# Kingdom of Setul Mambang Segara

Setul, officially the Kingdom of Setul Mambang Segara (Malay: Kerajaan Setul Mambang Segara; Jawi: نڬري ستول ممبڠ سڬارا‎; Thai: เมืองสตูล; RTGS: Mueang Satun) was a Malay kingdom founded in the northern coast of the Malay Peninsula. The state was established in 1808 in the wake of the partition between the rulers of the royal house of Kedah. The partition witnessed the territory being seceded to the cadet branch of the royal family. The sovereignty of the kingdom effectively ended in 1916, following the dissolution by the Siamese government. Its borders were largely inherited to its successive province, the present-day Satun, Thailand.

## Etymology

Setul derives its name from Buah Setul, a local name for the cottonfruit tree native to the area, while its honorific title—Mambang Segara—is a Malay variant of the Sea Deity, potentially tied from ancient Malay mysticism due to its location off the western seaboard of the Malay Peninsula. An interpretation of Mambang Segara can also be seen on its present-day provincial seal.
The state was also colloquially referred to as Setoi, a Kedahan Malay cognate of the territory. In the Thai language, the state was known as Satun (Thai: สตูล). The Thai pronunciation was later adopted to the present-day name of the province.

## History
### Origin

Once located in the heartland of Kedah Kingdom, Setul rose to prominence following the death of Abdullah Mukarram Shah, the 20th sultan of Kedah, in 1797. The demise of the monarch resulted in the crowning of Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II as the new sultan. The election was endorsed and recognised by the Rattanakosin Kingdom of Siam, which perceived Kedah as their vassal. The appointment, however, rapidly erupted into a severe secession crisis in the royal house after it was contested by the crown prince, Tunku Bisnu. Aiding to reconcile the two rivalling parties, the Siamese appointed Tunku Bisnu as the ruler of Setul, signifying the birth of Kedah into two separate realms.
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Prehistoric period Paleolithic  Lenggong Valley c. 2,000,0000 BCE  Mansuli Valley235,000 BCE Mesolithic  Niah cultures 65,000–40,000 BCE Neolithic  Bewah man/woman 16,000 BCE  Perak man/woman 11,000–200 BCE  Neolithic Klang 500 – 200 BCE :
Early kingdoms Ancient Kedah <100 BCE Chi Tu 100 BCE–642 CE Langkasuka 100 BCE–1474 CE Gangga Negara c. 100 CE–1025 Pan Pan 424–775 Old Kedah 170–1135 Old Pahang 449–1454 Srivijaya 700s–1025 Majapahit 1300s :
Rise of Muslim states Kedah Sultanate 1136–present Samudera Pasai Sultanate 1267–1521 Brunei Sultanate 1368–present Malacca Sultanate 1402–1511 Sulu Sultanate 1450–1899 Pahang Sultanate 1470–1623 Aceh Sultanate 1496–1903 Pattani Sultanate 1516– 1902 Johor Sultanate 1528–present Sarawak Sultanate 1599–1641 Selangor Sultanate 1766–present Besut Kingdom 1780–1899 Setul Kingdom 1808–1916 Reman Kingdom 1810–1902 Kubang Pasu Kingdom 1839–1864 :
Colonial period Portuguese Malacca 1511–1641 Dutch–Portuguese War 1601–1661 Dutch Malacca 1641–1824 Pahang Kingdom 1770–1881 Straits Settlements 1786–1946 Siamese invasion of Kedah 1821–1826 Anglo-Dutch Treaty1824 Burney Treaty1826 Naning War 1831–1832 Kingdom of Sarawak 1841–1946 Separation of Perlis from Kedah 1843 Crown Colony of Labuan 1848–1946 Pahang Civil War 1857–1863 Larut Wars 1861–1874 Klang War 1867–1874 Pangkor Treaty 1874 Perak War1875–1876 British Malaya / Borneo 1874–1946 Jementah Civil War 1879 North Borneo 1882–1946 Pahang Uprising 1891–1895 Mat Salleh Rebellion 1894–1905 Federated Malay States 1895–1946 Anglo-Siamese Treaty 1909 Unfederated Malay States 1909–1946 Battle of Penang 1914 Kelantan rebellion 1915 :
