Yap Loong Shin Yap Loong Fong Yap Kim Neo
72-441: Kapitan China Yap Ah Loy ( Chinese : 葉 亞 來 ; pinyin : Yè Yǎlái ; Cantonese Yale : Yihp A-lòih ; Pha̍k-fa-sṳ : Ya̍p Â-lòi , Jawi : يب الوي ; 14 March 1837 – 15 April 1885), also known as Yap Tet Loy and Yap Mao Lan , is an important figure of early Kuala Lumpur . He served as the third Kapitan China of Kuala Lumpur, and in this administrative capacity, played an important role in developing
144-698: A breakthrough, but they were captured in Petaling and killed. Yap Ah Loy managed to escape to Klang, but Kuala Lumpur was razed to the ground and Kuala Selangor was recaptured by Raja Mahdi's forces. Yap, however, was determined to regain Kuala Lumpur, and assembled a force of around 1,000 men. Tengku Kudin requested for assistance from the Sultan of neighbouring Pahang , with the Bendahara Wan Ahmad of Pahang providing him 1,000 men and other reservists. He also gained
216-409: A brick-making venture at Brickfields , as well as a tapioca plantation although that proved a costly failure. By the late 1870s he was in considerable debt and said to be almost bankrupt. However, a rise in the price of tin in 1879 improved his financial position as well as securing the future of Kuala Lumpur. Yap's achievement in the postwar recovery of the mining industry established Kuala Lumpur as
288-640: A century later, the Kapiteins of the kongsi republics in Borneo led their people in the so-called Kongsi Wars against Dutch colonial incursions from the late nineteenth until the early twentieth century. With the consolidation of colonial rule, the Kapitans became part of the civil bureaucracy in Portuguese, Dutch and British colonies. They exercised both executive and judicial powers over local Chinese communities under
360-453: A ceremony to formally invest Yap into the office of Kapitan in 1869. However, when Klang City was captured by Tengku Kudin, Yap recognized Tengku Kudin's authority, after meeting him by chance in Langat , earning him the enmity of Raja Mahdi. Chong Chong soon joined Syed Mashhor on two failed offensives on Kuala Lumpur. In 1867, Tengku Kudin, a prince from Kedah (then part of Siam ), married into
432-475: A considerable personal fortune. In 1879, the first British resident (government advisor) was assigned to Kuala Lumpur, and from that time the power of the Kapitan began to be undermined. None of Yap Ah Loy's successors approached his power and independence of action. In 1884, Yap Ah Loy planned a visit to China, intending to appoint Yap Ah Shak and Chow Yuk to manage his property in his absence. For some reason
504-546: A distinct eclectic shop house architecture typical of this region. In this developing town, Yap owned a third of all the buildings in Kuala Lumpur, and two thirds of the urban land east of the Klang River, in addition to his control of the tin mines. Yap Ah Loy also spent $ 20,000 to expand road access in the city significantly, linking up tin mines with the city; these roads include the main arterial roads of Ampang Road , Pudu Road and Petaling Street . As Chinese Kapitan , he
576-1067: A powerful social, economic and political influence on colonial life in Indonesia beyond the local Chinese community. The descendants of Chinese officers are entitled by colonial Indonesian custom to the hereditary title of ' Sia '. In the early twentieth century, in keeping with their so-called ' Ethical Policy ', the Dutch colonial authorities made concerted efforts to appoint Chinese officers and other government officials based on merit. Some of these candidates came from outside traditional Cabang Atas families, including totok appointees, such as Tjong A Fie, Majoor der Chinezen (1860–1921) in Medan , Lie Hin Liam, Luitenant der Chinezen in Tangerang , and Khoe A Fan, Luitenant der Chinezen in Batavia. Despite Dutch attempts at reforming
648-494: A son of Sultan Abdul Samad. Raja Mahdi and his Chinese allies from Selayang who were enemies of Yap, unsuccessfully mounted an offensive on Kuala Lumpur in 1870, with support from Malay troops led by Syed Mashhor. Another offensive the following year also failed. Meanwhile, the conflict disrupted the economy and trade with the British Straits Settlements , while also raising concerns over security, especially with
720-463: A sprawling piece of real estate for the setting up of a brick industry which would spur the rebuilding of Kuala Lumpur. This place is the eponymous Brickfields . Destroyed atap buildings were replaced with brick and tiled ones. Yap also restructured the building layout of the town. Many of the new brick buildings mirrored those of shop houses in southern China, characterized by " five foot ways " as well as skilled Chinese carpentry work. This resulted in
