Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan
The Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan, also known as the Yamtuan Besar, is the constitutional ruler of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan.
Unlike other rulers of the Malay states, the Yang di-Pertuan Besar is elected rather than hereditary. The ruler is elected by a council of ruling chiefs in the state, known as the Undangs, a royal practice that has been followed since 1773. The Yang di-Pertuan Besar is selected from among the four leading princes of Negeri Sembilan. The Undangs themselves cannot stand for election and their choice is limited to a male, Muslim, Malay, who is a descendant of Raja Radin ibni Raja Lenggang", the 4th Yamtuan.
This unique form of government later inspired the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, to implement a form of rotational constitutional monarchy for a newly independent Federation of Malaya. Thus, the office of Yang di-Pertuan Agong was created.
Early history
has been receiving migrants from Sumatra for hundreds of years. Prior to the establishment of the Yamtuan Besar the area was ruled by the Sultan of Malacca. After Malacca was defeated by the Portuguese, it was ruled by the Sultanate of Johor.Even during the 18th century, several groups of Minang people had expanded to the Malay Peninsula especially around the areas of Rembau, Naning and Sungai Ujong but retained strong links to their homeland in Sumatra. During this period, Rembau was under the nominal authority of Johor, until 1758 when it was ceded to the Dutch.
By 1760, Johor appointed Daeng Kemboja to lead the nine state. However, his rule were not approved by the residence. Johor then decided to allow the state to find a leader from the Minangkabau people in Sumatra. Between 1760 and 1770, a council of leaders known as the penghulu luak left for Pagar Ruyung in Minangkabau in search of a leader. Popular belief holds that the legendary Raja Melewar was elected in 1773 as the first ruler of Negeri Sembilan.
Part of Minangkabau
Yamtuan Melewar
The council of Sultan Malenggang Alam of Pagaruyung appointed his uncle, Raja Mahmud, to rule this new outpost of the Minangkabau region. Raja Mahmud was grandson of Sultan Alif II of Pagaruyung. He later became known as Raja Melewar upon ascension to Negeri Sembilan's throne.Prior to Raja Melewar, the districts were separately vying for power against each other while a greater problem of interference, incursions and invasion loomed over them from Bugis controlled Johor and Selangor. All this amid the stream of pretenders claiming the throne, including Raja Kasah, Raja 'Adil and Raja Khatib.
Raja Melewar is credited with the successful unification the main districts and numerous outlying settlements into a cohesive political state now known as Negeri Sembilan. He was installed as the first Yamtuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan at Penajis in Rembau with the endorsement of all the territorial chiefs. He ruled as Yamtuan from 1773 until his death in 1795.
Yamtuan Hitam
Following the death of Raja Melewar in 1795, the same council of leaders once again set out on a journey to Sumatra. By this time, Negeri Sembilan had risen in importance in the Minangkabau region. In 1795, the council of Sultan Muning Syah III of Pagaruyung appointed his uncle, Raja Hitam, as Yamtuan Besar. Raja Hitam was son of Sultan Bagagar Syah I of Pagaruyung. Following the Minangkabau matrilineal tradition, Raja Hitam married Raja Melewar's daughter, Tunku Aishah, but they had no children. As a diplomatic gesture, Raja Hitam also married the widow of the brother of Sultan Ibrahim of Selangor; having four children, including a daughter, Tunku Ngah. He died in 1808.Yamtuan Lenggang
Once again in 1808, the leaders of Negeri Sembilan went to Minangkabau in search of someone to replace their leader. At this time, the Minangkabau Confederacy was in the middle of the Padri War against religious militant extremists promoting Wahhabism. The council of Sultan Bagagar Syah III of Pagar Ruyung appointed his uncle, Raja Lenggang Laut. Raja Lenggang was the son of Sultan Malenggang Alam of Pagaruyung. Yamtuan Lenggang established the royal residence at the town of Seri Menanti. He married Raja Hitam's second daughter, Tunku Ngah. They had two sons: Tunku Nasiruddin and Tunku Ullin, who would later become the fourth and fifth Yamtuan Besar as and. Yamtuan Lenggang died in 1824.End of the Dynasty in Minangkabau
In 1824, the Undangs could not embark on a trip to meet the Raja of Pagaruyung because, the Pagaruyung dynasty had been destroyed during the Padri War. Dutch military forces took possession of Minangkabau territories in 1821. Thus, for the first time in its history, Negeri Sembilan would have its own hereditary leader to continue the Pagaruyung dynasty.Late history
Late history covers the period of flux; after the fall of the Pagaruyung dynasty in west Sumatra and before the constitutional era.Yamtuan Radin
As the Pagaruyung Kingdom was in tatters in west Sumatra, Yamtuan Lenggang looked to continue the dynasty with what was left in Negeri Sembilan. He proposed his young son, Tunku Nasiruddin, to be the next Yamtuan but the Undangs were hesitant.After he died, there were five claimants to the throne:
- Raja Kerjan,
- Raja Sati sent from Siak,
- Raja Ali, nephew of Sultan Ibrahim of Selangor
- Raja Radin
- Raja Beringin, self-appointed guardian of Radin.
