Abdul Hamid Halim of Kedah

Abdul Hamid Halim Shah
Abdul Hamid Halim of Kedah
Sultan of Kedah
Reign	22 September 1881 - 13 May 1943
Predecessor	Zainal Rashid Mu'adzam Shah II
Successor	Badlishah
Born	(1864-06-04)4 June 1864 Alor Setar, Syburi, Siam (now Alor Setar, Kedah, Malaysia)
Died	13 May 1943(1943-05-13) (aged 78) Alor Setar, Kedah
Burial	Langgar Royal Mausoleum
Issue	Badlishah Tunku Abdul Rahman
House	Mahawangsa
Father	Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah
Mother	Wan Hajar binti Wan Ismail
Religion	Sunni Islam

Abdul Hamid Halim Sultan of Kedah

Paduka Sri Sultan Sir Abdul Hamid Halim Shah ibni Almarhum Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah KCMG (4 June 1864 – 13 May 1943) was the 26th Sultan of Kedah. He reigned from 1881 to 1943.

Foreign relations

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.

His reign marked the transition from Siamese suzerainty over Kedah to the British Protectorate of Unfederated Malay States following the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909.

Personal life

He was the son of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin Mukarram Shah and Wan Hajar.

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, who would later become the first Prime Minister of Malaysia. The Sultan was succeeded by another son, Sultan Badlishah.

Family

• Children with Che Puan Spachendra (died 1907)
  • Tunku Ibrahim
  • Tunku Zam Zam
  • Tunku Rokiah
  • Tunku Fatimah
  • Tunku Kassim
• Children with Che Laraseh binti Lebai Ishak (died 1946)
  • Tunku Mansor
  • Tunku Sofiah
  • Tunku Johara
  • Tunku Noor
  • Tunku Zaleha
  • Tunku Abdul Jalil
  • Tunku Mohamad Akil
• Children with Sharifah Mariam binti Syed Mohamad Al-Idrus
  • Tunku Ahmad Tajuddin
  • Tunku Abdullah
  • Tunku Zainal Rashid Thani
  • Tunku Zainal Abidin
• Children with Sharifah Seha binti Syed Hussein (died 1922)
  • Tunku Abdullah Thani
  • Tunku Pengeran
  • Tunku Balkis
  • Tunku Zahara
• Children with Tunku Nai Sofiah binti Almarhum Tunku Nai Haji Hassan (died 1948)
  • Tunku Mohamad
  • Tunku Badlishah
  • Tunku Hindon
• Children with Paduka Seri Che Menjalara @ Neang Nara Burirak Menjalara Luang Nara Burirak or Nueang Nandanagara (died 1941)
  • Tunku Dakiah Manjalara
  • Tunku Muhammad Jewa (Tunku Temenggung)
  • Tunku Abdul Rahman (CM of Malaya/PM Malaysia)
  • Tunku Baharum
  • Tunku Aminah
  • Tunku Jaafar Shah
  • Tunku Baharum
  • Tunku Jahara
  • Tunku Mohamad Saad
  • Tunku Habsah
  • Tunku Kalsom
  • Tunku Yusof (CM of Kedah)
  • Tunku Zabedah Manjalara
• Children with Sharifah Fatimah binti Syed Idrus (died 1931)
  • Tunku Ya'acob
  • Tunku Hajar
  • Tunku Yahaya
  • Tunku Abdul Majid
  • Tunku Zainal Abidin Thani
  • Tunku Shuib
  • Tunku Shah Faris

Honours

Foreign honours

• Thailand:
  • Member of the Order of the Crown of Siam (1876)
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the Crown of Siam (1890)
  • Dushdi Mala Medal (Rajkarn Pandin) (1893)
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the White Elephant of Siam (1895)
  • Knight Grand Cross of the Order of Chula Chom Klao of Siam (1895)
  • Knight Grand Cordon of the Order of Chula Chom Klao of Siam (1908)
• United Kingdom:
  • Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George (KCMG) – Sir (1911)

External links

• List of Sultans of Kedah