Abdul Hamid Halim
Encyclopedia
Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah or 'Sultan Abdu'l Hamid Halim Shah II ibni Ahmad Taj ud-din al-Mukarram Shah KCMG, (4 June 1864 – 13 May 1943) was the 25th Sultan of Kedah. He reigned from 1881 to 1943. He was the son of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah
Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah
Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah was the 23rd Sultan of Kedah. He reigned from 1854 - 1879 and it was during this period that the new Balai Nobat consisting of a five-story building was built. The building was totally built of wood with zinc roofing....

 and Wan Hajar.

During his reign, the Sultan had asked for a $2,500,000 loan from Siam during a state financial crisis in 1905. The loan was extended with the proviso that a Financial Advisor from the court of Siam be accepted and a State Council be created to assist the Sultan in the administration of all public affairs. This resulted in the promulgation of a new constitution on 29 July 1905. The state council were run by his brothers followed by their sons. The formation of the State Council thus curbed the Sultan's administrative powers.

The Sultan had several wives and partners; Che Manjelara, Che Sofiah, Sharifah Fatimah Binti Syed Idrus, Sharifah Seha Binti Syed Hussein, Che Spachendra, Sharifah Mariam and Che Laraseh. The Sultan's seventh son and twentieth child with Makche Manjelara, Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman
Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid Halim Shah, AC, CH was Chief Minister of the Federation of Malaya from 1955, and the country's first Prime Minister from independence in 1957. He remained as the Prime Minister after Sabah, Sarawak, and Singapore joined the...

, who would later became the first Prime Minister of Malaysia
Prime Minister of Malaysia
The Prime Minister of Malaysia is the indirectly elected head of government of Malaysia. He is officially appointed by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the head of state, who in HM's judgment is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives , the...

.

He was succeeded by Sultan Badlishah.

Landmarks

Sultan Abdul Hamid was responsible for the refurbishing of the Balai Besar in 1896. This builing was destroyed due to attacks by the Bugis
Bugis
The Bugis are the most numerous of the three major linguistic and ethnic groups of South Sulawesi, the southwestern province of Sulawesi, Indonesia's third largest island. Although many Bugis live in the large port cities of Makassar and Parepare, the majority are farmers who grow wet rice on the...

 armada (1770) and Siamese (1821). The refurbishment was spearheaded by Muhammad bin Lebai Tambi, an architect with the Public Works Department of Kedah State. The wedding ceremony of the Sultan's five princes and princesses was held here in 1904 and the celebrations were carried out over a 90 day period. Besides the wedding ceremony, the Balai Besar was also used for installation ceremonies, and State Council Conferences from 1905 until 1973.

Sultan Abdul Hamid also built a new building for the Balai Nobat using concrete and metal in 1906. The architecture is the same as the previous wooden building. The height was three-story and the dome at its apex represents the Islamic element such as those found on mosques.

It was during Sultan Abdul Hamid's reign that Masjid Zahir
Masjid Zahir
The Zahir Mosque is Kedah's state mosque. It is located in the heart of Alor Star, the state capital of Kedah, Malaysia.-History:The mosque was built in 1912, a contributory effort of YTM Tunku Mahmud Ibni Almarhum Sultan Tajuddin Mukarram Shah. The site of this mosque was the cemetery of Kedah...

 was officially opened on Friday, 15 October 1915. The Sultan also led the Friday prayers on the auspicious day. The architecture of the mosque was inspired by the Azizi Mosque in Tanjung Pura, Langkat Sultanate
Sultanate of Langkat
The Sultanate of Langkat was a Muslim state located in modern Langkat Regency, North Sumatra. Although dating back to the pre-Islamic age, recorded history is available only from the 17th century.-References:...

 (present-day North Sumatra
North Sumatra
North Sumatra is a province of Indonesia on the Sumatra island. Its capital is Medan. It is the most populous Indonesian province outside of Java. It is slightly larger than Sri Lanka in area.- Geography and population :...

). This mosque is enhanced with five prime large domes symbolizing the Five Pillars of Islam
Five Pillars of Islam
The Pillars of Islam are basic concepts and duties for accepting the religion for the Muslims.The Shi'i and Sunni both agree on the essential details for the performance of these acts, but the Shi'a do not refer to them by the same name .-Pillars of Shia:According to Shia Islam, the...

.

Honours

  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Thailand-1890
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the White Elephant
    Order of the White Elephant
    The Most Exalted Order of the White Elephant is the most awarded order of Thailand. It was established in 1861 by King Rama IV of the Kingdom of Siam.The Order consists of eight classes:...

     of Thailand-1895
  • Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of Chula Chom Klao
    Order of Chula Chom Klao
    The Most Illustrious Order of Chula Chom Klao was established in 16 November 1873 by King Rama V of The Kingdom of Siam to commemorate the 90th Jubilee of the Chakri Dynasty, and bears his Name...

     of Thailand-1908
  • Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG)-1911

External links

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