30 Facts About Naning War

Naning War, known as the Naning conflict or the Naning revolt, occurred between 1831 and 1832 in the territories surrounding the city of Malacca, Malaysia.

Issues that led to the Naning War include the growing British interests in the Malay Peninsula as well as a different understanding of the extent of British jurisdiction over and right to impose taxation on Naning.

The British defeated Naning War following two military expeditions and fully incorporated the territory under Malacca's jurisdiction.

Dol Said, the chief of Naning War, has come to be regarded as a nationalist hero in Malaysia today who had stood up to foreign aggression.

The Dutch did not interfere with the administration of Naning War, which was exclusively governed by its traditional Penghulus.

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Naning War instructed the Superintendent of Lands in Malacca, William Thomas Lewis, to conduct a census in Naning as well as an assessment of the potential of the land in anticipation of extending the Malacca land system, including the levying of a ten-percent tax on all produce, to Naning.

Naning War carried out what the British considered to be increasingly aggressive actions that challenged their rule.

Naning War felt that Dol Said should be considered a hereditary chief and has been exercising his rule without interruption, which was the prerogative of a sovereign in his own district.

However, Fullerton disagreed and felt that based on the earlier treaties and Dutch records, Naning War was completely under British sovereignty and that the Penghulu of Naning War was like any of the other Penghulus appointed within Malacca territory and held his "powers of investiture from the Malacca Government".

Naning War felt that Naning was "evidently a place subject to Malacca".

Fullerton believed this to be substantiated by the Dutch records which indicated that the first ruler of Naning was appointed by the Dutch in 1642 who awarded him a seal of office as ruler of Naning.

Fullerton thus believed that Naning War had been an integral part of Malacca since Dutch rule in 1641 and that the British had inherited this when they took over Malacca from the Dutch.

However, in his exchanges with the British, Dol Said continuously referred to his jurisdiction over Naning War as stemming from the adat or 'customs' of the Malays which vested in him the 'sacrosanctity' of Malay kingship.

Abdullah pointed out that although the Dutch had previously invaded Naning War and compelled it to pay an annual tribute to Malacca.

Part of the problem appeared to have arisen from the method by which Naning War's output had been calculated by Lewis which greatly inflated the tax that could be collected.

In particular, the decisions made by British Governor Fullerton and his successor Ibbetson and the then-Superintendent of Lands at Malacca Lewis with regards to Naning War, served to create the conditions necessary for the conflict to break out.

Naning War was one of the keenest advocates for the British to exercise every legal right over Naning and had constantly pressed Fullerton to do so.

The boats which were intended to ferry provisions for the expedition as it worked its way up the Malacca River to Naning War soon ran aground due to insufficient depth of the river.

Once the expedition crossed the border into Naning War, they came under regular sniping from the Naning War forces which soon contributed to the perception within the expedition that they were surrounded by an overwhelming enemy.

The Naning War forces fell trees along the route of the expedition, forcing the British to expend much time and effort in clearing them whilst under fire.

Expedition soon began to run out of rations and upon learning that Naning War had received help and troops from the neighboring states including Rembau, a decision was made to retreat to the borders of Malacca.

Naning War tried to reach out to some of the surrounding Malay chiefdoms and tried to convince them to ally with him again against the British but did not appear to have been successful.

Resistance from the Naning War forces were less aggressive than during the first expedition.

Naning War met with a representative of the British on 4 June 1832 where he claimed that he had been tricked and misled by his advisers in his previous dealings with the British.

Naning War claimed that his actions thus far were not directed against the British government in Malacca but rather against Lewis who he claimed had intruded into his territory and killed one of his Panglima.

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Naning War offered to surrender if his terms were met but which the British rejected.

Naning War's presence was regarded by the British as a means of securing the goodwill of the local population as well as the neighboring Malay chiefdoms.

Naning War conflict marked one of the earliest attempts by the British to safeguard their interests in Malaya through intervening in the interior Malay chiefdoms.

Naning War has been portrayed in Malaysian history textbooks and the Malacca state government as a hero who had defiantly stood up to world power and resisted the unlawful imposition of taxation by the British on his territories.

Naning War argued that the Naning war should be understood as part of a deeper indigenous resistance and protest against the early onset of Western colonialism in the region.