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{{Short description|1874 treaty between Great Britain and Perak}}
{{EngvarB|date=September 2019}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2019}}
{{History of Malaysia}}

The '''Pangkor Treaty of 1874''' was a treaty signed between Great Britain and the [[Perak Sultanate|Sultan of Perak]] on 20 January 1874, on the Colonial Steamer ''Pluto'', off the coast of [[Perak]]. The treaty is significant in the history of the [[Malay states]] as it legitimised British control of the [[Malay Ruler|Malay rulers]] and paved the way for British imperialism in [[British Malaya|Malaya]]. It was the result of a multi-day conference organised by [[Andrew Clarke (British Army officer, born 1824)|Andrew Clarke]], the [[List of governors of the Straits Settlements|Governor of the Straits Settlements]], to solve two problems: the [[Larut Wars|Larut War]], and Sultanship in Perak.<ref>Khoo Kay Kim, and Andrew Clarke, "The Pangkor Engagement of 1874." ''Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society'' 47.1 (225) (1974): 1-12 [https://www.jstor.org/stable/i40074087 online].</ref>

== Precedence ==

[[Image:SultanAbdullahPerak.jpg|thumb|left|Sultan Abdullah of Perak|280x280px]]

Perak was a major [[tin]] producer throughout the 19th century, leading Britain, which had already colonised [[Penang]], [[Malacca]] and [[Singapore]], to consider Perak of significant importance. However, local strife, collectively known as the [[Larut Wars]] (1861–1874), between the local [[Malay people|Malay]] elites and frequent clashes between [[Chinese Malaysian|Chinese]] secret societies disrupted the supply of tin from the mines of Perak.

In 1871, Sultan Ali of Perak died. However, [[Abdullah Muhammad Shah II of Perak|Raja Abdullah]], the [[heir apparent]], had not been present at his funeral. [[Raja Bendahara]] Sultan Ismail was proclaimed Sultan of Perak instead. At the same time, two Chinese secret societies, [[Ghee Hin Kongsi|Ghee Hin]] (led by Chin Ah Yam) and [[Hai San Secret Society|Hai San]] (led by [[Chung Keng Quee]]), fought against each other over control of the tin mines.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}

Raja Muda Abdullah later appealed to the British regarding these two problems. He turned to [[Tan Kim Ching|Tan Kim Cheng]], his friend in [[Singapore]] who was a well-known businessman. Tan, together with an English merchant in Singapore, drafted a letter to Governor [[Andrew Clarke (British Army officer, born 1824)|Sir Andrew Clarke]] which Abdullah signed. The letter expressed Abdullah's desire to place Perak under British protection, and "to have a man of sufficient abilities to show (him) a good system of government."<ref>{{Cite web |last=International Magazine Kreol |date=2015 |title=The Story of Sultan Abdullah's Exile in the Seychelles and Malaysia's National Anthem |url=https://kreolmagazine.com/culture/history-and-culture/the-story-of-sultan-abdullahs-exile-in-the-seychelles-and-malaysias-national-anthem/ |access-date=2023-02-21 |website=International Magazine Kreol |language=en-US}}</ref> [[Chung Keng Quee]] had already [[wikisource:The_Petition_of_Chung_Keng_Quee_&_44_Others|presented a petition]] on 26 September 1872, signed by himself and 44 other Chinese leaders, seeking British interference following the attack of 12,000 men of Chung Shan by 2,000 men of Sen Ning. The British immediately saw this as an opportunity to expand its influence in [[Southeast Asia]] and to strengthen its monopoly on tin exports. As a result, the Pangkor Treaty of 1874 was signed.<ref>{{Cite web|title=The Golden Chersonese And The Way Thither.|url=https://digital.library.upenn.edu/women/bird/chersonese/chersonese.html#perak|access-date=2020-07-20|website=digital.library.upenn.edu}}</ref>

The Malay translation of the treaty was prepared by [[Frank Swettenham]] and Mohamed Said, the [[munshi]] for the Straits Settlements.<ref>{{cite book|last=Swettenham|first=Frank|title=Footprints in Malaya|date=1941|publisher=Hutchinson & Co.|location=London, New York, Melbourne|page=33}}</ref>

== Summary of the conference ==

The Chinese chiefs arrived on 13 January, the Hai San group was accompanied by [[Frank Swettenham|Swettenham]], while the Ghee Hins group was escorted by [[William A. Pickering|Pickering]]. [[Ngah Ibrahim|Mantri Ngah Ibrahim]] arrived the next day, escorted by his lawyer R. C. Woods and his security chief [[Tristram Speedy|T. C. Speedy]]. Raja Muda Abdullah and the Malay chiefs arrived on 15 January. The afternoon session (circa 3:30 p.m.) on 16 January was a one-to-one meeting between Mantri Ngah Ibrahim and Clarke, in which Clarke highlighted to the Mantri that the problem in Larut was a direct consequence of his vacillating policy. The second day of the conference (17 January) was the meeting between Clarke and the Malay chiefs, whose opinions were individually considered before the candidate for the sultanship was decided. 18 January was a Saturday and no business was conducted. On 19 January the draft treaty was discussed with the Malay chiefs. The Treaty of Pangkor was officially sealed in the afternoon session of the concluding day (actually in the morning session of 20 January, another agreement between Clarke and the Chinese chiefs was signed, i.e. Bond of $50,000 to Keep the Peace).{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}

