Perlis

Origins

After suppressing revolts in the Kedah Sultanate in the 1830s, Siam divided the sultanate and in 1843 created Perlis as a separate dependency. Its first raja was Syed Hussain Jamalullail, a Kedah noble of Hadhrami Arab descent, whose family has ruled ever since with the title of raja rather than sultan.

Rule and society

Perlis was a small rice-growing state on the Thai border, with limestone hills, tin and a modest population of Malay farmers. It sent tribute to Bangkok and was governed by the raja with a small council. The royal seat was at Arau, and Islamic law and Malay custom shaped administration.

To the present

The Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 transferred Perlis to British protection; it accepted a British adviser and became one of the Unfederated Malay States. It later joined the Federation of Malaya and Malaysia, and Raja Tuanku Syed Sirajuddin served as king from 2001 to 2006.