28th Sultan of Perak: Sultan Idris Murshidul

Azzam Shah ibni Almarhum Raja Bendahara

Alang Iskandar (1887-1916)
Posted on May 24, 2010
SembangKuala is one year old today and in commemoration of this, we humbly present to you this updated post on
Almarhum Sultan Idris I.

SuILun drIs MursIIduI Azzum SIuI. TIIs pIoLo wus Luken In 1q11 uL LIe Iumous uIuyeLLe SLudIo In ondon, und Is currenLIy IeId uL LIe
V&A uIuyeLLe CoIIecLIon.
$:tan Idris M:rshid: Azzam $hah was born Raja Idris ibni Amarh:m Raja Bendahara Aang Iskandar at Kamp:ng K:aa
Keboi in Kampar, Perak on 19 J:ne 1849, the third son oI Raja Bendahara Aang Iskandar ibni Amarh:m Yang di Pert:an
M:da $:tan Ahmad $hah Johan by his second wiIe, Che` Ken Uda $ari binti Pangima Daam Abd: Rahman. His sibings
were Raja Hasan, Raja K:op M:hammad (Iather oI Raja Peremp:an Kesom, consort oI $:tan Iskandar $hah ibni
Amarh:m $:tan Idris), Raja Lope Ahmad and Raja P:tih Mas Kechi.
As a yo:ng man, Raja Idris had aready shown a keen interest in ed:cation, especiay that oI Isam, a characteristic he
exhibited thro:gho:t his iIe. Among his reigio:s teachers were $heikh Mohd Tahir Jaa:ddin|1| and $yed Abd:ah bin
Ab: Bakar AAttas (adhi oI Perak). Raja Idris ater earnt Engish Irom a Iew oI British administrative oIIicers, which
inc:ded M.E. Homes, the District Magistrate and Coector oI Land Reven:e.
In 1876, Raja Idris was appointed as a j:dge on the examination oI those who were charged with compicity in
the assassination oI J.W.W. Birch (the Iirst British Resident oI Perak). The assassination oI Birch c:minated in the Perak
War (18751876) between the British Iorces and the Perak Maays. D:ring the tria, his Ieow assessors were J.G Davidson
and Frank $wettenham. Raja Idris was ater appointed ChieI J:dge oI Perak, and between 1883 to 1897, he was invited by
the $traits $ettement Government to assist in the settement oI a disp:te over the deIinition oI the bo:ndary between Perak
and Kedah, and Meaka and Remba:. Later as $:tan, he revised the primeva code oI Perak Co:rt c:stoms and proced:res,
and the traditiona and roya tites, with the approva oI the $tate Co:nci. This inc:des the creation oI the oIIice Orang
KayaKaya $etia Bijaya DiRaja in pace oI the then deI:nct Orang Kaya Kaya $eri Agar DiRaja P:tra (Ioowing the
conviction oI Dato` Maharaja Lea). Jeragan Abd: $h:kor bin Mohamad Ai was the Iirst hoder oI this tite.

nsLuIIuLIon oI Ruju drIs us Ruju Mudu oI Peruk uL KuuIu Kungsur In 1886. (Source: ArkIb Neguru MuIuysIu)
When $:tan Y:s:I $hariI:ddin M:zaIIar $hah ibni Amarh:m $:tan Abd:ah M:hammad $hah I was Iinay instaed as
the 27
th
$:tan oI Perak|2|, Perak was decared a British protectorate on 11 May 1887. Raja Idris was then instaed Raja
M:da by the Perak $tate Co:nci|3|, apparenty with strong s:pport Irom H:gh Low, the then British Resident oI Perak.
However, abo:t two months aIter the instaation, $:tan Y:s:Imangat on 26 J:y 1887 and Raja M:da Idris was
procaimed the 28
th
$:tan oI Perak at the age oI 38. $:tan Idris was Iormay instaed with the tite $:tan Idris M:rshid:
Azzam $hah on 5 Apri 1889.

SuILun drIs oI Peruk (seuLed) wILI IIs son Ruju AbduI JuIII (IuLer SuILun) (rIgIL) und IIs nepIew Ruju NguI Munsur. (Source: ArkIb
Neguru MuIuysIu)
Previo:sy, a the previo:s $:tans oI Perak resided on the right bank oI the $:ngai Perak, as per agreement made by the
1
st
$:tan oI Perak, $:tan M:zaIIar $hah, with Tok Temong. However, $:tan Idris chose to reside to the eIt bank on B:kit
Chandan. A paace caed Istana Idris (ater renamed as Istana Negara) was erected on B:kit Chandan in 1895. It was then
demoished, giving way to the constr:ction oI Istana Iskandariah in the eary 1930s. Besides Istana Negara, there were
other istanas b:it, ike Istana Chinta Berahi Ior the Raja Peremp:an N:teh Aishah binti Amarh:m $:tan Y:s:I
$hariI:ddin and Istana Kasar Ma`amor Ior Tengk: Permais:ri Uteh Mariah binti Haji $:aiman.
It was d:ring the time oI $:tan Idris that Perak became part oI the Federated Maay $tates. Perak then saw a vast economic
growth Irom its export oI tin and r:bber. The Iirst r:bber tree in Maaya was panted in K:aa Kangsar by the botanist Henry
Ridey.
$:tan Idris was regarded as one oI the most inI:entia s:tans in Maaya at the time, as seen Irom the ina:g:ra D:rbar in
1897 hed at the Istana Negara in K:aa Kangsar. $:tan Idris` thinking was ahead oI his time and he strove to meet the
needs oI his rapidy changing state and her rakyat. One oI his principa concerns was ed:cation, oI both Western
or reigio:s styes, and he was instr:menta in the estabishment oI both the Maay Coege (Bab-ul Darfat was a esser
known name oI the Coege) and Madrasah Idrisiah in K:aa Kangsar. Even aIter his passing, his vast contrib:tions towards
ed:cation oI his rakyat was recognised and the $:tan Idris Training Coege in Tanjong Maim was named aIter him.

