174 THE INDEPENDENT NATIVE STATES 



And lastly, these prolonged disturbances were rapidly over- 

 whelming Perak and Selangor with debt, the Mentri in Larut and 

 Tunku Dta TJdin in Selangor being respectively indebted to the 

 extent of 8300,000 or $400,000, with no prospect of paying off 

 this money, except from a nourishing revenue after years of peace 

 and prosperity, an eventuality then apparently verging on the 

 impossible. 



Sungei Ujong which, as has been stated, marches with the 

 South-Eastern boundary of Selangor, had, as might be expected, 

 become mixed up in the Selangor disturbances, and the Chiefs 

 of Sungei Ujong, not content with their own troubles and disputes 

 with their neighbour and old enemy "Rambau, taking opposite 

 sympathies, had all but involved their little State in just such an 

 internal struggle as had devastated Selangor. 



The small inland States of Sungei Ujong, Rambau, Johol, &c, 

 had originally beeu under the Sultan of Johor, but about 1778, 

 Johor, no longer able or anxious to be responsible for the govern- 

 ment of these, no doubt even then, troublesome districts, obtained 

 for them a Prince of true Menangkabau descent, who, under the 

 title of Tang di Pertuan Besar, ruled over these States, then 

 federated into one. 



Each separate State, however, still had its own immediate 

 Chiefs, who, under the title of Pengulu or Datu, virtually controlled 

 their own district, with an occasional reference to the Tang di 

 Pertuan Besar. 



This arrrangement lasted till about the year 1800, when the 

 then Tang di Pertuan Besar induced some of the Pengiilus to consent 

 to the additional appointment of a Deputy under the title of Tang 

 di Pertuan Muda. 



Prom this time till 1874, that is to say during the whole of 

 the present century, the Inland States have been the scene of 

 almost continuous disturbances. 



Pirst quarrelling amongst themselves (notably in the cases of 

 Raja Alt and Sted Sab an about 1833), and then making British 



