Sultan Abdullah Mukarran Shah II (1778 - 1797)
note: Did you know Sultan Abdullah is Francis Light's father-in-law?
In accordance with an agreement (Perjanjian Inggeris-Kedah 1786), the Company was to pay Sultan Abdullah S$30,000 a year. Unfortunately for the Sultan, the EIC's new governor-general Charles Cornwallis firmly stated that he could not be party to the Sultan's disputes with other Malay princes, or promise to protect him from the Burmese or Siamese. However, Light concealed the facts from both parties, and established a port in Penang on August 11, 1786.
For the next five years, Light tried to stall with the Sultan. The Sultan suspected that SHTI reneged on the agreement, but failed to drive them out.
Nov 1787: Siam made another demand, for $30,000, arms, and food supplies for 20,000 soldiers. The sultan, desperate, tried to get help from the French in Pondicherry but the French declined. He turned to the Dutch for help but the Dutch also declined. Upset, he lined up 400 perahus and 120 guns around Penang, and held British merchandise worth $30,000 in Kuala Kedah. He now demanded that Light pay him $10,000. Light complied, paid the sultan $10,000, and said he would write to Calcutta once more.
1791: Still no reply from Calcutta, Sultan Abdullah resolved to take Penang by force. Light, not wanting to find, sent $5,000 as "compensation for the delay". But this time Sultan Abdullah returned the money. He has "had it" with British promises. Now he wanted Penang back. In the fight, Light was at an advantage, with better weapons, so he forced the sultan's troops to a retreat.
The 1791 agreement (Perjanjian Persahabatan dan Keamanan Inggeris-Kedah) gave the sultan an annual payment of S$6,000, and no role in future governance of the island. To encourage the razing of the densely forested island, Light fired coins from a cannon into the undergrowth.
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References:
http://www.penang-traveltips.com/biography-of-captain-francis-light.htm
http://sejarahnagarakedah.blogspot.my/2007/11/sultan-muhammad-jiwa-1710-1778.html
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