Serdang Sultanate

Kesultanan Serdang was based in Perbaungan (± 38 Km from Kota Medan on the way to Kota Tebing Tinggi). Serdang Sultanate began when there was a coup d’etat of Deli Sultanate after Tuanku Panglima Paderap (the establisher of Deli Sultanate) had died in 1723. Tuanku Gandar Wahid, the second child of Tuanku Panglima Paderap took over the throne, ignoring his siblings Tuanku Jalaludin and Tuanku Umar. Tuanku Jalaludin could not do much because of being physically handicapped, while Tuanku Umar was forced to refuge to Serdang Region. Realizing this, some Regional authorities like Datuk Sunggal Serbanyaman, Raja Urung Sinembah, Raja Ulung Tanjung Morawa and Kejuruan Lumu as Aceh’s representative appointed Tuanku Umar Johan Pahlawan Alam Shah Kejuruan Junjungan the first Sultan of Serdang in 1728.

Tuanku Umar’s grave is still in the middle of Sampali Plantation.

The Sultanate territory was centered in Kampung Besar where his mother, Tuanku Ampunan Sampali lived. Tuanku Umar or Raja Osman finally died when Siak Kingdom’s troops wanted to conquest the Malay Kingdom’s on Northern Sumatra Shore in 1782. Tuanku Umar’s grave is still in the middle of Sampali Plantation.

Serdang was under Siak, but was given to Dutch in 1858.

Dutch take Siak in north Sumatra by treaty in 1858 as protectorate, and move troops in to prevent British adventurers from gaining a foothold there. The boundary of Siak is defined to include Langkat and Deli, infringing on Acehnese territory. The Dutch governed Tanah Deli(now Medan) from 1858, after Sultan Assyaidis Syarif Ismail Jalil Jalaluddin (1827-1864), ruler of the Kingdom of Siak Sri Indrapura, yielded some of his once-ruled land, Deli(1862), Langkat(1869), and Serdang(1858?).


List of Sultans

1728 - 1782 Umar Johan Pahlawan Alam Shah (b. 1703 - d. 1782)
1782 - 1822 Ainan Johan Pahlawan Alam Shah (b. 1767 - d. 1822)
1822 - 1851 Thaf Sinar Bashar Shah (b. 1790 - d. 1851)
1851 - 20 Dec 1879 Muhammad Basharuddin Saiful Alam (b. 1809 - d. 1879)
Shah
20 Dec 1879 - 13 Oct 1946 Sulaiman Shariful Alam Shah (b. 1862 - d. 1946)
13 Oct 1946 - 5 Jan 1997 Interregnum
5 Jan 1997 - 28 Jan 2001 Abu Nawar Sharifullah Alam Shah (b. 1932 - d. 2001)
28 Jan 2001 - Lukman Sinar Bashar Shah II (b. 1933)

(source: http://www.worldstatesmen.org/Indonesia_princely_states1.html)


The name “Serdang Bedagai” was derived from two Sultanates which have ever governed in the Region; they were Serdang and Padang Bedagai Sultanates. Serdang Sultanate began when there was a coup d’etat of Deli Sultanate after Tuanku Panglima Paderap (the establisher of Deli Sultanate) had died in 1723. Tuanku Gandar Wahid, the second child of Tuanku Panglima Paderap took over the throne, ignoring his siblings Tuanku Jalaludin and Tuanku Umar. Tuanku Jalaludin could not do much because of being physically handicapped, while Tuanku Umar was forced to refuge to Serdang Region. Realizing this, some Regional authorities like Datuk Sunggal Serbanyaman, Raja Urung Sinembah, Raja Ulung Tanjung Morawa and Kejuruan Lumu as Aceh’s representative appointed Tuanku Umar Johan Pahlawan Alam Shah Kejuruan Junjungan the first Sultan of Serdang in 1728. The Sultanate territory was centered in Kampung Besar where his mother, Tuanku Ampunan Sampali lived. Tuanku Umar or Raja Osman finally died when Siak Kingdom’s troops wanted to conquest the Malay Kingdom’s on Northern Sumatra Shore in 1782. Tuanku Umar’s grave is still in the middle of Sampali Plantation.

