Reason For War
Before the sultan appointed Raja Abdullah as Klang's administrator, Raja Mahadi's father, Raja Sulaiman was Klang's head. In 1866, Raja Abdullah leased Klang to two traders from the Straits Settlements; William Henry Macleod Read and Tan Kim Ching. Among benefits of being a renter was tax collection. When the two traders went out to collect tax, Raja Mahadi was offended. Given his standing within the Malay communities, he refused to pay tax to foreigners.
Sultan Muhammad died in 1857 and was replaced by Sultan Abdul Samad. With sympathy from the new royal family of Selangor, Raja Mahadi began to challenge Raja Abdullah's authority in Klang. The royal court considered Raja Abdullah, which was from Riau instead of Selangor, as an outsider. On Raja Abdullah's side was his son, Raja Ismail. The Chinese labourers were divided between the two camps.
Read more about this topic: Klang War
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