SuILun drIs In LIe robe oI u KnIgIL Grund Cross.
$:tan Idris was aso a sta:nch advocate oI increased Maay participation in the ranks oI the state administration. To wak
the tak as it were, one oI his sons, Raja Aang Iskandar (ater $:tan) joined the F.M.$. Poice Force.
In recognition oI his roe in the modernisation oI Perak and and his vast contrib:tions to the weIare oI his rakyat, $:tan
Idris received a n:mber British hono:rs the CMG in 1884 and KCMG in 1898 Irom Q:een Victoria, GCMG in 1901 Irom
Edward VII and GCVO in 1913 Irom George V.
D:ring his iIetime, $:tan Idris had visited Engand Io:r times:
1. 1884 with H:gh Low and Raja Ngah Mans:r ibni $:tan Abd:ah M:hammad $hah II, to req:est Ior the ret:rn oI the
Perak Roya Regaia which were kept in Engand since 1876 d:ring the Perak War.

SuILun drIs wILI SIr HugI CIIIIordund Ruju CIuIun (Ruju dI-HIIIr) In ondon durIng LIe CoronuLIon oI KIng Edwurd V, 1qoz. (Source:
ArkIb Neguru MuIuysIu)
2. 1888 by invitation oI Q:een Victoria Ior her Goden J:biee, aIter his procamation as $:tan oI Perak. He was again
accompanied by H:gh Low and Raja Ngah Mans:r ibni $:tan Abd:ah.
3. 1902 Ior the coronation oI Edward VII b:t the trip was postponed. D:ring the trip, his son, Raja Aang Iskandar (then
aged 21) Ioowed him back to Perak aIter seven years in Engand, Iive oI which were at Baio Coege in OxIord.
4. 1911 Ior the coronation oI George V, and he was accompanied by Tengk: Permais:ri Uteh Mariah, Raja Har:n A
Rashid, Raja Abd: Rashid, Raja Ch:an, Raja P:teh Kasom $:tan Idris (wiIe oI Raja Ch:an) and Enche` Yeop Nordin,
Toh M:da Orang Kaya $etia DiRaja. It was d:ring this trip that $:tan Idris bo:ght the Aigrette which was ater added to
the Perak $tate Regaia.
Upon ret:rning to Perak in 1911, $:tan Idris heath was :nder par and he rested at Port Dickson. Whist recovering, he
made a na:ar, sho:d he be restored a good heath, he wo:d b:id a mosq:e in B:kit Chandan. His vow ater materiaised
with the erection oI Majid Ub:diah b:t he did not ive to see it competed.
$:tan Idris mangkat on 14 Jan:ary 1916 at the age oI 67. He was interred at the Roya Ma:soe:m, K:aa Kangsar with the
tite oI Marhum Rahmatullah.
In the co:rse oI his iIe, $:tan Idris married seven times:
1. DYMM Raja Peremp:an N:teh Aishah binti $:tan Y:s:I $hariI:ddin M:dzaIIar $hah. $he died at Istana Kasar
Ma`amor, K:aa Kangsar on 6 October 1920.

SuILun drIs wILI Tengku PermuIsurI ULeI MurIuI
2. Tengk: Permais:ri Che Uteh Mariah binti Haji $:aiman (rang Kaya-Kaya Shahbandar Padua Indira). $he died at
Istana Cinta Berahi, K:aa Kangsar on 26 Febr:ary 1924.
3. Toh P:an Besar Che Ngah Manah binti Manda D:wayat. $he died 4 Febr:ary 1922.
4. Che Aang $awiya binti Che K::p Abd: $amad. $he died 16 November 1957.
5. Che Long Poam
6. YM $hariIah Aawiyah
7. YM $hariIah Maheran
The present Perak $:tanate is derived Irom his ineage. In addition, the $:tan Idris I ineage has inks with other roya
ho:sehods in other $tates, namey $eangor and Pahang. Cick here Ior the Iamiy tree oI $:tan Idris I.
Footnote:
|1| $heikh Mohd Tahir Jaa:ddin was the Iather oI T:n Hamdan $heikh Tahir, the Yang di Pert:a Negeri P:a: Pinang
Irom 1989 to 2001.
|2| Raja M:da Y:s:I was made regent Irom 30March 1877 to 11 May 1887.
|3| The Perak $tate Co:nci was Io:nded on 10 $eptember 1877, with Raja Idris as one oI its Io:nder members.

ReIerence:
1. Fawzi Basri. Cempaka $ari: $ejarah Kes:tanan Negeri Perak. Yayasan Perak; 1986.
2. H:ssain bin Mahm:d. $:tan Idris: A persona st:dy.
3. Kennedy J. A History oI Maaya. London: Macmian; 1962.
4. Encycopedia Britannica. $:tan Idris ibn Raja Iskandar.
5. Laman Rasmi Pejabat $:tan Perak. $ULTAN IDRI$ MUR$HIDUL ADZAM $HAH I.
6. $embangk:aa. Perak aIter $:tan Ai.
7. Arkib Negara Maaysia