Serdang Sultanate was then continued by his son, Tuanku Ainan Johan Alam Shah. While his brother, Tuanku Sabjana was appointed Raja Muda in Kampong Kelambir on the Bank of Tuan River. Under the leadership of Tuanku Ainan, Serdang Sultanate underwent an improvement by expanding the territory until Percut and Serdang Hulu. Siak Sultanate gave the title “Sultan” to Tuanku Ainan in 1814. His wife was the daughter of Raja Perbaungan, Tuanku Sri Alam. Tuanku Ainan’s sons opened and led the new villages. In 1817, Tuanku Ainan passed away and was replaced by his second son, Tengku Sinar because his first son Tengku Zainal Abidin died in a battle to help his father-in-law in Kampung Punggai. Tengku Sinar was in Kampung Punggai. Then Tengku Sinar got the title Paduka Sri Sultan Thaf Sinar Bashar Shah. During this period, Serdang Sultanate had a golden moment with a justified government and commerce. A trade agreement with England was made in 1823. It was recorded that the export that time was up to 8.000 pikul consisting of peppercon, tobacco, with bean/peanut, gold, and champor while England supplied European-made fabrics. The territory expanded from Percut, Padang Badagai, Senembah, and Eastern Batak until Dolok.

The fourth Sultan of Serdang was Tengku Muhammad Basyarudin, and then got the title Paduka Sri Sultan M. Basyarauddin Syaiful Alam Shah. He was crowned in 1850, not long after his father had passed away. Basyaruddin was the fourth son of Tuanku Ainan. During his authority, Serdang Sultanate expanded his territory until Batubara (Lima Laras), the whole Senembah, passed Karonese and Eastern Bataknese regions. When Dutch’s influence got stronger, Sultan Basyaruddin strictly supported Aceh Sultanate and made an attack. It made him mandated as the authority of Aceh Sultan, whose territory covered Langkat until Asahan. As the authority, he dealt with the coming of Dutch expedition led by Netscher in 1862. On the other hand, Sultan Basyaruddin tried to keep peace with Deli Sultanate which had a good relationship with the Dutch. But a war with Deli Sultanate broke once when Serdang took Denai region back. Also, when Aceh Sultanate sent 200 warships to attack Deli Sultanate and Langkat Sultanate, Sultan Basyaruddin also helped. In fighting the Dutch, Sultan Basyaruddin was supported by the kings and the great persons under his occupation, for instance, the king of Kampong Kelambir; Raja Muda Pangeran Muda Sri Diraja M Takir, the authority of Bedagai; Datuk Putera Raja Negeri Serdang Ahmad Yudha, the authority of Senembah; Kejuruan Seri Diraja Sutan Saidi. Looking at such a great fight, the Dutch finally put its thousands of troops in Batubara and Tanjung Balai, in 1865. This attack was given a code Military Expeditions against Serdang and Asahan. September 30, the Dutch troops reached Serdang and ran after Sultan Basyaruddin who survived in a remote area. Finally, Sultan Basyaruddin was captured by the Dutch on October 3. The Dutch then took control of the occupied regions of Serdang, for example, Padang, Bedagai, Percut, and Denai.

On December 20 1879, Sultan Basyaruddin passed away in Bogak palace, Rantau Panjang and was buried near Araskabu station. Serdang Sultanate was continued by Tengku Sulaiman who was still 13 years old at that time. He was crowned as Paduka Sri Sultan Tuanku Sulaiman Syariful Alam Shah. In order to avoid the vacant position, his uncle Tengku Mustafa whose title was Raja Muda Sri Maharaja was appointed Sultan’s Wali. The ceremony was carried out in Tanjung Puteri Palace, Bogak, Rantau Panjang. This appointment was not admitted easily by the Dutch residence. They gave three conditions for Sultan Sulaiman to be admitted, in example: Serdang did not demand the regions occupied by the Dutch, the determination of border between Deli and Serdang and Sultan had to submit to the Dutch’s authority. Sultan Sulaiman, however, ignored it. In 1882, the Dutch insisted that a part of Senembah region was given to Deli and Deli would give negeri Denai back. Sultan Sulaiman was admitted in 1887 even though he still disagreed with the border with Deli which had been determined by the Dutch.

In 1891, the Dutch controller, Douwes Dekker moved the capital of Serdang Sultanate to Lubuk Pakam because Rantau Panjang always underwent flood. Sultan Sulaiman, however, disagreed with this idea. He had built Kota Galuh Palace and Sulaimaniyah Mosque on Perbaungan Junction in 1886 but he actually moved to the palace. This city became a rival city for Lubuk Pakam because Sultan built stalls and shops then, so that it became crowded. Serdang’s occupation territory which was under the Dutch’s authority was made plantations like ones in Denai, Bedagai, Senembah, and Percut. The whole plantation made a contract with Sultan Deli. Despite being admitted, Sultan’s authority was gradually limited by the Dutch. Even when he came back from a meeting with the Japanese Caesar, Tenno Heika Meijimutsuhito, the border with Bedagai was lessened by the Dutch. The Dutch also eliminated the important positions of the Sultanate after the holders had passed away.

