Kingdom of Reman

Map of Reman as vassal of Siam in 1900

The state of Reman was founded in Patani between the older principalities of Pujut, Jalor and Legeh.[1][3] It emerged as a single polity under Tuan Tok Nik Tok Leh in 1810. Tuan Tok Nik, also known as Tuan Mansor, a Patani nobleman, was appointed to observe the mining-activities in the area during the reign of Muhammad Raja Bakar, the Sultan of Patani.[3] Between the late 18th century, he and his followers settled in the Kroh Plateau, an area that already witnessed a mass exodus of people fleeing from the civil unrest in the Patani plains since 1785.[2]

By 1808, Tuan Tok Nik desiring to establish more political autonomy and control in the area commenced a campaign to obtain an independence from Patani suzerainty. The campaign rapidly spiraled into a civil war within the domestic sphere. The Siamese, seizing the opportunity of the unrest began to mobilised its force to attack the Kingdom. Severely weakened by the incursion from both sides, this serves as a fatal blow to the Patani Sultanate, as the Siamese was proved to be victorious in the area.[3]

The triumphant Siamese then led a reformation within the borders of Patani in 1810. Patani was morphed to become a confederation with 7 semi-autonomous Malay kingdoms. The states consist of Legeh, Nongchick, Patani, Reman, Saiburi, Yala and Yaring. Each state was with awarded a high-degree internal autonomy and administrative powers granted to the Malay king of the respected territory. A level of local revenue sources was also expected to be returned to the Siamese. Loyalty to the crown was observed and any rebellion against the Siamese will be convicted.

In the new governance system, Tuan Tok Nik was affirmed as the ruler of Reman. Spanning an area between the upper reach of Sungai Pattani to Sungai Mas in the north and Lenggong down south, Reman was among the largest kingdom in the confederation.[2]

The Perak-Reman war was an armed conflict due to the territorial dispute between the two states in Kelian Intan and Kroh. Previously an outpost between the border of Perak and Patani in the early 1780s, the mineral-rich area was captured and developed pursuant to the rise of Reman in 1790, becoming the heartland and integral part of state.

In 1826, Abdullah Muazzam Shah of Perak sought the assistance of the British East India Company to regain control of the resource-rich territory. Shortly after, the Perakian forces was deployed to the plateau and launch an ambush attack into Reman. The sudden attacks caused the king of Reman, Tuan Mansor to retreat from Kubu Kapeh to Klian Intan and later to Kuala Kepayang. It took several years for Reman to reconquer Kelian Intan and Kroh.[4]

The Elephants of Gerik, taken in c. 1900. The Reman Kings were known to own hundreds of elephants, using the beast of burden as the primary workhorse both in the field and in military.

The strategic inland location between the east and west coast of the peninsular fuelled the growth of the kingdom during the post-war era.[4] It was followed by a period of relative stability and unprecedented prosperity due to the restoration of mining activities in the region monitored by Toh Nang Patani, a member of the Reman aristocrat family. Despite a few major battles against Perak in the border, it was usually won by Reman militia, commanded by Mengkong Deleha, a renowned Reman fighter.[2]

In 1882, the hostilities between Reman and Perak formally come to an end when both parties sought to reconcile their respective borders. Under the truce of 1882, both parties, led by the British government, acted on behalf of the state of Perak and Tuan Jagung, the king of Reman as the representative of the Siamese, agreed that the new border shall be located along Bukit Nasha, some 5 kilometres south of Gerik town. Bukit Nasha "Nasha hill" is an abbreviation of Nak disahkan satu perjanjian (for the ratification under an agreement).[5]

The agreement was later updated in year 1899, where both parties mutually acknowledged that the border shall be in Kerunai, an area located north of Gerik. Several boundary markers were erected pursuant to the agreement, with each pillars standing 1 metre high and 1 metre wide. Each stones was set following the borders of Reman and Perak.[5]

Tuan Lebeh, the Long Raya (crown prince) of Reman Kingdom. He was convicted after the allegations of an uprising against the Siamese rule in 1902.