== Agreement ==

=== Terms and conditions ===

The agreement dictated:<ref>{{cite web|title=Documents Archive - Pangkor Engagement of 1874|url=http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/hist/eia/documents_archive/pangkor-treaty.php|access-date=30 January 2023|publisher=National University of Singapore|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161125221607/http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/hist/eia/documents_archive/pangkor-treaty.php|archive-date=2016-11-25|url-status=dead}}</ref>

* That the Raja Muda Abdullah be recognised as the [[Perak Sultanate|Sultan of Perak]].
* That the Raja Bandahara Ismail, now acting sultan, be allowed to retain the title of Sultan Muda with a pension and a certain small territory assigned to him.
* That all the other nominations of great Officers made at the time the Rajah Bandahara Ismail received the regalia be confirmed.
* That the power given to the Orang Kayah Mantri over Larut by the late Sultan be confirmed.
* That all revenues be collected and all appointments made in the name of the Sultan.
* That the Sultan receive and provide a suitable residence for a British Officer to be called Resident, who shall be accredited to his Court, and whose advice must be asked and acted upon on all questions other than those touching Malay religion and custom.
* That the Governor of Larut shall have attached to him as Assistant Resident, a British Officer acting under the Resident of Perak, with similar power and subordinate only to the said Resident.
* That the cost of these Residents with their establishments be determined by the Government of the [[Straits Settlements]] and be a first charge on the Revenues of Perak.
* That a Civil List regulating the income to be received by the Sultan, by the Bandahara, by the Mantri, and by the other Officers be the next charge on the said Revenue.
* That the collection and control of all revenue and the general administration of the country be regulated under the advice of these Residents.
* That the Treaty under which the [[Manjung District|Pulo Dinding]] and the islands of [[Pangkor Island|Pangkor]] were ceded to Great Britain having been misunderstood and it being desirable to readjust the same, so as to carry into effect the intention of the Framers thereof, it is hereby declared that the Boundaries of the said Territory so ceded shall be rectified as follows, that is to say: from Bukit Sigari, as laid down in the Chart Sheet No. 1 Straits of Malacca, a tracing of which is annexed, marked A, in a straight line to the sea, thence along the sea coast to the South, to Pulo Katta on the West, and from Pulo Katta a line running North East about five miles, and thence North to Bukit Sigari.
* That the Southern watershed of the [[Kerian River|Krean River]], that is to say, the portion of land draining into that river from the south be declared British Territory, as a rectification of the Southern Boundary of [[Seberang Perai|Province Wellesley]]. Such Boundary to be marked out by commissioners; one named by the Government of the Straits Settlements, and the other by the Sultan of Perak.
* That on the cessation of the present disturbances in Perak and the re-establishment of peace and amity among the contending factions in that country, immediate measures under the control and supervision of one or more British Officers shall be taken for restoring as far as practicable the occupation of the mines, and the possession of machinery, &c., as held previous to the commencement of these disturbances, and for the payment of compensation for damages, the decision of such officers shall be final in such case.
* The Mantri of Larut engages to acknowledge as a debt due by him to the Government of the Straits Settlements, the charges and expenses incurred by this investigation, as well as charges and expenses to which the Colony of the Straits Settlements and Great Britain have been put or may be put by their efforts to secure the tranquility of Perak and the safety of trade.

== Result ==
Raja Ismail did not attend the meeting arranged between Sir Andrew Clarke and Raja Abdullah. He did not recognise the agreement but had no choice as he was faced with the alliance between Raja Abdullah and the British. As a result, Raja Abdullah was made sultan, and Sir [[James W. W. Birch]] was appointed as Perak's first British Resident after the treaty came into force.{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}

Following this, the British actively became involved in three other Malay states: [[Negeri Sembilan]], [[Selangor]] and [[Pahang]]. These states, along with Perak, were later reorganised into the [[Federated Malay States]].{{Citation needed|date=July 2020}}

Clarke arrived in November 1873 and he put Perak, Selangor and [[Sungei Ujong]] under British protection within a year, and Pahang in 1888.{{r|ABHOM|p=75}} In 1875, a British Resident was sent to Selangor. In 1874, a British Resident was sent to Sungei Ujong.{{r|ABHOM|p=74}}

==See also==
* {{C|British Malaya|British Malaya topics}}

==References==
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==Further reading==
* Kim, Khoo Kay, and Andrew Clarke, "The Pangkor Engagement of 1874". ''Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society'' 47.1 (225) (1974): 1–12 [https://www.jstor.org/stable/i40074087 online].
[[Category:1874 treaties]]
[[Category:History of Perak]]
[[Category:British Malaya]]
[[Category:Treaties of the United Kingdom (1801–1922)]]
[[Category:1874 in British Malaya]]
[[Category:1874 in the British Empire]]
[[Category:1874 in Southeast Asia]]