792-419: A strong political position, and he was almost supreme in the interior of the state. However, Kuala Lumpur was gutted during the war and the mines flooded. Yap then set about rebuilding the town and rejuvenating the mining industry. He also improved the roads linking Kuala Lumpur with adjacent mining areas and other settlements. A slump in tin price mid 1870s however caused severe financial difficulties. He started
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#1732858942472864-740: The Bernam Valley , Kuala Selangor , the Klang Valley, and Lukut – which were administered by four autonomous chieftains or governors. When the disgruntled Raja Mahdi initiated the conflict, the Malays were split into two camps in the ensuing war. On Raja Mahdi's side were Raja Mahmud, son of the Panglima Raja of Selangor; Raja Hitam of the Bernam Valley; as well as Sumatran immigrants led by Mohamed Akib and his younger brother Mohamed Tahir (later conferred
936-609: The Bugis Malays (the royal family of Selangor were of Bugis origin) and the Batu Bara clan who are of Sumatran origin. Raja Abdullah, himself a Bugis, refused to punish a fellow member of the Bugis clan he had sent to guard Bukit Nanas in Kuala Lumpur (the site of the modern Kuala Lumpur Tower ), who murdered a villager from the Batu Bara clan. Angered by Raja Abdullah's refusal to punish
1008-614: The Dutch East India Company in the early seventeenth century. Similarly, the court title of Chao Praya Chodeuk Rajasrethi in Thailand under the early Chakri dynasty combined the roles of Chinese headman and head of the Department of Eastern Affairs and Commerce. In the late nineteenth century, Kapitan Cina Yap Ah Loy , arguably the founding father of modern Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia, served as Chinese headman while holding
1080-615: The Second World War and the end of colonialism . The institution of Kapitan Cina was most fully developed in colonial Indonesia, where an intricate hierarchy of Chinese officieren , or Chinese officers, was put in place by the Dutch authorities. The officers acted as Hoofden der Chinezen ('Heads of the Chinese'), that is as the legal and political administrators of the local Chinese community. There were three separate ranks of Majoor , Kapitein and Luitenant der Chinezen depending on
1152-661: The Selangor Civil War that broke out earlier in 1867. Yap Ah Loy sided with Tunku Kudin in the civil war, and Kuala Lumpur was attacked in 1870 by Yap's enemies who sided with Raja Mahdi. A further attack was attempted, and in 1872, Raja Mahdi's forces led by Syed Mashhor captured Kuala Lumpur, forcing Yap Ah Loy to flee to Klang. Yap attempted to retake Kuala Lumpur, and in March 1873, Tengku Kudin's faction, with support from Pahang fighters, defeated Mashhor and recaptured Kuala Lumpur. Yap's victory at Kuala Lumpur in 1873 placed him in
1224-550: The Selayang -based Ghee Hin , had engaged in fighting to gain control of tin production in the town. The Chinese factions would eventually join opposing sides in the civil war, with the Ghee Hin siding with Raja Mahdi, and the Hai San with Yap Ah Loy siding with Tengku Kudin. At Kanching (near Selayang), the headman Yap Ah Sze, who was an ally of Yap Ah Loy, was murdered, most likely at
1296-618: The Strait of Malacca . Colonial Secretary James W. W. Birch voiced his support for Tengku Kudin and lent him a ship to blockade Kuala Selangor, and Governor Harry Ord also encouraged Pahang to back Tengku Kudin with fighters. Previously the British had a policy of non-intervention even though they had at times become engaged in local disputes. This war and other conflicts such as the Larut War in Perak led to
1368-538: The Straits Settlements – William Henry Macleod Read and Tan Kim Ching – to collect taxes from the opium trade in the Klang Valley, which Raja Mahdi was also involved in. Raja Mahdi objected to the tax collection, on the grounds that he should be exempted as he was Selangorean royalty, and refused to pay. Raja Abdullah saw this as an act of defiance by Raja Mahdi towards him. This incident, exacerbated by Raja Mahdi's continued dissatisfaction with being ignored as
1440-483: The Wijkmeesters or ward masters in charge of constituent districts within each officer's territory. In addition, the officers also had recourse to their own basic police force to enforce their executive and judicial decisions. These officerial titles were also given by the Dutch colonial government on an honorary basis to retired officers or meritorious community leaders. Thus, a retired Luitenant might be granted
1512-539: The sultan of Selangor Sultan Muhammad Shah appointed Raja Abdullah bin Raja Ja'afar as governor of the Klang Valley . Raja Abdullah and his brother Raja Juma'at had previously helped Raja Sulaiman settle a debt incurred during a failed mining venture, and was rewarded with the governorship of the Klang Valley. Raja Mahdi, the grandson of Sultan Muhammad Shah, was the son of Raja Sulaiman who previously served as governor of
