Museum National Indonesia). Part of the pusaka (sacked heirloom) regalia of the Sultan of Riau-Lingga. Its shape of a mountain is also symbolic during the wayang drama with all its implication of mountain and tree of life mythology. The Malay text written in jawi states that the ruler is the descendant of Sultan Iskandar Zulkarnaen who descended from Bukit Siguntang in Jambi, Indonesia.

The Keris, 19th century, Riau-Lingga Archipelago

fengshui contributed the following article to singaporeheritage after stumbling upon the grave of the Last Sultan of the Riau-Lingga Empire.

This will be API’s series of articles on Singapore early history, of which only few know ……..

---

Beneath the glittering gold and splendor of the Johor-Riau-Lingga crown, lies buried an fascinating and intriguing story of colonial and royal intrigue and drama.

The Johor-Lingga-Riau Empire was a centre of power tussle in the early nineteen century between British and Dutch competition for dominance of the region. It was also the centre of dynastic quarrels
between the Malays and the Bugis.

It all started with Sultan Mahmud Shah (1756 – 1811). He married Raja Hamidah, a Bugis Princess in 1804 and gave her as a dowry, the island of Penyengat. He also appoint her later on
as the Guardian of the Royal Regalia, which is a strong position as it can confer legitimacy to whoever was crowned using the Royal Regalia.

Unfortunately when he died, he did not name any successor, leaving the 2 sons (borne by common wives) fighting for the crown. The two sons were Tengku Hussein (the
eldest, and should be the rightly heir) and Tengku Abdul Rahman.

When the Sultan died, Tengku Hussein was away at that time for a wedding and the Dutch which favoured Tengku Abdul Rahman installed him as Sultan, but without the ceremonial Royal Regalia. Raja Hamidah had refused to surrender them for the installation of Sultan ‘Abdu’l Rahman. (Raja Hamidah is still honored for this act of defiance. Her grave is now a keramat in Penyengat)

Sir Stamford Raffles who was eyeing Singapore at that time brought the embattled Tengku Hussein from Riau to Singapore and then installed him as the Sultan of Singapore, who in return ceded Singapore to the British in return for their support.

The Anglo-Dutch Treaty in 1824 further spilt Johor-Lingga-Riau, portioning off the Malay peninsula and Singapore to the British and a large chunk of what would later become Indonesia
to the Dutch. Sultan Abdul Rahman remain in Lingga and was officially crowned by the Dutch in 1822 (they took the Royal Regalia by force from Raja Hamidah)

The Genealogy Map from Sultan Mahmud as follows:

Map source: Virginia Matheson, Mahmud Sultan of Lingga and Riau

As you can see from the map, Sultan Mahmud did not have any son but a daughter Fatimah.

When Sultan Sulaiman died in 1883, Tengku Fatimah’s son became the Sultan. He was Sultan Abdul Rahman Muadzam Shah II.

Sultan Abdul Rahman Muadzam Shah II
Last sultan of Lingga-Riau Empire

There was a dispute here on the Lingga lineage, and there was a claim that the rightful selection should have fallen on one of the sons of Sultan Muhammad when Sultan Sulaiman died in 1883 (ie go to the Malays) and not a descendent of Yang di-Pertuan Muda (YPTM) who was Bugis

In 1911, Sultan Abdul Rahman Muadzam Shah II, refusing Dutch overtures to take over administration of the kingdom, fled to Singapore. Before he left with his family to Singapore, it is said he ordered a scorched earth policy and laid waste to ruins his istana and manor in Penyengat Island.

His descendents are still staying in Singapore. The head of the Lingga royal household is Tengku Abdul Rahman bin Tengku Muhammad Yusuf bin Tengku Othman bin Sultan Abdul Rahman Muadzam Shah II since 1964.

As for Sultan Abdul Rahman Muadzam Shah II, he died in Singapore in 1930 and was buried here.

He was the last Sultan of the Lingga-Riau Empire.

Grave of Sultan Abdul Rahman Muadzam Shah II, in Singapore

References:

The Royal Ark, by Christoper Buyers
Bintan, Phoenix of the Malay Archipelago by Gilles Massot
Mahmud Sultan of Lingga and Riau (1823 – 1864), By Virginia Matheson

[Author]

Posts