HISTORY

HERALDRY

Autonomous Sultanate

Dutch Protectorate

Armed Forces

History

Siak Sri Indrapura was the centre of an Islamite Malayan kingdom, which enjoyed its golden age from the 18th through 20th century. Sultan Abdul Jalil Rahmad Syah (Raja Kecil) founded the kingdom in 1723.

In 1746, the Sultan of Johore Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah of the Bendahara Dynasty (1722-’60) gave the Siak Kingdom to the Dutch VOC. That same year, agreements were made with the Peninsular Kingdom of Nanning, Rembau and Perak. In 1765 the VOC retired from Siak and in 1784 when the Dutch undertook an expedition against the Viceroy of Riau they were supported by the Siak sultan.

By the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 Siak became a part of the Dutch sphere of influence. This was followed on 1 February 1858 by a political contract signed between the Netherlands Indies government and sultan Ismail by which Siak came under the rule of the Dutch colonial government.

The boundaries of Siak were defined to include Langkat and Deli, infringing on Acehnese territory. The Dutch governed Tanah Deli (now Medan) from 1858, after Sultan Assyaidis Syarif Ismail Jalil Jalaluddin (1827-1864), ruler of Siak, yielded some of his once-ruled land, Deli, Langkat, and Serdang.

In November 1945, the last sultan, Sultan Syarif Kasyim II, sent a cable to the president of Republic of Indonesia stating his loyalty to the republic, and he contributed his properties to the struggle of independence.

Heraldry

Autonomous Sultanate

Initially the royal symbol of Siak was a Tree of Life supported by two snakes (naga). This is demonstrated by a tombak (spear) today in the treasury of Siak Palace. [1]

Tombak from the Siak Palace Treasury, 18th century

The detail on the right showing the Tree of Life and the naga

The Sultan’s flag consisted of a yellow cloth charged with a red-white and blue tricolore. At the saem time the commercial flag was blue charged with two breadths of red and white. We may suppose that these flags were introduced after the Van Braam expedition in 1784 when Siak helped the Dutch to crush the Bugis of Riau Vice Kingdom.

Sultan’s Flag of Siak, before 1858

Commercial Flag of Siak, before 1858

Belonging to the same set of political emblems is the seal in the common Sumatran form of an eight-leaved lotus and as such a symbol of the Sultan’s administration. The print shows the names and titles of the sultan an a date. [2]

Print of the Seal of  Saiyid Ali bin Uthman Abdul  (1797-1811)

dated 1225 (1809 A.D)

The lotus-shaped seal is an inheritance from the Hindu-Buddhist system of political symbols in which  the lotus is the symbol of administrative authority.

Protectorate

1858-1946

After 1858, when Siak was incorporated in the Netherlands Indies Colony the political symbols were further developed. About the turn of the 20th century they consisted of the national flag and achievement and the sultan’s flag and achievement.

Beside these symbols a national or royal crown was designed as a part of the ruler’s pusaka (regalia).

National Emblem and Flag

The National Emblem

.

The national Emblem consists of the cypher H, S and L (?) in arab lettering, surrounded by a crescent and five-pointed star.

The crescent-and-star is from the muslim system of political symbols and means: The Governor (Head of State), the crescent symbolizng the state, the star the prince.

ï The National Emblem (Lambang Kesultanan Siak Sri Indrapura) as on a picture in the Royal palace.

Commercial, alias the National Flag of Siak, 1858-

Royal Emblem and Flag

Cap Badge of Sultan Syarif Kasim (1908-’46)

Detail from his portrait in full dress (KIT portefeuille 10B/10740)

The emblem consists of the cypher of the arab letters H, S and L and three five-pointed stars, surrounded by a crescent charged with five five-pointed stars. The emblem is crowned with the royal crown of Siak and supported by two crowned naga.

Royal Flag [3]

A later version shows a yellow square flag

The Royal and National Achievement

Achievement of Siak, first version (1884). [5]

Arms: The chief strewn with 17 billets, a cypher in arab lettering and in base a legend also in arab lettering.

Crown: The Royal Crown of Siak

Supporters: Two royally crowned Naga, each supporting a royal pennon, and a garland of tualang leaves (?)

Motto: ALWAROLIATILVACHIRAN / 1884

The inscriptions are unexplained. 1884 is the second decade of the reign of Syarif Kasim I (1864-’89)

A later version shows:

Arms: Azure, a figure derived from the National Emblem [Or].

Crown: The royal crown of Siak

Supporters: Two royally crowned Naga, each holding a royal pennon being all yellow

Motto: An inscripion in arab lettering on a ribbon Gules, lined Azure.

ð See illustration in the head of this essay. [6]

Armed Forces

Flag for War of Siak, after 1858

Sultan Syarif Kasim and his guard, about 1910.

Coll. Tropenmuseum, Amsterdam. Inv. nr. 60028108