With the appointment of Yamtuan Radin, the bloodline to the Minangkabau Pagaruyung dynasty remained unbroken. Yamtuan Radin ruled for 30 years before he died in 1861.
Yamtuan Imam
After the death of Yamtuan Radin, his son Tunku Antah was quite young and after some consternation among the Negri chiefs, they appointed the late Yamtuan's brother, Tunku Ullin as Yamtuan in 1861, reigning under the name Imam. Yamtuan Imam ruled for eight years and died in 1869. He was begotten with five sons: Tunku Ahmad Tunggal, Tunku Jumaat, Tunku Ma'adin, Tunku Alim and Tunku Alam; and a daughter, Tunku Chindai.Yamtuan Antah
Upon the death of Yamtuan Imam, the two claimants to the throne were Tunku Antah, the son of Yamtuan Radin; and his cousin, Tunku Ahmad Tunggal, son of Yamtuan Imam. With no consensus forthcoming, Datuk Siamang Gagap elevated the queen dowager of Yamtuan Radin, Tunku Puan Intan as the Regent from 1869 to 1872.The Undang of Johol supported Tunku Antah; the Undang of Sungai Ujong was backing Tunku Ahmad Tunggal; the Undang of Jelebu was undecided with their own problems; the Undang of Rembau wanted their own independence. After 3 years of wrangling, Tunku Antah was elected as Yamtuan in 1875.
During this time, the British administration was attempting to obtain border treaties and commercial agreements with all the polities in the Malay Peninsula. The Undang of Sungai Ujong signed with the British but without any reference to the ruler nor the other Undangs. This eventually culminated into the 1876 Battle of Bukit Putus wherein the united forces of Negeri Sembilan attacked the British protecting Sungai Ujong. Yamtuan Antah's forces were eventually defeated by British infantry and artillery. Yamtuan Antah surrendered to the British in Johor and was demoted to "Yamtuan Seri Menanti" but he was still determined to obtain an equitable agreement for the entire state. At the urging of the Sultan of Johor, the Governor of the Straits Settlements agreed to reconcile the dispute between Sungai Ujong and the other districts. Suggestions to the British from the Undang of Sungai Ujong amongst others was the installation of a new Sultan and appointing Tunku Ahmad Tunggal as "Malay Captain" for all territories except Sungai Ujong. By 1877, every district and territory in Negeri Sembilan had separate agreements with the British which included arbitration by the Sultan of Johor; but this proved unworkable. In 1887, witnessed by the British Governor of the Straits Settlements, a new agreement was signed by the chiefs of Johol, Ineh, Ulu Muar, Jempol, Terachi and Gunung Pasir. Through this agreement, they acknowledge and ratify Yamtuan Antah as Yamtuan Seri Menanti; the ruler of the Seri Menanti Confederacy.
Yamtuan Antah died in 1888, a victim of a smallpox epidemic.
Modern history
Tuanku Muhammad
In 1888, the son of Yamtuan Antah, Tuanku Muhammad Shah took on the title of Tuanku at age 22 and acceded to the name and title of Yang di-Pertuan Besar of the Seri Menanti Confederacy. In 1889, under his reign, the districts of Rembau and Tampin joined the Confederacy to bear the historic name of the Nine States – Negeri Sembilan.With the final two districts admitted into the state, on 29 April 1898, he was installed as the Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan. This marks the formal adoption of a State Constitution wherein the chiefs of territories of Jelebu, Johol, Sungai Ujong and Rembau were officially elevated to the status of Undang; and the Yamtuan would exercise control over the districts of Gunung Pasir, Ineh, Jempol, Terachi and Ulu Muar. Tuanku Muhammad died in 1933 after a long reign as Yamtuan Besar, the longest in the history of the state.