The rise of Independence movement in Reman was largely progressed from the wider Pan-Patani Malay Nationalism manifested in the region. It was rooted from the loss of the Patani sovereignty under the Siamese hands in 1810. The latter stage of the 19th century to the early 20th century was characterised for a restoration of an ideal sovereign Pattni state, self-governance and a call for a full-autonomy, hoping to protect the native Malay soil and interest without the interference from the Siamese government.[6]

In 1902, the Siamese, alarmed by the nationalist development in the south began a major military crackdown against the Malay leaders who were suspected to be plotting in the movement. Among the political elites that were arrested by the Siamese forces includes Tuan Lebeh Long Raya, the Raja Muda (crown prince) of Reman; Abdul Kadir Kamaruddin Syah, the Sultan of Patani and Tengku Abdul Mutallib, the King of Teluban.[7]

Tuan Lebeh was then charged in the Siamese court in Singgora. The trial found the crown prince of Reman to be guilty of treason and he was offered two sentence options: a 25 years imprisonment in Singgora or 20 years in Bangkok. Tuan Lebeh opted for the second sentence. He was then transferred to Bangkok via a Siamese vessel, Chamroen (Thai: จำเริญ). The ship sank during the voyage to Bangkok and the prince was believed to be perished in the disaster. Devastated by the news, the king died a few weeks later, without an heir apparent.[4]

1902 also witnessed that the Siamese government stripped the sovereign powers of all Patani Malay sultans, rulers and aristocrats in wake of the uprising. The final blow was cultivated 4 years later in 1906, when the Siamese officially deliver an ultimatum to abolish all of the Patani Malay states. All the seven states was then reunited under a single Pattani province (Thai: มณฑลปัตตานี; RTGS: Monthon Pattani) and administered by a Siamese governor. The newly created province was then divided into four territories (Thai: จังหวัด; RTGS: changwat) Pattani, Yala, Saiburi and Narathiwat, each headed by a high commissioner. Under the new administrative system, Reman was fully absorbed into Yala.[6]

"..Setul would not be of no great values to us, and although we might do doubt put forward a very good claim to its part of Kedah and secure it by insistence, I am inclined to think it would be more Politics to turn our claim to account by agreeing to renounce Setul if the Siamese Government will in its stead hand over to us the Lang-kawi Islands and that portion of Raman which comprise the watershed of the Perak River. Both these would constitute more velueable posessions to us than Setul. The Lang-kawi Islands furnish magnificent anchourages and such have been coveted by various foreign powers, whilst the lower part of Reman is rich in Tin"

— Ralph Paget, British Minister to Thailand, in his letter to Edward Grey, Secretaries of State for Foreign Affairs (29 April 1907) [8]

Ignited by colonial ambitions, the British aimed to expand its territories in the far east. By the dawn of the 20th century, it has already acquired a collection of Malay polity consist of crown colonies and protectorates in the central-southern Malay peninsular. The British incorporated the areas into the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States between 1826 and 1895 respectively.

In 1909, alarmed by the growing ties between the rivalling German colonial powers and the Siamese government, especially in the peninsular, the British then sought to enter an agreement with the Siamese. The acquisition of the northern states was essential by the British, as it was strategically located in the mouth of Straits of Malacca and rich with tin, an important commodity to fuel the need of British industrial revolution and trade by the late 19th century. This led to the Anglo-Siamese treaty of 1909 that break the peninsular between the Siamese and British territorial jurisdiction.

The flag of Siam was last lowered in Reman Hilir (southern Reman) on 16 July 1909, marking the end of the Siamese rule in the territory.

One of the highly contested areas by the British includes Reman district, which was then already absorbed into Yala territory in 1906. The area was known to be rich in gold-deposit and holds the largest tin reserve in the whole Peninsular.[9][10] During the discussion between King Chulalongkorn, the King of Siam; Ralph Paget, British diplomat in Siam; Jens Westengard, Siamese Adviser in Foreign Affairs and Prince Damrong, Siamese Ministry of the Interior, it was acknowledged by all parties that the British agreed to relinquish it claims for Satun in exchange for Langkawi and lower Reman area, the British was also additionally required to provide a loan to finance the construction of the south line of Siamese State Railway that cost £4 million pounds (1909).[11]

The partition mark the birth of Reman into two separate jurisdictions, Reman Hulu (upper Reman) retained under Yala and Reman Hilir (southern Reman) absorbed into Hulu Perak. It was officially divided following the transfer ceremony held on 16 July 1909 in Kroh. The ceremony was attended by: Wan Muhammad Isa, Orang Kaya Menteri; Wan Muhammad Salleh, Orang Kaya-Kaya Seri Adika Raja; E.W. Birch, the British Resident of Perak; A.S. Jelf, MCS, Assistant Secretary to British Resident of Perak; H. Berkeley, District Magistrate; G. Simpson, Police Inspector of Kuala Kangsar; J.D. Kemp, Manager of Rahman Hydrolic Tin Limited, Klian Intan and Keluong Wan Husain, a noble from Betong, Siam.

The reading of the proclamation was done by Wan Husain as the representative for the Kingdom of Siam, declaring the sovereignty transfer of the territory from Siam to British. It was followed by the flag exchange ceremony that symbolises the end of Siamese rule and beginning of the Perak sovereignty in the lower Reman area.[12]