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#17328589424721584-476: The British colonial authorities for their losses incurred during the war. A significant development in this period is the beginning of direct British involvement in the affairs of the Malay states. The British were concerned about the disruption caused by the war to their trade and investments in the region, eventually siding with Tengku Kudin, in part because Raja Mahdi and some of his followers had attacked shipping in
1656-567: The British through the new governor Andrew Clarke backed Tengku Kudin, the post-war situation made his position untenable. Kudin remained the Viceroy of Selangor until 1878, but he had already returned to Kedah by 1876, and later went on to live in Penang. The war was significant enough that British subjects asked for compensation for their loss of capital invested in Klang. Also, traders from Malacca petitioned
1728-705: The Cantonese-dominated Ghee Hin (based mainly in the Kanching and Rawang area), who fought to gain control of tin production in the town. At Kanching, an ally of Yap Ah Loy, Yap Ah Sze, was ambushed and murdered, probably at the instigation of Chong Chong, another Hakka headman. Yap Ah Loy then took his men to Kanching to drive out Chong Chong in 1870, and 12 Chinese and 8 Malays were killed in what would become known as 'the Kanching Massacre'. Chong Chong then fled to Rawang and joined Raja Mahdi's faction in
1800-644: The Chinese ; Chinese : 華人甲必丹 ; pinyin : Huárén Jiǎbìdān ; Dutch : Kapitein der Chinezen ; Spanish : Capitán Chino ), was a high-ranking government position in the civil administration of colonial Indonesia , Malaysia , Singapore , Borneo , and the Philippines . Office holders exercised varying degrees of power and influence: from near-sovereign political and legal jurisdiction over local Chinese communities, to ceremonial precedence for community leaders. Corresponding posts existed for other ethnic groups, such as Kapitan Arab and Kapitan Keling for
1872-500: The Chinese officership, the institution and the Cabang Atas as a traditional elite both came under attack from modernizing voices in the late colonial era. Their loss of prestige and respect within the local Chinese community led the Dutch colonial government to phase out the officership gradually all through the early twentieth century. Officerships were often left vacant when incumbents retired or died. The only exception, as noted by
1944-464: The Chinese, under their own headmen. Often, these headmen also had responsibilities beyond their local communities, in particular in relation to foreign trade or tax collection. For example, Souw Beng Kong and Lim Lak Ko , the first two Kapiteins der Chinezen of Batavia , present-day Jakarta , started off as high-ranking courtiers and functionaries to the Sultans of Banten prior to their defection to
2016-584: The Klang Valley; Raja Abdullah's appointment to the post therefore also disinherited Raja Mahdi of the position, which resulted in his resentment. Raja Abdullah and Raja Juma'at, who had opened very successful tin mines in Lukut (near modern Port Dickson , Negeri Sembilan ), obtained funding for the exploration of new tin mines near Kuala Lumpur , at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers, in 1857. The new mines were successful, generating considerable revenue, and
2088-657: The Malay court position of Sri Indra Perkasa Wijaya Bakti . When Europeans established colonial rule in Southeast Asia, this system of indirect rule was adopted: first by the Portuguese when they took over Malacca in 1511, then in subsequent centuries by the Dutch in the Dutch East Indies , as well as the British in British Malaya and Borneo . Use of the title 'Kapitan' in the civil administration has parallels in
2160-468: The Selangor's Sultan Abdul Samad had an interest. After Yap's death in 1885, the population of Kuala Lumpur increased greatly due to the construction of a Port Klang Line railway line, initiated by Swettenham and completed in 1886, which increased accessibility into the growing town. In 1896, Kuala Lumpur was chosen as the capital of the newly formed Federated Malay States due to its central position. It
2232-540: The age of 19. He spent his early years in the peninsula as a miner and petty trader, but in 1862 his fortunes improved when his friend Liu Ngim Kong ( Chinese : 劉壬光 ; pinyin : Liú Rènguāng ) succeeded Hiew Siew (Chinese: 丘秀) to become the second Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur, a position not only of leadership within the Chinese community, but also of liaison with the Malay political system and, after British intervention in 1874, with British officials as well. He became Liu's trusted lieutenant and succeeded him as
