Riau-Lingga Sultanate: Map & History
Riau-Lingga Sultanate, also known as the Lingga-Riau Sultanate, Riau Sultanate or Lingga Sultanate was a Malay sultanate that existed from 1824 to 1911, before being dissolved following Dutch intervention.
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Riau-Lingga Sultanate, also known as the Lingga-Riau Sultanate, Riau Sultanate or Lingga Sultanate was a Malay sultanate that existed from 1824 to 1911, before being dissolved following Dutch intervention.
Modern Countries Once Part of Riau-Lingga Sultanate
At its mapped extent, Riau-Lingga Sultanate covered territory in 1 present-day country. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Riau-Lingga Sultanate's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Riau-Lingga Sultanate in Depth
History
The Riau Archipelago became a part of the Malaccan Sultanate after the expansion by Tun Perak in the 15th century, following the decline of the Srivijaya Empire. After the fall of Malacca at the hands of the Portuguese, the axis of regional power was inherited by the Johor Sultanate. During the golden age of Johor, the kingdom stretched across half of the Malay Peninsula, eastern Sumatra, Singapore, Bangka, Jambi and the Riau Islands.
According to the 1849 Johor Annals, on 27 September 1673 the Laksamana (admiral) of Johor, Tun Abdul Jamil, was ordered by Abdul Jalil Shah III to found a settlement in Sungai Carang, Ulu Riau, on Bintan Island. The settlement in Sungai Carang was later known as Riau Lama.
Government
The Riau Sultanate had an unusual division of authority at its heart. The Sultan, who was a Malay, acted as Head of State while the Dipertuan Muda/Yamtuan Muda (deputy ruler or Viceroy), a position held by the Bugis ruling elite, served as the Head of Government. (Following the partition of Johor-Riau, the position of Yang di-Pertuan was retained only in the Riau-Lingga Sultanate and not in Johor).
The sultan's royal palace was located in Penyengat Inderasakti and the Yang di-Pertuan Muda resided in Daik, Lingga. The Sultan was dominant in Lingga and its dependencies, while the Bugis Yang di-Pertuan Muda controlled Riau (consisting of Bintan, Penyengat and the surrounding islands), with each of them having no claim on the revenues of the other.
Culture
As well as being celebrated for its literary contributions, the Riau-Lingga palace court was also known for the passion of its musical tradition. Musical performance was enjoyed as a form of entertainment by both the palace and commoners alike. With the coming of the Dutch, European influence on musical traditions slowly made their way into the court, as evidenced by the introduction of instruments such as the violin and tambur from the Western Hemisphere.
The introduction of the Western instruments to the royal court can be traced to the arrival of Raja Ja'afar from Selangor, the Yang di-Pertuan Muda of Riau-Lingga. Prior to his installation, he was a Klang-based merchant who gained prominence because of the tin trade.
Legacy
The sultanate is widely credited in the development of the Malay and Indonesian language, as various books, literary works and dictionary was contributed in the sultanate. These works formed as the backbone of the modern Indonesian language. Raja Ali Haji, was celebrated for his contribution on the language and honoured as the National Hero of Indonesia in 2004.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Riau-Lingga Sultanate (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Riau-Lingga Sultanate: Key Facts
| Founded | 1819 |
|---|---|
| Dissolved | 1911 |
Facts from Wikidata Q3503553 (CC0).
Riau-Lingga Sultanate Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Riau-Lingga Sultanate appears, with the other states of the time.
Riau-Lingga Sultanate: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Riau-Lingga Sultanate exist?
The Riau-Lingga Sultanate is dated to 1820 CE – 1856 CE, in the Industrial era.
What was the capital of the Riau-Lingga Sultanate?
The capital of the Riau-Lingga Sultanate was Tanjungpinang, (Administrative 1824–1900), (Royal and administrative 1900–1911), Daik, (Royal 1824–1900).
How large was the Riau-Lingga Sultanate at its peak?
At its peak in 1856 the Riau-Lingga Sultanate covered about 103,825 km².
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