sultan sir february june known informally known father modern 1st sultan 21st sultan informally known father modern historians development 19th century leadership initiated policies provided aids ethnic chinese stimulate development state agricultural economy founded chinese migrants 1840s took charge development infrastructure administrative system military civil service modelled closely western lines noted diplomatic skills british rulers approached advice making important decisions avid traveller ruler travel europe visit england particular lifetime friend queen_victoria later years friendship queen_victoria played important role shaping relationships britain state end 19th century malaya maintain autonomy internal affairs pushed greater control states placing states personal habits decisions aligned european ideas tastes sovereign ruler father died years later changed legal state title sought legal recognition britain change legal state title title sultan proclaimed following year reign lasted thirty years death early years born february present singapore oldest son turn descendant sultan dynasty spent childhood years father young age local teachers islam traditional law sent school mission school run reverend guidance missionary teachers observed develop manners english gentleman ability speak fluent english addition native delegated eighteen year old youth assist negotiation efforts making attempts claim sovereignty rights aged gradually delegated state administrative duties period british officers praised excellent diplomatic skills mentioned diaries senior law agent singapore accompanied mother deposed sultan shortly son began exert sovereignty claims outbreak following year saw provided support war efforts married daughter visit following year signed treaty friendship alliance guarantee mutual support suffering prolonged period ill health bout high fever resulted death january administration years assumed office days father demise time succession facing political threat deposed sultan sultan pursuing sovereignty claims aimed overthrow sultan backing established alliance half brother rival alliance caused concern fall threaten political position signed treaty friendship june sent small expeditionary force support war broke august years reign began issuing western style contracts termed literally river documents chinese leaders established riverside plantations letters authority issued chinese leaders began settling 1850s quickly established goodwill relations administrator speak dialect language spoken read chinese employed purposes employed service chinese contractor oversee construction chinese dialect groups began compete commercial interests 1850s 1860s led communal violence mainly migrants tried chinese origin gave official recognition support branch ann seen secret society singapore time prospered large revenues generated pepper plantations managed gave generous provisions recognition contributions state long time family friend given seat state council plantations operated relatively independently state government worried possible danger plantations event economic crisis shortly financial crisis broke singapore imposed new regulations plantations owned chinese businessmen singapore particularly disturbed new regulations accused attempting impose trade monopoly british government pressured regulations january addition faced considerable difficulties securing new agreements crisis resolved designated new ports registration cargo british animosity relationship ruler strained soon succeeded father sent letter asserting sovereignty hoped exert political influence addition borrowed large sum indian source facing difficulties debt asked pay ali monthly pension alternated asking payment lodged complaint british government tried borrow repay outstanding debts result constant persuaded straits governor sign agreement terminate pension agreement governor revisions islamic code sultan state islamic judicial closely aligned law letter straits governor expressed hope revisions suit comfortably european ideas founded english school years later moved administrative headquarters officially renamed new administration set modelled european styles certain elements traditional government recruited close relatives classmates school bureaucracy set advisory council included chinese leaders early 1870s straits governor sir said peninsula adjoining states rules accordance practice nations years state visit england commonly addressed led realise title hardly known contemplated change title led send cousin meet historian residing supported cause cross examination concluded past office holders actual control affairs dynasty addition questions pertaining pursuits recognition sidelined able trace ancestry sultan dynasty ancestors sultan gave approval formal recognition travelled presented claims secured approval governor straits settlements change title officially proclaimed june shortly proclamation laid plans construction wooden railway europeans raised proposals set retreat construction railway started july construction phase completed ran construction project later halted accident saw locomotive falling tracks result attacks wooden tracks portion shortage funds straits governor contemplated placing overlord chiefs british failed quell violence client placed confederacy comprising small states region adviser believed ambitions suggested involvement civil war later governor stronger british control states weary influence chiefs lukewarm prospect sphere influence convinced chiefs confederacy deal directly singapore british officers appointed oversee affairs gradually given powers similar british resident death village voted favour merger following succession dispute sultan ali sons oldest son disputed legitimacy wishes hereditary claims instigated civil war bid reclaim quickly crushed forces 1880s actively encouraged chinese leaders set new pepper plantations continued efforts political influence check relations singapore increasingly strained reportedly said increasingly reluctant accept advice british appointed state lawyers increasingly turned private lawyers employed voiced