Ahmad Muʽazzam
Sultan Ahmad Al-Muʽazzam Shah Ibni Al-Marhum Bendahara Sri Maharaja Tun Ali (Jawi: سلطان أحمد المعظم شاه ابن المرحوم بندهار سري مهاراج تون علي; 23 May 1836 – 9 May 1914) was the sixth Raja Bendahara of Pahang and the founder and first modern Sultan of Pahang. Commonly known as Tun Wan Ahmad before his accession, he seized the throne in 1863 after defeating his elder brother Tun Mutahir in the Pahang Civil War, assuming the title Sri Paduka Dato' Bendahara Siwa Raja Tun Ahmad. In the early years of his reign, Pahang descended into turmoil, with various attempts made by the surviving sons of Tun Mutahir, based in Selangor, to overthrow him. This led to Pahang's decisive involvement in the Selangor Civil War that successfully brought it to a conclusive end.
| Ahmad Al-Muʽazzam Shah أحمد المعظم شاه | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sultan of Pahang | |||||
Sultan Ahmad Al-Muʽazzam Shah and his personal attendants, 1897. | |||||
| Raja Bendahara of Pahang | |||||
| Reign | 10 June 1863 – 8 August 1881 | ||||
| Predecessor | Tun Mutahir | ||||
| Sultan of Pahang | |||||
| Reign | 16 August 1881 – 13 April 1909 | ||||
| Installation | 25 September 1884 | ||||
| Successor | Sultan Mahmud Shah | ||||
| Born | 23 May 1836 Pulau Maulana, Pekan, Pahang | ||||
| Died | 9 May 1914 (aged 77) Istana Pantai, Pekan, Pahang | ||||
| Burial | 11 May 1914 Royal Cemetery, Kampung Marhum, Kuala Pahang, Pahang | ||||
| Spouse | Cik Besar Yang Atur binti Abdullah Cik Amah binti Jamut Engku Besar of Terengganu Tun Besar Fatima binti Tun Muhammad Che’ Ungku Pah binti Dato’ Temenggong Sri Maharaja Tun Ibrahim Encik Zubaida binti Abdullah Cik Hajjah Fatimah binti Haji Muhammad Talib Cik Kusuma binti Tok Minal Daeng Koro Cik Santoma Cik Wan Mandak Kiri Cik Halimah Cik Bakai Cik Mah binti Awang Tukang Cik Maimunah Cik Fatimah Selat | ||||
| Issue | Tun Muda Besar Tengku Long Mahmud Tengku Ali Tengku Abdullah Tengku Sulaiman Tengku Jusoh Tengku Umar Tengku Muhammad Tengku Long Tun Salamah Tengku Dalam Tengku Nong Fatimah Tengku Hajjah Kalsum Tengku Hajjah Mariam | ||||
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| Father | Bendahara Sri Maharaja Tun Ali Ibni Al-Marhum Tun Koris | ||||
| Mother | Cik Long Binti Encik Esah (Che Puan Lingga) | ||||
| Religion | Sunni Islam | ||||
The civil wars that ravaged the land had led to the rise of dissension among the ruling class and territorial chiefs who were thenceforth divided into factions. In 1881, prompted by his dwindling authority both within Pahang and among his counterparts in the western Malay states, Tun Wan Ahmad took upon the title of Sultan Ahmad al-Muadzam Shah and formally proclaimed as sultan by his chiefs two years later. The event marked the revival of Pahang as a sultanate after more than two centuries of union with the crown of Johor. Ahmad gained formal recognition from the British Straits Settlements government in 1887, in return for signing a treaty with the British which compelled him to accept a British Agent in his court.