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2304-421: The age of 48. The doctor examined Yap's body and later confirmed that his death was either due to heart failure or poisoning by the fumes of the charcoal brazier. The doctor also noticed the exceptional brightness of his eyes. He is buried in the large Kwong Tong Cemetery in Kuala Lumpur. Kapitan China Kapitan Cina , also spelled Kapitan China or Capitan China or Capitan Chino (English: Captain of
2376-472: The brothers Soero Pernollo and Kapitein Han Bwee Kong in early eighteenth-century East Java . In British territories, important Chinese allies and collaborators include Koh Lay Huan , first Kapitan Cina of Penang in the late eighteenth century; Choa Chong Long and Tan Tock Seng , the founding Kapitans of Singapore in the early nineteenth century; and Yap Ah Loy , Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur in
2448-566: The city as a commercial and mining centre during the 19th century. After the independence of the Federation of Malaya from the British Empire on 31 August 1957 and later the Formation of Malaysia in 1963, Kuala Lumpur became the capital of Malaysia . Today, there is a street named after him in the heart of Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur, known as "Jalan Yap Ah Loy" or "Yap Ah Loy Road". Yap Ah Loy
2520-401: The colonial authorities. In British territories, the position lost its importance over time, gradually becoming an honorary rank for community leaders before its final abolition in the late nineteenth or the start of the twentieth century. In contrast, the position was consolidated and further elaborated in Dutch territories, and remained an important part of the Dutch colonial government until
2592-507: The colonial government's Bestuur over de Vreemde Oosterlingen or the Department of 'Foreign Orientals'. As part of the Dutch policy of Indirect Rule , all the three racial castes in the Indies - Europeans, 'Foreign Orientals' and natives - had political and legal self-governance under the oversight of the Dutch government. The native counterpart of the officers was the Pamong Pradja , or
2664-491: The economic centre of the peninsula. As the acknowledged leader of the Chinese community, he was given the powers similar to a Malay ruling chief by the British, except for the right to tax, a restriction he easily evaded. Through his control of the tin market, his ownership of local "farms" (monopolies on the sale of items such as opium and exclusive control of activities such as gambling, prostitution, racketeering and loan sharking), and his diverse business interests, he amassed
2736-562: The fort of Klang, taking the city. One of Abdullah's sons, Raja Ismail, returned with three small ships to lay siege to Klang City , but was unable to retake it. When the Selangor Civil War broke out, Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur Yap Ah Loy was faced with internecine fighting among dissident Chinese groups as well as attacks from other Malay factions. The two largest Chinese gangs, the Kuala Lumpur-based Hai San and
2808-528: The fort, and his younger brother Mohamed Tahir assumed leadership of the Batu Bara clan. Mohamad Akib's body together with several other slain Sumatran Malays were buried within the grounds of the fort. Raja Abdullah evacuated with his family to the Straits Settlement of Malacca , where he later died, while his two sons, Raja Ismail and Raja Hasan, continued fighting. In March 1867, Raja Mahdi captured
2880-619: The governorship in the interior provinces of Selangor, in exchange for Tahir's assistance in his offensive on Klang City. However, he reneged on his offer after his victory in Klang in March 1867. To make things worse, a relative of Raja Mahdi had killed one of the clan leader's followers in a scuffle. Tahir demanded for justice according to the Malay custom of adat ganti darah ( blood money ), but Raja Mahdi ignored his demand. Tahir soon withdrew his support for Raja Mahdi, and offered Tengku Kudin his allegiance, which Tengku Kudin accepted. Tahir also informed Tengku Kudin (and Sultan Abdul Samad) that he
2952-620: The governorship of the Langat province upon Tengku Kudin to help him fund his war, also began to be concerned about the rising influence of Tengku Kudin. In 1872, Raja Mahdi gained the support of several Malay chiefs, some of them members of the royal family of Selangor. Raja Asal and Sutan Puasa – the leaders of Mandailing diaspora in Selangor – also pledged their allegiance to Raja Mahdi. Raja Mahdi successfully captured Kuala Lumpur, with Raja Asal laying siege to Bukit Nanas , where Tengku Kudin's forces of 500 soldiers and European mercenaries were stationed. Some of Tengku Kudin's men attempted
