HOMEInscriptionsAl-Tarikh Salasilah Negeri Kedah: Genealogical History of Kedah State
Malaysia - Institute of Language and Literature Agency Malaysia
This manuscript concerns the origin of the kings and the formation of the state of Kedah, Malaysia, providing valuable insight into the evolution of historiographical works by palace writers of the Kedah Malay Sultanate in the early 20th century. It was written by Enche’ Muhammad Hassan bin Dato’ Kerani Muhammad Arshad, the Secret Secretary of the then Sultan, on 5 January 1927. This manuscript has 146 pages and is in the custody of Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka. The original manuscript belonged to the author’s son, Enche’ Soda bin Mohd. Hassan, who presented it to the Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka.
The manuscript begins with the first king of Kedah, Maharaja Derbar Raja who hailed from Persia (the date of his arrival was not stated by Muhammad Hassan). However, the earliest date clearly stated in the manuscriptis 531 A.H., correspond ing to 1136 C.E. when Sheikh Abdullah from Yemen converted Seri Paduka Maharaja Derbar Raja to Islam and renamed him Sultan al-Muzaffar Shah. The last part of the manuscript covers two important topics: the relationship and conflicts between the governments of Kedah and Siam and British interference until the signing of the Bangkok Treaty in 1909. Its historical value is not only in the written accounts of events depicting the sociocultural development of Kedah, but also in the inclusion of rules of governance.being one of the most important sources of information on the socio-cultural history of the Malay World that exists today.
2024