HISTOEY OF KEDAH. 33 



carelessness. All of the crew were severely wounded and the 

 scoundrels could not be overtaken/ Gold came from Kedah and 

 elephants. In the first quarter of the 18th century Valentijn 

 writes that ' several offices, to wit Peirah, Kedah, ITjang Salaug 

 and Indrasiri are subordinate to the Government of Malacca' 7 (J. 

 E. A. S., S. B. 67, pp. 57-84). 



In spite of having done nothing to ward off the aggression of 

 Portuguese, Achinese and Dutch. Siani still claimed suzerainty 

 over Kedah. " Eeference might " be " had to the works of 

 Abbe Choisy in 1686 and to M. de la Loubere's History of Siam 

 in 1 6 T 8 : by both of whom Kedah is described as being, at least, 

 tributary to Siam. It rebelled according to these authors in 

 IT 20 ( !) — a fact implying subjection — but was speedily reduced 

 by Siam to obedience " (J. I. A. Ill, p. 601, Col. Low). ' 



Trouble of a milder kind was impending from another quarter. 

 Thomas Bowrey says that there was a British factory in Kedah 

 from 1669 till 1675 but that it was a complete failure. 



In 1770 affliction came from yet another side. The Bugis, 

 having established themselves in Selangor, attacked Kedah and 

 burnt the town. Is the invasion of Kedah by K el ana Hita.ni (J. 

 P. A. S., S. B. 72. p. 82) an interpolation "in the Et. Marong 

 Mahawangsa perhaps reminiscent of this attack? 



Accounts of the events leading up to and consequent on the 

 acquisition of Penang and Province Wellesley by the British appear 

 in J. E. A. :S., S. B. Xo. 67 pp. 76-7, and in Swettenham's " British 

 Malaya/*' pp. 42-53. A version more favourable to the British and 

 more closely based on the treaties and correspondence (" Treaties 

 and engagements entered into or effecting the Xative States of the 

 Peninsula:'" Singapore 1889, pp. 61-71) mav be read in Wright 

 and Beid's "The Malay Peninsula;*' pp. 49-87. 



Just before the Siamese invasion. Kedah acting on instructions 

 irom Siam had attacked Perak and in 1819 claimed to have con- 

 quered it. 



Treated in 1786 as an independent state. Kedah was recognized 

 by England in 1826 as tributary to Siam. There were two reasons 

 for this recognition. The immediate object was to prevent the 

 Siamese from co-operating with the Burmese during the first Bur- 

 mese war : and there was the further object of defining' the position 

 of Siam in the north of the Malay Peninsula. The Treaty recog- 

 nized Penang and Province Wellesley as English countries. It laid 

 •down that Perak was independent and should not be attacked : the 

 Eaja could send the gold and silver rlowers to Siam if he liked. 

 The Siamese were to remain in Kedah: and the English were not 

 to allow the exiled Eaja of Kedah to settle in Penang, Province 

 TTellesley, Perak, Selangor or Burma. (Aitchison's " Treaties, 

 Engagements and Sanads," vol. II. ])]). 351, 369-71 ). 



The MSS. of the Ht. Marong Mahawangsa, that used by Low 

 (J. I. A. Yol. Ill), that in the Maxwell collection at the Library 

 of the Eoyal Asiatic Society (London). Wilkinson's edition re- 

 ft. A. Soc, Xo. 81, 1920. 