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3024-481: The historian Mona Lohanda , was the Chinese officership of Batavia, which was retained by the Dutch authorities thanks to its antiquity, pre-eminent position in the Chinese bureaucratic hierarchy and symbolic value to Dutch colonial authority. The institution came to an abrupt end with the Japanese invasion during the Second World War , and the death in 1945 of Khouw Kim An , the last Majoor der Chinezen of Batavia and
3096-479: The honorary rank of Luitenant-titulair der Chinezen ; or in very rare cases, a retired officer might be given an honorary promotion, such as the famously wealthy Luitenant Oei Tiong Ham , who became an honorary Majoor upon retirement from the colonial administration. Titular lieutenancies or captaincies were also sometimes granted to meritorious community leaders outside the bureaucracy. Sitting Chinese officers, together with Arab and Indian officers, formed part of
3168-672: The incumbent's seniority in the administrative structure, the importance of their territory or their own personal merit. Thus, the post of Majoor only existed in the colony's principal cities: Batavia , Bandoeng , Semarang and Surabaya in Java, and Medan in Sumatra. The Majoor in each of these jurisdictions presided over lower-ranking officers, who sat in council together as the Kong Koan (Dutch: 'Chinese Raad'; English: 'Chinese Council') of their local territory. In jurisdictions deemed less important,
3240-658: The instigation of Chong Chong, another Hakka headman. Yap Ah Loy , the Chinese Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur, went to Kanching with his men to drive out Chong Chong, and many from the Kanching faction were killed. Chong Chong then took refuge in Rawang and joined Raja Mahdi's faction. Yap Ah Loy initially stayed neutral in the Klang War, choosing to deal with whoever that was in power. After Raja Mahdi took Klang City, he had in fact scheduled
3312-624: The last serving Chinese officer in the Dutch colonial government. Chinese officers in the Dutch East Indies used an elaborate system of styles and titles: Selangor Civil War Raja Abdullah/Tengku Kudin faction victory [REDACTED] Raja Abdullah loyalists [REDACTED] Pahang Kingdom Hai San Supported by : [REDACTED] Sultan of Selangor [REDACTED] Raja Mahdi loyalists Sumatran groups Ghee Hin Supported by : The Klang War or Selangor Civil War
3384-554: The late nineteenth century. Yet due to their power and influence, many Kapitans were also focal points of resistance against European colonial rule. For instance, in the aftermath of Batavia's Chinese Massacre of 1740 , the city's Chinese headman, Kapitein Nie Hoe Kong , became an important player in the so-called Chinese War , or 'Perang Cina', between the Dutch East India Company and a Chinese-Javanese alliance. Over
3456-684: The local Arab and Indian communities respectively. The origin of the office, under various different native titles, goes back to court positions in the precolonial states of Southeast Asia , such as the Sultanates of Malacca in the Malay Peninsula , the Sultanate of Banten in Java , and the Kingdom of Siam in mainland Southeast Asia . Many rulers assigned self-governance to local foreign communities, including
3528-435: The murderer or paying compensation for the death of one of his men as an alternative, the Batu Bara clan leader, Mohamed Akib, informed Raja Mahdi of the incident and pledged his support for him if he wanted to fight against Raja Abdullah. Raja Mahdi, supported by some Sumatran traders, then laid siege to the fort of Klang town (now known as Raja Mahdi fort). Mohamad Akib was shot and killed in 1867 while attempting an assault at
3600-425: The native civil service, with its equally elaborate hierarchy of Regents , Wedanas , Asistent-Wedanas and Camats . The Chinese officership came to be dominated on a near-hereditary basis by a small, oligarchic group of interrelated, landowning families. They formed the so-called Cabang Atas , or the traditional Chinese establishment or gentry of colonial Indonesia. As a social class , they exerted
3672-606: The occurrence of piracy. The British soon increasingly involved themselves in the affairs of Selangor. In July 1871, a pirate attack on ships was traced to Raja Mahdi's stronghold in Kuala Selangor. The British soon captured Kuala Selangor in an expedition, driving out Mahdi's men out and giving the town to Tengku Kudin. Kudin however refused to surrender the province to Raja Musa who was the governor, which prompted Raja Musa to join Raja Mahdi's side. Sultan Abdul Samad, who had bestowed
