PENTADBIRAN NEGERI KEDAH BERDASARKAN SURAT RAJA-RAJA, 1882-1911

Abstract

​ This paper aims to study the importance of the King’s Letter (SRR) to the Kedah state administration in political, economic and social aspects. The uniqueness of this writing collection is the notes about the Malay Sultanate of Kedah who were under two foreign powers, namely Siam and later the British. Based on the study of 1083 letters that were kept in this collection, a variety of issues and conflicts that confronted Kedah for the period 1882 until 1911 was identified and analysed. The establishment of the State Council (MMN) in 1905 meant that this institution played an important role as a channel through which Siam and British (1909) continuously exercised a stranglehold on Kedah's political, economic and social. Therefore, this paper aims to look at the extent to which the SRR collection can be presented as a document that discusses the affairs of the Kedah state administration. The research through this archival research method analyse documents available from the National Archives of Malaysia, Hamzah Sendut I and II Library, Universiti Sains Malaysia, Alor Setar Public Library and others. The findings of the study show that the SRR is a local source that could provide balance or new information such as the reality of Kedah community life which is rarely reported in official reports that were released by the British. ​  
Received:​​ ​4​ ​May 20​20​

Reviewed: ​​​​4​ ​May 20​20​

Accepted: ​10 ​May 20​20​