World War II Japanese occupation of Malaya / Borneo 1941–1945 Malayan campaign 1941–1942 Bornean Campaign 1941–1942 Battle of Muar 1942 Parit Sulong Massacre 1942 Battle of Singapore 1942 Sook Ching 1942 Syburi 1942 Sandakan Death Marches 1942–1945 Si Rat Malai 1943–1945 Jesselton revolt 1943–1944 :
Formative period BMA of Malaya/Borneo 1945–1946 Crown Colony of N. Borneo/Sarawak 1946–1963 Anti-cession movement 1946–1963 Malayan Union 1946–1948 Federation of Malaya 1948–1963 Malayan Emergency 1948–1960 Baling Talks 1955 :
Independence period Malayan Independence 1957 Singapore self-governance 1959 ISA 1960 1960–2012 Sarawak Insurgency 1962–1990 North Borneo self-governance 1963 Konfrontasi 1963–1966 Sarawak self-governance 1963 Formation of Malaysia 1963 Singapore in Malaysia 1963–1965 ASEAN Declaration 1967 Second communist insurgency 1968–1989 :
Modern period 13 May incident 1969 National Operations Council 1969–1971 Declaration of Rukun Negara 1970 New Economic Policy 1971–1990 Federal Territory of KL 1974 1977 Kelantan Emergency 1977 Pedra Branca dispute 1979–2008 South China Sea dispute (Spratly) 1980–present Dawn Raid 1981 Federal Territory of Labuan 1984 Memali incident 1985 Operation Lalang 1987 Constitutional crisis 1987–1988 Peace Agreement of Hat Yai 1989 Royal Immunity Amendments 1993 Asian financial crisis 1997–1998 Reformasi Movement 1998–2022 2008 Malaysian Opposition Wave 2008 H1N1 flu pandemic 2009–2010 Sedition Dragnet 2014 1MDB scandal 2015–present Pakatan Harapan takeover 2018 COVID-19 pandemic 2020–2022 Political crisis 2020–2022 Bornean Amendment 2021–2023 Green Wave 2022–present :
Incidents Brunei revolt 1962–1966 North Borneo dispute (Philippine militant attacks) 1962–present Singapore race riots 1964 Brunei's Limbang claim 1967–2009 Penang Hartal riot 1967 13 May Incident 1969 Ligitan and Sipadan dispute 1969–2002 Kuala Lumpur flash floods 1971 Malaysian haze crisis 1972–present AIA building hostage crisis 1975 National Monument bombing 1975 Campbell Shopping Complex fire 1976 Sabah Air GAF Nomad crash 1976 Japan Airlines Flight 715 incident 1977 MH653 incident 1977 1985 Lahad Datu ambush 1985 Memali Incident 1985 Sabah Emergency 1986 Ming Court Affair 1987 Penang terminal bridge collapse 1988 Taufiqiah Al-Khairiah madrasa fire 1989 Bright Sparklers disaster 1991 Highland Towers collapse 1993 Genting landslide 1995 MH2133 incident 1995 Pos Dipang mudflow 1996 Tropical Storm Greg 1996 1998–1999 Malaysia Nipah virus outbreak 1998–1999 2000 Sipadan kidnappings 2000 Al-Ma'unah incident 2000 Sauk Siege 2000 2001 Kampung Medan riots 2001 2002 Taman Hillview landslide 2002 Indian Ocean tsunami 2004 2006–2007 Southeast Asian floods 2006–2007 Bukit Gantang bus crash 2007 Bukit Antarabangsa landslide 2008 H1N1 flu pandemic 2009 Attacks against places of worship 2010 Cameron Highlands bus crash 2010 Hulu Langat landslide 2011 Genting Highlands bus crash 2013 MH370 incident 2014 MH17 incident 2014 2014–15 Malaysia floods 2014–2015 Sabah earthquake 2015 2015 Plaza Low Yat riot2015 Movida Bar grenade attack 2016 Kim Jong-nam's Assassination 2017 Darul Quran madrasa fire2017 2018 Subang Temple riot 2018 2020-21 Malaysia floods 2021 LRT train collision 2021 2021-22 Malaysia floods 2021–2022 2022 Batang Kali landslide 2022 2023 Elmina plane crash 2023 2024 Lumut helicopters crash 2024 2024 Ulu Tiram police station attack 2024 :
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Tunku Bisnu spent most of his reign in Kedah in Setul, with local affairs being mainly administrated by his aide, Dato' Wan Abdullah. Nonetheless, as recorded by Syair Sultan Maulana, it was narrated that Tunku Bisnu was a capable ruler that led the Kedahan troops during the war against the Burmese Konbaung dynasty forces in Salang (present-day Phuket, Thailand).