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#17328589424723744-612: The official abandonment of this policy in September 1873 by the Earl of Kimberley , Secretary of State for the Colonies , and set into motion the beginning of British administration in the Malay States. In October 1875, Sultan Abdul Samad sent a letter to Andrew Clarke requesting that Selangor become a British protectorate . James Guthrie Davidson , a lawyer from Singapore , was soon appointed as
3816-514: The place very different from China. The scenery, with tall coconut and betel palms, and the small Malay houses with atap ( nipah thatch ) roofs, was a new and fascinating experience to him. On his arrival at Malacca , Yap Ah Loy was given shelter by one of his clansman called Yap Ket Si. He was then taken to a tin mine in Durian Tunggal , where he stayed for 4 months. He soon left for Kesang in northwestern Johore , where he found work in
3888-405: The plan was never carried out. On 1 September that year, a violent storm struck the Klang Valley, causing widespread damage to property in Kuala Lumpur. The storm blew down 14 houses and a wing of the newly built Police barracks, as well as the barrack's residential area and the flagstaff. In 1868, as the third Chinese Kapitan of Kuala Lumpur, Yap Ah Loy, emerged as leader. He became responsible for
3960-457: The presiding officer bore the rank of Kapitein or Luitenant. The officers-in-council acted as an executive governmental body, implementing the directives of the colonial government, as well as a court of law on family and customary law and petty crimes. They were seen as the colonial equivalent of a Yamen , or governmental magistracy, in Imperial China . Below the Chinese officers were
4032-444: The royal family of Selangor. Sultan Abdul Samad then appointed his son-in-law as Viceroy of Selangor with a mandate to carry out mediation between the warring parties, first on 26 June 1868. Raja Mahdi however rejected the mediation. Offended, Tengku Kudin opted to back Raja Ismail. Simultaneously, cracks emerge between Raja Mahdi and his former ally, Mohamed Tahir, leader of the Batu Bara clan. Raja Mahdi had earlier promised Tahir
4104-529: The shop of a relative named Yap Ng. He remained there for a year before arrangements were made to send him back to China via Singapore . Misfortune befell him when he lost all his money while waiting for the junk to set sail in Singapore for China. Instead of going back to Malacca, he and another of his relatives named Yap Fook travelled on foot to Lukut , then still part of Selangor (now Port Dickson , Negeri Sembilan ). Yap Ah Loy arrived in Lukut in 1856 at
4176-683: The sixteenth-century, colonial Portuguese Captaincies of Brazil . Since then, a long succession of Kapitans formed an intrinsic part of colonial history in Southeast Asia. Kapitans were pivotal in consolidating European colonial rule, and in facilitating large-scale Chinese migration to Southeast Asia, or 'Nanyang' as the region is known in Chinese history. Instrumental to the establishment of Dutch colonialism in Indonesia were Chinese allies, such as Kapitein Souw Beng Kong and Kapitein Lim Lak Ko in early seventeenth-century Batavia and Banten; and
4248-446: The state capital of Selangor was moved from Klang to the more strategically advantageous Kuala Lumpur. In 1881, a flood swept through the town following a fire which engulfed it earlier. These successive problems destroyed the town's structures made of wood and atap ( thatching ). As a response, Frank Swettenham , the British Resident of Selangor, required that buildings be constructed of brick and tile. Hence, Kapitan Yap Ah Loy bought
4320-411: The struggle for the control of the revenue, as well as for political power, were essentially the reasons for the war. Sultan Muhammad died in 1857, and Sultan Abdul Samad succeeded him after a power struggle. Sultan Abdul Samad however only had direct control over the state capital, Langat , and did not have absolute control over the rest of Selangor, which was organized into four riverine provinces –
4392-414: The successor to Sultan Muhammad for the Selangorean throne following his death in 1857, in favour of Raja Abdul Samad (later became Sultan Abdul Samad), as well as further conflicts between their followers, worsened the already tense relationship between the two princes, which many believe were the initial causes for the outbreak of the Klang War. At that time there was also a long-standing animosity between
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#17328589424724464-451: The support of the British colonial administrator Sir Andrew Clarke . In March 1873, Kudin's men, supported by Pahangese fighters, defeated Syed Mashhor in Kuala Lumpur, and Mashhor fled to Perak . The fighting continued for a few more months, but on 8 November 1873 the Pahangese forces captured Kuala Selangor and the war largely ended. In 1874 Raja Mahdi went into exile in Johor and then Singapore, where he died in 1882. Despite winning
