Editing Perak (section)

=== British protectorate ===
{{main|Federated Malay States|List of British Residents of Perak}}

{{multiple image
| align             = right
| total_width       = 450
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| image1            = Peta negeri reman.jpg
| alt1              = 1899 Malay Peninsula map
| caption1          = 1899 map showing neighbouring Malay states Kedah, [[Kelantan Sultanate|Kelantan]], Perlis and Terengganu, which sent a ''[[bunga mas]]'' to the Siamese court every three years before their cession to the [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|British]] under the 1909 [[Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909|Anglo-Siamese Treaty]]. Perak's interior shown under Siamese tributary the [[Reman Kingdom]], before recovery with British help in 1909.<ref name="Reman occupied districts"/><ref name="1912 Perak details">{{cite book|title=The Directory & Chronicle for China, Japan, Corea, Indo-China, Straits Settlements, Malay States, Sian, Netherlands India, Borneo, the Philippines, &c: With which are Incorporated "The China Directory" and "The Hong Kong List for the Far East" ...|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=o4tEAQAAMAAJ&pg=PA1388|year=1912|publisher=Hong Kong Daily Press Office|pages=1388–1389}}</ref><ref name="British aid resulted to the regain of Hulu Perak">{{cite web|url=http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/470/2/BAB1.pdf|title=Bab 1 (Pengenalan)|trans-title=Chapter 1 (Introduction)|language=ms|author=M Hamzah|publisher=[[University of Malaya]] Students Repository|year=1995|access-date=16 September 2019|page=8 [7/31]|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190916115618/http://studentsrepo.um.edu.my/470/2/BAB1.pdf|archive-date=16 September 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>
| image2            = British Malaya- an account of the origin and progress of British influence in Malaya; with a specially compiled map, numerous illustrations reproduced from photographs and a frontispiece in (14581039678).jpg
| alt2              = 1907 Malay Peninsula map
| caption2          = 1907 British map of the Malay Peninsula, showing Perak (green outline), the [[Straits Settlements]] including Dindings (red), northern Malay Siamese tributary states (yellow), and Sultanates of Pahang and [[Selangor Sultanate|Selangor]] (brown and orange)
}}

When the EIC established a British presence in Penang, the British already had a trading post in [[Founding years of modern Singapore|Singapore]], avoiding involvement in the affairs of the nearby Malay sultanates.<ref name="Mackay2005">{{cite book|author=Derek Mackay|title=Eastern Customs: The Customs Service in British Malaya and the Hunt for Opium|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=x3EAAwAAQBAJ&pg=PA10|date=24 March 2005|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-0-85771-230-1|pages=10–}}</ref> In 1822, the British authority in [[Company rule in India|India]] sent British diplomat [[John Crawfurd]] to Siam to negotiate trade concessions and gather information with a view to restoring the Sultan of Kedah to the throne. The mission failed.<ref>{{cite book|author=Joginder Singh Jessy|title=History of Malaya, 1400-1959|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dwc5AQAAIAAJ&q=anglo+burmese+war+1824+siam+ally|year=1963|publisher=Jointly published by the United Publishers and Peninsular Publications|pages=82–}}</ref> In 1823, the Sultanates of Perak and Selangor signed a joint agreement to block the Dutch tin monopoly in their territories.<ref name="Perak and Selangor treaty" /> EIC policy shifted with the [[First Anglo-Burmese War]] in 1824 with Siam becoming an important ally.<ref name="Hall1981" />

