Early History
The name of Selangor started with Kuala Selangor, a town at the outskirts of Selangor River. The name Selangor came about because of the river. The river confluent was named Kuala Selangor. Back then it was a nom for people to name places from name of rivers.As known by the people who live by the river bank which was an important tool of transportation at that time .
State of Perlis originates from Pelit river(Perlite means stone in French,hence,stone river), thus the name of Selangor. It was estimated that the name Selangor (Kuala Selangor) has existed earlier than 15th Century, because before Malacca was defeated by Portuegese in1511, Kuala Selangor was under Malacca.
In Malay History it was mentioned during the time Paduka Seri Maharaja reign Singapore,there was a Pasai named Tun Jana Khatib who's expert in Khayal Lillah Teachings and Tauhid who had 2 friend,one went to Samarlingga (Selangor) and another went to Bungoran while Tun Jana Khatib went to Singapore.According to journals, Paduka Seri Maharaja reigned during 14th Century (1301-1400 ). If this statement is true,the it's clear that the name of Selangor existed even before that .
In Java's book,Negarakertagama it was writtent around 14 th Century and mentioned Klang was under Majapahit.A few old maps are kept in China and the maps are believed to be the guide for Laksamana Cheng Ho, one of Chinese sailors that sailed during 1405-1433. In the map it was written about Klang River and Selangor land.
Malay History also mentioned during the reigning times of Sultan Muzaffar Syah (1445-1458), Tun Perak were invited to be Penghulu in Klang. Inside the Royal Asiatic Society in London there is a handwritten copy of Malay History with Raffles books that mentioned Tuan Bendahara Johor married his son, Tuan Mahmud with princess Raja Beruas (Perak) and Tuan Mahmud reign Selangor.
Judging from the statements above,it is clear that the name Selangor existed before 15th Century . Selangor that is mention above is Kuala Selangor now where the state politic started. Nobody can deny the fact because all proofs of Kuala Selangor is where the state administration started existed until now.
Before coming to Daeng Chelak, 5 of the Bugis king's son from Sebilis Island came to Selangor, in Kuala Selangor it was inhabited by humans that was headed fairly by a Bugis woman named Upu Chendera Burung.
The trait of a compassionate ruler that capture the hearts of the indigenious people there,until they swore to never appoint a leader who's not of Bugis descent. This factor is what caused the appearance of Raja Lumu to Selangor was well accepted by the local residents. When their leader died,they buried her on top of a hill. According to stories,the hill is Hospital Hill that is near Kuala Selangor District Council now (1979). At the grave of Upu Chendera Burung there is a freshwater fish pond and a Tanjung flower tree.
Origin
The nonexistence of a tribe leader in Kuala Selangor gave the urge for Perak and Kedah to become the Penghulu there. Unfortunately,not one of the ones who came was accepted by the local folks. This situation is different than Raja Lumu who were warmly accepted and recognize as the first Selangor's Yang Dipertuan Selangor .
Those who came there was only allowed to ground break and build residents along the Selangor River. Until now there are a few villages that still uses the name of the ground breaker,such as Kedah Village, Siam Village, Asahan and Kuantan Village.
Before this the attendance of Raja Lumu to Kuala Selangor, the name Selangor has already existed . This explanation came from a few locales. To know the origin of the name Selangor, a few oral stories can be obtained from residents of Permatang Village,Kuantan Village and Jeram.
Oral Stories
There's a story about the name of Selangor and that is a bowfly,an insect that looks like a fly but is green in color. This story continue to explain that a warrior who came from the south was on the way to the north ini. The warrior came from Malacca who was at that time defeated by the Portuguese. He looked tired and rest under a tree. He didn't mange to shut his eye before a bowfly flew around his head .
Then the bowfly sat on his nose the warrior tried to slap it but it flew away . That's the scenario that happened a few times . With a vengeance the warrior decide that it will slap the blowfly with all his energy if it happens again. When the bowfly sat on his nose again,he slapped it with all his might but unfortunately the bowfly went away and left a painful mark on the bridge of his nose.
From that situation,everytime he hold his nose he will remember the bowfly. It came to his mind that he has never been defeated by anything before but he lost to a bowfly just like that. That incident raised his interest to explore the place and canceled his plans to travel further.The place was named se (satu) langau(blowfly), then to Selangor.