4536-413: The survival and growth of this town. During the early times, Kuala Lumpur was beset with many problems, including the Selangor Civil War which devastated the town. It was also plagued by diseases and constant fires and floods. Kuala Lumpur was destroyed several times, but each time Yap rebuilt the town. He strove to develop Kuala Lumpur from a small, obscure settlement into a booming mining town. In 1880,
4608-417: The third Kapitan Cina of Kuala Lumpur after Liu's death in 1869, after which he began to put together a sound administration and a strong fighting force. Yap's appointment however was challenged by the "relatives" of Liu, and a group opposed to Yap emerged under the leadership of Chong Chong. There were also constant warfare between two Chinese gangs, the Hakka-dominated Hai San (dominant in Kuala Lumpur) and
4680-532: The title of 'Dato Dagang'). Raja Abdullah's faction included his son, Raja Ismail who continued the war after Raja Abdullah's death, later joined by the Kedahan prince, Tengku Kudin and supported by Sultan Abdul Samad. The Chinese tin miners were also divided between the two camps. Some of the Malays however switched sides in the course of the war, for example Mohamed Tahir, who helped Raja Mahdi take Klang from Raja Abdullah, eventually switched to Tengku Kudin's side. Syed Mashhor , an Arab-Malay fighter whose father
4752-539: The war, Tengku Kudin was viewed with suspicion by the royal family of Selangor. His Pahangese allies also refused to return to Pahang because they wanted a share of tax revenue as "payment" for their service, and their refusal to withdraw complicated the situation. The commander of the Pahangese expeditionary forces was authorised to collect revenue in the provinces of Kuala Selangor and Klang, while J. G. Davidson and others who assisted Tengku Kudin were given favourable concessions on mining land for ten years in Selangor. While
4824-467: Was a series of conflicts that lasted from 1867 to 1874 in the Malay state of Selangor in the Malay Peninsula (modern-day Malaysia ). It was initially fought between Raja Abdullah, the administrator of the Klang Valley , and Raja Mahdi. It was joined by Tengku Kudin (Tengku Dhiauddin, also spelt Ziauddin), a Kedahan prince, as well as other Malay and Chinese factions. The war was eventually won by Tengku Kudin and Abdullah's son, Raja Ismail. In 1854,
4896-494: Was able, through his contacts in Singapore , to supply them with weapons and ammunition in their fight against Raja Mahdi. In March 1870, Raja Ismail, assisted by Tengku Kudin, laid siege to Klang City and drove out Raja Mahdi, who retreated north to Kuala Selangor which he had captured from Raja Musa with help from Raja Hitam. Syed Mashhor, then serving under Tengku Kudin, was deployed to Kuala Selangor to assist Raja Musa but defected upon learning that his brother had been killed by
4968-404: Was born in a poor village at what was formerly known as Canton province, southern China , on 14 March 1837. His parents lived in the town of Danshui/Tamsui ( Chinese : 淡水 ; pinyin : Dànshuǐ ) in Kwai Yap district, Huizhou prefecture. He was a Hakka of the Fui Chiu (Chinese: 惠州) clan. Yap Ah Loy left China via Macau for British Malaya in 1854. On his arrival in Malaya, he found
5040-427: Was from Pontianak , was born in Langat, Selangor. He initially supported Raja Abdullah's cause but switched to that of Raja Mahdi. Raja Muda Musa of Kuala Selangor also went over to Raja Mahdi's side. In the later stages of the conflict Tengku Kudin managed to gain the support of British colonial administrators and in 1873 mercenaries from neighbouring Pahang . In 1866, Raja Abdullah authorised two traders from
5112-476: Was however Yap who was responsible for keeping Kuala Lumpur viable as a town during its many setbacks in its early years. Although there are no public monuments commemorating Yap, according to the scholar on Malaysian history J.M. Gullick , "if you seek his memorial remember that you are in Kuala Lumpur." At the end of 1884, Yap Ah Loy fell ill with bronchitis and an abscess of the left lung. In March 1885, he made little recovery before he died on 15 April 1885 at
5184-494: Was vested with wide powers on par with Malay community leaders. He implemented law reforms and introduced new legal measures. He would also preside over a small claims court . With a police force consisting of only six officers, he was able to uphold the rule of law. He built a prison which could accommodate 60 prisoners. Kapitan Yap Ah Loy also built Kuala Lumpur's first school and a major tapioca mill in Petaling Street in which
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