### Ratification

By 1833, the royal courts of Kedah entered another crisis between Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II and Tunku Embun (Tunku Yaakub), the crown prince. The crisis was predominantly derived from the sultan's refusal to appoint the crown prince to be the king of Kayang (Perlis) and Setul. This resulted in Tunku Embun having to request military assistance from the governor of Ligor to overthrow the Kedahan government, falsely claiming that the sultan had allied with the British. The armed conflict was known locally as Perang Musuh Berbisik (War of the whispering enemies).
During the war of 1833, the Kedahan militia led by Dato Wan Mad Ali (Dato Setia Sengkara) launched an attack against the Siamese in Terang, Ayer Kelubi and Pulau Panjang. Following the fall of Kedah, Dato Wan Mad Ali was forced to move to Langkawi along with an exodus of 100 Malay families from Setul.
The coup d'état led by Tunku Yaakob proved to be successful, as the sultan was forced to retreat to the British-backed Penang and later exiled in Malacca. Nonetheless, Tunku Yaakob's request to be appointed as the sultan of Kedah was refused. He and his son, Tunku Sulaiwan, were later brutally executed by the order of the Siamese king after he was found guilty of spreading malicious news of the previous sultan.
Following the victory, the Siamese then made border realignments which divided Kedah into four separate territories and appointed Tunku Muhammad Akib, the prince of Tunku Bisnu, as the new king of Setul. The border realignment occurred parallel to the Partition of Pattani fevised by the Siamese earlier in 1809; the partition witnessed the birth of the Malay state of Pattani into seven separate kingdoms.
The partition was ratified by 1843, when Ahmad Tajuddin Halim Shah II, the sultan of Kedah, brought a royal entourage to the Siamese government in Bangkok. The royal entourage consisted of Tunku Anum, the ruler of Kubang Pasu; Syed Hussein, the ruler of Perlis; and Tunku Muhammad Akib, the ruler of Setul. They pledged their loyalty to the Siamese crown, together with a Bunga Mas as a sign of tribute from each of the respective territories. Signifying the birth of the state into four separate dominions.
Despite the fact that Kedah was officially partitioned into four distinct kingdoms, all of the states maintained close economic and kinship ties. Several exemplifications can be witnessed during this era: the royal marriage between Tunku Jahara, a member of Kubang Pasu royalty, and Tunku Ahmad, the prince of Kedah; and in 1904, between Tunku Jura, a Kedahan princess, and Syed Zahir, a royal member of the Setul Kingdom.

### Post-partition

Tunku Ismail seceded to the throne of Setul in 1876 after the death of Tunku Muhammad Akib. The king was alleged to be an incompetent leader in matters of administration. Internal strife in the royal house of Setul caused a relative of Tunku Ismail, Tunku Muhammad, to establish a kingdom in Langu, north of Setul in 1882. Both territories managed to be reunified afterwards after a consolidation by the Siamese government.
There were several infrastructure development projects during the reign of Tunku Ismail, including the construction of several roads, a fort, and the town hall, as well as the management of the rivers in Setul. Tunku Ismail also ordered the construction of a brick prison, enlarging the court, improving the telegram network and introducing the postal service. His rule also witnessed a closer relationship with the Siamese, with the kingdom sending 260 individuals to subdue the Chinese rebellion of Phuket in 1878 together with the troops from Kedah and Perlis. He was awarded the Order of the White Elephant for his active role in aiding the Siamese during the revolt.
Tunku Abdul Rahman replaced Tunku Ismail as the king upon his death in 1888, with Tunku Muhammad appointed as the crown prince. He managed to further develop various infrastructure projects centred around the capital. Despite so, towards the end of his 10-year reign, he became permanently insane.

