Istana Lama Seri Menanti, Negeri Sembilan

The Federation of Malaysia today is made up of 13 States and the Federal Territories of Kuala Lumpur, Putrajaya and Labuan.

Of the 13 states, one of the more unique ones is the state of Negeri Sembilan, to the south of Kuala Lumpur. Negeri Sembilan is Malay for "Nine States" and alludes to its past when it was an independent kingdom made up of nine districts.

 

The original nine districts were Klang, Naning, Rembau, Sungai Ujong, Jelai, Johol, Segamat, Ulu Pahang and Jelebu. Today, Klang is now under the jurisdiction of the neighbouring state of Selangor; Naning under the state of Melaka, Segamat under the state of Johor and much of Ulu Pahang is now in the adjacent state of Pahang.

The history of Negeri Sembilan is inextricably tied to the Minangkabau people of Sumatera and the Pagar Ruyung dynasty. Legend has it that there was once a dispute between a tribe of the Melayu kingdom in South Sumatera and a neighbouring tribe. In order to avoid outright war, a contest between buffaloes was proposed. The enemies of the Melayu brought forth a huge and aggressive buffalo, while the Melayu brought forth a baby buffalo with its horns sharpened.

The Istana in Pagar Ruyung, Sumatera, taken by me in 2013.

The baby buffalo ran forward to the adult buffalo, thinking it was its mother; which the aggressive buffalo did not see as a threat. The sharp horns of the baby buffalo punctured the belly of the aggressive buffalo, killing it on the spot, and giving the Melayu victory. Henceforth from that day, the Melayu tribe was renamed as the "Menang Kerbau" which literally means "Winning Buffalo". Over time, this became contracted to "Minangkabau".

It is believed that the Kingdom of Pagar Ruyung in Western Sumatera in what is now Indonesia, was founded by a Melayu prince called Adityawarman in 1347, possibly as a result of his victory in the "Menang Kerbau" contest. His descendants eventually consolidated power in the form of division of power to three Rulers; the King of the World ("Raja Alam") who was the paramount ruler, the King of Customs ("Raja Adat") and the King of Religion ("Raja Ibadat"). Collectively they were known as the King of the Three Seats ("Rajo Tigo Selo"). The Rajo Tigo Selo were in turn assisted by 4 ministers in charge of different areas of government. The Kingdom was organised into districts called Nagari, each with its own clans and courts, under a Federal system.

While it is not known why so many Minangkabau eventually left Pagar Ruyung to settle on the west coast of the Malay peninsula, it may be related to the tradition of "merantau" or roaming in search of new opportunities amongst Minangkabau males. Whatever the case may be, this constant settlement eventually resulted in a collection of 9 districts organised into Nagari, following the structure in Pagar Ruyung, each with its own clans and courts.

These "Negeri Sembilan" initially looked to the neighbouring Sultanate of Melaka for protection; but after that powerful sultanate fell to the Portuguese and the Dutch, their allegiance shifted to the Sultanate of Johor. When that Sultanate became embroiled in its own problems, the nine districts decided to look to their ancestral homeland of Pagar Ruyung for a new leader, thus paving the way for an independent Negeri Sembilan. The Ruler of Pagar Ruyung sent his relative Raja Melewar, to Negeri Sembilan to become their new ruler. With the consent of the Sultan of Johor, Raja Melewar became He Who is The Highest Lord of the Nine States ("Yang Dipertuan Besar" or "Yamtuan Besar").

Raja Melewar eventually made his palace in Seri Menanti, which remains the royal town to this day. Seri Menanti was a verdant valley surrounded by encircling hills. Legend has it that three stalks of rice were found waiting to grow in the valley, hence the name of Seri Menanti, "Seri" being the javanese term for rice paddy, and "Menanti" meaning waiting. At this site, Raja Melewar built his palace or "Istana".

The present "Istana Lama" or old palace in Seri Menanti is a newer structure which was erected in 1902 and completed in 1908 to replace the older palace which was razed to the ground by British soldiers in the Bukit Putus war.

The four storey timber palace was built by two carpenters in the Minangkabau style at the express wishes of the Yamtuan Besar who wanted to retain the spiritual and cultural connection to the ancestral homeland in Pagar Ruyung. Famously, the Istana Lama's timber structure was built entirely without the use of a single nail.

The four central pillars are made of Penak wood from Jelebu, and are 170 feet long without joints. In total, the whole palace has a total of 99 pillars supporting the four storey structure. The first storey has four rooms and a 160 feet long verandah. The second storey has three rooms for the use of royalty. The third storey was for the Yamtuan's private use, whilst the fourth storey was used to house the royal treasures.

Today the Istana Lama is no longer in use as a Palace, but instead houses a museum. The museum recreates the rooms of the Palace with the use of period furniture, as well as housing some of the royals memorophilia and boards telling the story of the Minangkabau and the Pagar Ruyung dynasty.

Dining Hall on the 1st Storey

Passageway to the back of Palace.

Front of the Palace

Verandah on the 2nd Storey

Steep staircase up to the 3rd Storey.

The 3rd Storey with stairs leading up and down.

The 4th Storey with 360 degree views.

View from the Top.

The Istana Lama Seri Menanti is open to visitors 7 days a week from 10 am to 6 pm, except for Fridays when it is closed from 12:15pm to 2:45pm for Friday prayers. Admission is free.

There is a small resort next to the Istana Lama that you can stay in. Seri Menanti itself is a small tranquil town where nothing seems to happen and time stands still. Along the way to the town, you will pass by pretty kampung houses and experience a slower pace of life.