Under Sultan Sulaiman’s leading, Serdang Sultanate built 2000 bahu of farming area equipped with the irrigation. Then in 1903, the transmigrates from Banjar community came to cultivate it. Sultan also opened belacan and soap factories in Labu Beach, as well as a tobacco plantation in Kuala Bali. Sultan constructed Batak Bank in Bangun Purba as an economics support in Serdang. In the education sector, Sultan built Syairussulaiman School in Perbaungan. In the book “Chronicle of Serdang Sultanate’s Crown“ written by Tuanku Luckman Sinar Basarsyah, Sultan Sulaiman was described as an anti Dutch. For example, Sultan Sulaiman was a person who fought for the people living around the concession tobacco plantation to be permitted to cultivate the bushy land. To make sure, he codified the custom right for the keeping society in 1922. This right allowed anyone who met the requirements to get the right to open tract. Sultan Sulaiman was also known familiar with the art and culture. He built the theatre “Indera Ratu “ performing stories from Malay, India, and West. Once a year, the theatre holds the performance throughout Serdang to entertain the people for free. Sultan also revived the traditional theatre “Makyong“ and Javanese leather puppet which was given as a present by Sultan Hamengkubuwono VIII. This art performance was usually held every great day in front of Perbaungan palace.

In the Second World War, Japan entered Serdang through Perupuk Beach Tanjung Tiram, Batubara, but the troops were shocked that when they entered the palace they found the picture of Tenno Heika Meiji, hung on the wall of the palace. Since that time, the relationship between Sultan Sulaiman and the troops of Japan occupation was good. The Japanese gave Sultan a car with police number one and promised not to take any labor from Serdang in condition that Serdang will supply rice to Japan’s headquarters. Sultan Sulaiman also raised directly the red and white flag when he heard the proclamation on august 17, 1945. Through the governor of East Sumatra, TM Hassan, Sultan sent a telegram to president Soekarno claiming Serdang Sultanate and the whole occupation regions admitted the authority of republic of Indonesia’s government and would support it. In the period of United Republics of Indonesia (RIS), the situation of East Sumatra faced a crisis, resulted from the people spontaneously, which required East Sumatra to be dismissed as a country because it was thought to be Van Mook’s (Dutch) initiative. It was also required that East Sumatra joined the territory of republic of Indonesia. The supporters of the State of East Sumatra (NST) formed an assembly of people in the whole East Sumatra against the congress of East Sumatran people which was formed by the national front. The states and the other special regions in Indonesia were then integrated into Indonesia, while the state of East Indonesia and East Sumatra refused the integration.

Finally, the government of Republic of Indonesia asked the United Republics of Indonesia to work together for an agreement and got a full mandate from NST and NIT to discuss with NRI about the establishment of Negara Kesatuan of which the result is among others the Temporary Constitution (UUDS) which took root from RIS Constitution (UUD RIS) was change to suit the constitution 1945 (UUD 1945). Based on it, Serdang Sultanate was integrated into Deli Serdang Regency. Because East Sumatra was divided into five afdeling, one of them was Deli and Serdang. This afdeling was led by a residence assistant and divided into four onder afdeling. They were Beneden Deli of which the capital was Medan, Bovan Deli of which the capital was Pancur Batu, Serdang of which the capital was Lubuk Pakam, Padang Bedagai of which the capital was Tebing Tinggi, and each was led by a controller.

(source: http://serdangbedagaikab.go.id/english/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=98&Itemid=1)


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Serdang Bedagai regency lies between 20 57” latitude and 30 16” latitude, 980 33” East Longitude and 990 27” West Longitude and covers area of 1.900,22 km2. Serdang Bedagai regency boundaries as follow: northern area with Malacca strait, southern part with Simalungun Regency, eastern part with Asahan Regency and Simalungun Regency, and western part with regency Deli Serdang. Geographically, it lies between 0-500 meters above the sea level.

Related articles/websites:

1. http://serdangbedagaikab.go.id/english/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=98&Itemid=1


For details of Serdang sultanate, please visit the site:
http://serdangbedagaikab.go.id/english/index2.php?option=com_content&do_pdf=1&id=97