This story has similarities with the story of Singapore's name origin which started with SINGA PURA-PURA,an animal that gave a new name to Temasik. Same goes to the Malacca tree that invloved the incident with Sultan Mahmud Syah's dog that was carried by Wak Raja while hunting and overthrown into a well because kicked by a white mousedeer. When your highness sat alongside the Malacca tree,came about the name Malacca sempena.Others mentioned that the name Selangor originates from the abundance of mentangau tree, a type of sea wood .Actually the mentangau tree can still be found at the shore of Selangor River ini.
Other than that,there are other opinions that the mentangau wood trees,other than the abundance of it,it is a very tall type of wood and can be seen from the sea,until some traders said, "I stopover at kuala mentangau," the lisping of it became Selangor.
Moreover it is usual for people back then loving a name that was given from the name of a tree or an event there.A few villages in the district of Kuala Selangor came about from the name of trees. Examples : Villages like Assam Jawa , Api-api, Sungai Buluh, Bukit Rotan, Ijok.
Other places also originates from tree names,like Durian Sebatang, Durian Tunggal, Bagan Serai, Bukit Lada, Pulau pinang, Nibong Tebal and many more.
Another story says that an arc from Kedah to Selangor because the captain wanted to become the Penghulu there. This news came earlier to the people of Kuala Selangor, and because of it,they find ways so that the entourage wouldn't be able to steer not far from the river confluent that was being steered by the Kedah arc but it got stucked and couldn't budge. Many means were tried and nothing works. The captain instructs one of his crew to go to bottom of the river to find out what has made the arc not moving .
He found hundreds sticks of mentangau wood with narrow tips that was arranged interlacing the heart of the river. Supposedly it was done to stop the Kedah entourage from going forward to the place. From that came the name mentangau river.
Other opinion is that Selangor came from the word salang and jemur. This is according to a place by the Selangor river that was once a place to punish traitors with the salang punishment and was left to roast in the sun(jemur). The combination of both words salang and jemur created Selangor.Another opinion also mention the name of Selangor does originated from the word mentangau, but the story is different .
According to the story, someone who was thought to be a royal commander but his origins was unknown,after paddling by the river with his family,about 2 miles from the river confluent,there was an area where the water was spinning and convective.
However the commander kept going on his journey unti he met with a mentengau drift wood in the middle of the river that cause the water to be convective. If he crossed over,his boat will sank .
After negotiating with his family ,the commander ended his intention and explore the place. A few moments later,his daughter became a woman and a few men from the nearby village came for her hand in marriage but all was rejected.
Tamils named Salang ur which means a salang village,a village of salang people. This opinion can be matched with the origin of the name Singapore, which originates from SINGGAH PURA or SINGGAH TOWN in old Hindi language .
Early Residents
Earliest residents of Kuala Selangor are sea people who lived by fishing. They lived along the Selangor riverbank about 3 miles from the river confluent to the headstream. Their leader is a Bugis woman with a loving and caring trait and knows how to appreciate her people. These characteristics are what attracted the attention of the people until they didn't want a leader who is not of Bugis descent. Eventhough there are others who wants to become the leader of Kuala Selangor.
In R.J. Wilkinson book it was stated that Bugis people situated in Selangor (Kuala Selangor) named Daeng Lakani in K.M 17 means in Kuala Selangor it was inhabited by other tribe before this,it is clear that Bugis has set foot in Kuala Selangor since K.M. 17 lagi.
The Kuala Selangor residents at that time were farmers and fishermens,there are also people who stole and became pirates along the Selangor beach shore. The yield of their robbery were kept at a bay until it was known as Robbers Bay(Teluk Penyamun), about a mile from River Confluent.
Malay History, Raffles edition No 18, mentioned about the time Sultan Mahmud Shah Melaka was in Bentan in 1513, Tun Mahmud (Seri Agar Diraja) were crowned in Selangor. Jeram, are some of the oldest places in Selangor, situated in this district were also mentioned in Malay History. It was said that Sultan Mansur Syah Melaka who reigned from 1459 until 1477 crowned his prince, Paduka Seri Cina in Jeram.
Another oldest place in Selangor is Permatang, opposite Kuala Selangor and was separated from Selangor River . Permatang is under the influence of Malacca and when Malacca fall in the hands of Portuguese in 1511,the powers were inherit by the Johore government.
Around 17th century when Bugis people in throngs came out from the state to find a new place to stay and built a new life , Selangor became a place of focus . Selangor was made as a movement center for other states such as Perak and Kedah.
From all the statement above it is clear that Selangor were known long before the 17th century, this means that Selangor were inhabited by people and residents before the date.
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