CASE STUDY: James Birch

appointment of 1st resident of Perak

• 4 Nov. 1874

  • challenging role as Birch was unfamiliar with Malay customs and traditions and was unsure on how to both assert control while giving “advice” to the Malay sultans

action taken by birch

• attempt to reform of administrative system

  • introduction of code of civil and criminal law; law as to be administrated by a British chief judge instead of the Malay chiefs/Sultan

  • attempt to abolish debt slavery and offered his home as refuge for any escaped slaves

• declared that the resident would collect taxes instead of the Malay Sultan, despite the lack of agreement

reaction of locals

• system was not welcomed by Malay Sultans and malay chiefs

  • felt that Birch was overstepping his boundaries (eg. immediately took over the Malay sultan’s role of revenue collection)

• Raja Abdullah, and several other Malay chiefs, decided to assassinate Birch while he was bathing on 8 Nov. 1875

reaction of British

• immediately sent in a military force from Burma, India and Singapore to stop this revolt, which is now known as the Perak War (1875)

• Those involved in Birch’s death were hung in 1877

• Raja Yusuf was appointed as the new Sultan and Sultan Abdullah was later sent to exile in Seychelles