intent place resident prompted trip england august negotiate new terms assistant secretary conceded request absence gave principle acceptance british adviser appointed agreement drawn promised control internal affairs exchange british control foreign affairs pertaining state years sultan proclaimed sultan weary increasingly hostile political environment imposed considered importance superior moral authority accorded sultan instituted creation state postal judiciary system modelled british lines military force return stay london late expressed desire formal recognition sultan met queen_victoria personal friend course visit queen victoria wishes treaty signed december relations great_britain concluded founded state advisory board london intended oversee state interests london retired officers including cecil smith personally appointed oversee board administration formal recognition british sultan quickly drew criticisms circulated background popular accepting paramount ruler political origins heritage furthermore affinity western culture culturally conservative proclamation ceremony held february official announcement adoption title sultan place year july instituted state decorations translated english family order order crown employed service chinese contractor long time acquaintance oversee development showed largest building contractor time involved public works projects addition contracted oversee construction state mosque palaces direction gratitude contributions state granted plot land heart oversaw construction village road land granted april state constitution seen turning point step laying administration suggested fearful possible death light failing health state constitution intent preserving state independence light growing british political influence states foreign relations great_britain inaugural state visit toured england met members english royalty notably queen_victoria prince wales queen conferred knight commander valued highly trip reportedly gave lasting memories england inspired develop british lines years later travelled calcutta meet spending time city following year conferred prince wales gold medal trip london invited attend state ball buckingham palace palaces modelled closely british lines prince visited 1880s commented huge drawing room palace closely resembled state rooms found windsor castle avid polo player raced princes state visits duke praised state visit sultan reportedly enjoyed cuisine served particular queen_victoria close friend especially later years visit england february personally received queen invited stay queen windsor castle queen_victoria held high esteem signed friend letter march reportedly queen_victoria quoted highly valued silver model sent golden jubilee shortly death queen_victoria sent personal physician attend medical needs ill arrived london countries visited european tour met sultan presented princess gift married brother arrived later remarried accompanied trip death second visit england august wrote colonel wishes visit european royalties paris vienna italy visited paris vienna given warm reception returned years later visited prussia conferred crown separate european tours personal physician met emperor king pope conferred awards commander turkey commander visited java dutch rule year travelled hawaii met conferred state secretary bestowed class order double dragon treatment chinese family married wife stay related family ties sister brother law daughter son daughter second wife daughter danish trader chinese wife met singapore adopted muslim marriage married chinese woman heritage daughter took muslim marriage crowned july held high esteem pertaining involvement state affairs close friend building contractor shared common surname dialect group died state visit ottoman_empire september married fourth wife heritage sister wife brother later wife daughter following february later crowned death early travelled london son successor later sultan hope support recognition rule ill suffering diagnosed bright disease type kidney disease voyage early weak carried aboard ship wheelchair reached london checked bailey hotel remaining days allowed receive visitors duke prince arthur paid visits queen victoria sent personal physician attend medical needs receiving news illness contracted pneumonia stay hotel led demise evening june body brought english man war state funeral given laid rest royal son later installed november legacy founder modern established western styled bureaucratic system civil service consolidated state agricultural economy consisted pepper plantations headed chinese leaders known dialect pepper plantations introduced 1840s chinese immigrants called rulers neighbouring states provide advise event rulers important decisions particular close sultan persuaded accept british consultant instead resident time seeking greater control making attempts impose british residents states failed attempt impose state maintained independence internal affairs ruler visit europe comfortably europeans british governor sir written secretary state great_britain described english gentleman tastes habits gained share critics especially conservative scholars critical western tastes penchant extravagant lifestyle foreign travel resulted depleted state treasury time death scholar suggested loss independence early 20th century attributed depleted state treasury addition believed loss independence attributed failure giving attention young son lacked proper education training art state administration diplomacy succeeded father sultan early twenties state buildings constructed reign modelled british victorian architectural styles placed construction state buildings close supervision called lay foundation stones buildings personally buildings named notably sultan built honours awarded honours founding grand master master order crown foreign honours order dynasty 1st class 1st grade kingdom hawaii grand cross british knight commander september italy commander ottoman_empire 1st class prussia order crown 1st class june grand cross house order knight grand cross order michael march knight commander prince wales gold medal
Abu Bakar of Johor