### Reformation

The vacant seat of the king led Kedah to appoint Tunku Baharuddin bin Ku Meh as governor for the administrative post in Setul. Better known as Ku Din, he was a commander in the Alor Setar prison. Ku Din was known to be a capable leader, nonetheless he did not receive much approval from the general public since he was not a member of the Setul royalty.
The appointment of Ku Din as the governor of Setul angered Tunku Muhammad, the crown prince, as he was supposed to rule the kingdom. As the crown prince did not receive much recognition from the royal courts of Kedah, he sought assistance in Bangkok. His efforts proved to be in vain since Ku Din was far more influential compared to the crown prince. Tunku Muhammad, however, was absorbed into the Satun administration after several months since the appointment of Ku Din.
Ku Din rapidly forged closer ties to the Siamese central government upon his appointment as the governor. He began to send Bunga Mas tributes separately from Kedah. The separate Bunga Mas caused a severe strain in the Kedah-Setul diplomatic relationship, as the possession from the state was customarily sent via Kedah, since both the Siamese and Kedah perceived Setul as a Kedahan principality. The link between the two kingdoms only began to be restored after a reconciliation by Che Ampuan Manyalara, the Queen of Kedah.
Ku Din widely emulated many similar features from the Kedahan administration system, including the introduction of the Head of Education Department, Malay School Headmaster, Chinese Kapitan, Royal Officer Service, Head of the Judicial Court, Kadzi, Head of Medical Department, Head of the Police Force, Chief Auditor, Chief Translator and various other departments. He also improved the police department by recruiting a 36-armed force from Punjab. Ku Din was also known to introduce uniforms for the government servant.
Towards the end of his rule, he launched many rules and regulations that accommodated his pro-Siamese ideals. He started to introduce the Siamese language as the language of the courts and administration, replacing Malay. This led to the resignation of many government officials who are not familiar with the language. His pro-Siamese leadership also caused a resistant movement to develop by local Malays, although the movement was later subdued by the Siamese government.
By 1902, he was proclaimed as king of Setul, bearing the regnal name of Tunku Baharuddin bin Ku Meh. The proclamation was affirmed by the governors of southern Siam and the Siamese government.

### Dissolution

In 1892, Setul was returned to Kedah. Nonetheless, Kedahan sovereignty over Setul was gradually eroded by the Siamese. By 1902, it was evident that Ku Din held full-autonomous power over Setul against Kedah.
The Kedahan jurisdiction in Setul was officially ended by 1909 in wake of the Anglo-Siamese Treaty. The British had planned for an inclusion of Setul together with Kedah and Perlis due to the strong ties between the states but did not manage to succeed in its claim due to the reluctance of the Siamese king.
Tengku Din officially abdicated his position in 1916, six years after the consolidation of Setul into Siam. He was awarded the noble title "Phraya Bhuminathbhakdi" ("The Devoted King") by the Siamese central government for his efforts in developing Setul. He was, however, perceived as a traitor in Kedah for his role in dividing the sultanate.

### Aftermath

The Siamese decided to discontinue the Malay kingship system in Setul. The king was replaced by a governor from Bangkok, Prak Khoja Ishak (Tui Bin Abdullah, later promoted to Phraya Smantaratthaburindra). It was recorded that Setul continued to be developed under his leadership. It was during his rule that the role of Islam continued to flourish and the position of Khadi Besar (Head Khadi) was introduced, a position filled by Dato’ Yutilamdilantik.
Prak Khoja Ishak's administration marked the end of the full Malay-medium of education in the area. The education system reformed and incorporated the Thai language as the medium of instruction. This resulted in a gradual language and identity shift among the Malay community in Setul. Today, only a small percentage of Thai Muslims in Satun are conversant in the language, a far-cry for her historical sister states down south. Presently, the Thai government has already reintroduced Malay language lessons in the curricula in some schools in the province, as a way to help preserve the culture and identity of the modern Thai Malays in Satun.

## Rulers

| The Raja (King) of Setul | In office |
| Tunku Bisnu ibni al-Marhum Sultan 'Abdu'llah al-Mukarram Shah | 1809–1843 |
| Tunku Muhammad Akib ibni al-Marhum Tunku Bisnu | 1843–1876 |
| Tunku Ismail ibni al-Marhum Tunku Muhammad Akib | 1876–1888 |
| Tunku ‘Abdu’l Rahman ibni al-Marhum Tunku Ismail | 1888–1897 |
| Tunku Baharuddin bin Ku Meh | 1897–1916 |

### Descendants

* Sanuputra family - King Vajiravudh had given this surname to Phra Bimolsatyaraksa (Tunku Muhammad, Raja Muda of Setul in the reign of Tunku Abdul Rahman), son of Tunku Ismail ibni al-Marhum Tunku Muhammad Akib and great-grandson of Tunku Bisnu ibni al-Marhum Sultan 'Abdu'llah al-Mukarram Shah in 1916.
* Bin Tamangong family - King Vajiravudh had given this surname to Phraya Bhuminathbhakdi (Tunku Baharuddin bin Ku Meh) in 1915

## Gallery

* Map of Setul (Satun) as part of Monthon Syburi (Kedah) in 1900
* The Kuden Mansion (present-day Satun National Museum), historically constructed by Tunku Baharuddin, the building was erected as a residence of the Siamese King during his visit to the province.