Through its governor, [[Robert Fullerton]], Penang tried to convince the main EIC authority in India to continue helping the Sultan of Kedah to regain his throne.<ref>{{cite book|author=Harry Miller|title=A short history of Malaysia|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=N5luAAAAMAAJ&q=anglo+burmese+war+1824+siam+ally|year=1966|publisher=F.A. Praeger|pages=79–}}</ref> Throughout 1824, Siam aimed to expand its control towards Perak and Selangor.<ref>{{cite book|author=Virginia Thompson|title=Thailand, the new Siam|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=IXTaAAAAIAAJ&q=In+1824%2C+the+year+of+Siam%27s+expansion+in+Selangor+and+Perak|year=1941|publisher=The Macmillan company|pages=150–|isbn=9780598971814}}</ref> The dispute between the British and Dutch formally ceased when Dutch Malacca in the Malay Peninsula was exchanged with [[British Bencoolen]] in Sumatra, both parties agreeing to limit their sphere of influence through the signing of the [[Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824|1824 Anglo-Dutch Treaty]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/5005d886-9c27-421e-a22d-44fb5965350c|title=Signing of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty (Treaty of London) of 1824 [17 March 1824]|publisher=[[National Library Board]], Singapore|access-date=16 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190916044624/http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/5005d886-9c27-421e-a22d-44fb5965350c|archive-date=16 September 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> In July 1825, an initial negotiation was held between Siam, represented by their tributary state the [[Nakhon Si Thammarat#History|Kingdom of Ligor]], and the EIC.<ref name="British-Siam negotiation">{{cite web|url=http://hids.arkib.gov.my/en/peristiwa/-/asset_publisher/WAhqbCYR9ww2/content/rundingan-inggeris-siam/pop_up?_101_INSTANCE_WAhqbCYR9ww2_viewMode=print|title=British-Siam Negotiation|publisher=National Archives of Malaysia|date=31 July 1825|access-date=10 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913053751/http://hids.arkib.gov.my/en/peristiwa/-/asset_publisher/WAhqbCYR9ww2/content/rundingan-inggeris-siam/pop_up?_101_INSTANCE_WAhqbCYR9ww2_viewMode=print|archive-date=13 September 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> The King of Ligor promised that Siam would not send its armada to Perak and Selangor, resolving the issue of its attacks. The British renounced any aspiration of conquering Perak or interfering in its administration, promising to prevent Raja Hasan of Selangor from making trouble in Perak, and to try to reconcile the differences between Selangor and Ligor.<ref name="British-Siam negotiation" /> A month later, in August 1825, Sultan of Selangor [[Ibrahim Shah of Selangor|Ibrahim Shah]] signed a friendship and peace treaty with the EIC, represented by John Anderson, ending the long feud between the governments of Selangor and Perak.<ref name="English peace and friendship treaty">{{cite web|url=http://hids.arkib.gov.my/peristiwa/-/asset_publisher/WAhqbCYR9ww2/content/perjanjian-damai-dan-persahabatan-selangor-inggeris/pop_up?_101_INSTANCE_WAhqbCYR9ww2_viewMode=print|title=Selangor-English Peace And Friendship Treaty|publisher=National Archives of Malaysia|date=20 August 1825|access-date=10 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190910054553/http://hids.arkib.gov.my/peristiwa/-/asset_publisher/WAhqbCYR9ww2/content/perjanjian-damai-dan-persahabatan-selangor-inggeris/pop_up?_101_INSTANCE_WAhqbCYR9ww2_viewMode=print|archive-date=10 September 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> Under the treaty, Selangor gave assurances to the British that it would not interfere in the affairs of Perak; the border between Perak and Selangor was finalised; and Raja Hasan of Selangor was to be immediately exiled from Perak, paving the way for peace between the two Malay states and the resolution of the power struggle between the British and Siam.<ref name="English peace and friendship treaty" />

[[File:Pangkor Island, Perak, 1874.jpg|thumb|right|Pangkor Island within Dindings in the British Straits Settlements, {{circa|1874}}]]

In 1826, the Kingdom of Ligor broke its promise and attempted to conquer Perak. A small British expeditionary force thwarted the attack. The Sultan of Perak then ceded to the British Dindings and Pangkor (the two now constitute [[Manjung District]]) so that the British could suppress [[piracy|pirate]] activity along the Perak coast where it became part of the [[Straits Settlements]].<ref name="Wheeler2019" /> The same year, the British and Siam concluded the [[Burney Treaty]], signed by British Captain [[Henry Burney]] and the Siamese government, the British agreed not to intercede in the affairs of Kedah despite their friendly relations with Kedah's ruler, and the Siamese agreed not to attack Perak or Selangor.<ref>{{cite book|author=Daniel George Edward Hall|title=Henry Burney: A Political Biography|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9XRuAAAAMAAJ|year=1974|publisher=Oxford University Press|isbn=978-0-19-713583-9}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Thongchai Winichakul|title=Siam Mapped: A History of the Geo-Body of a Nation|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=TJEK4sHPlUsC&pg=PA62|year=1997|publisher=University of Hawaii Press|isbn=978-0-8248-1974-3|pages=62–}}</ref>

[[File:Women_tin_miners_in_Perak,_late_19th_century.jpg|left|thumb|Women of different ethnic groups in Perak; the majority [[Overseas Chinese|Chinese]], with some [[Ethnic Malays|Malay]] and [[Mandailing people|Mandailing]] employed as [[tin]] miners in the late 19th century]]

The discovery of tin in Larut and rapid growth of the tin ore trade in the 19th century saw an increasing influx of Chinese labour. Later, rivalry developed between two Chinese [[secret societies]]. This, coupled with internal political strife between two factions of Perak's local Malay rulers, escalated into the [[Larut Wars]] in 1841.<ref>{{cite journal|title=Succession to the Perak Sultanate|author=Khoo Kay Kim|journal=Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society|year=1983|volume=56|issue=2|pages=7–29|jstor=41492955}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Mervyn Llewelyn Wynne|title=Triad Societies: Western Accounts of the History, Sociology and Linguistics of Chinese Secret Societies|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=6irEoGgDrm4C&pg=PA282|year=2000|publisher=Taylor & Francis|isbn=978-0-415-24397-1|pages=282–}}</ref> After 21 years of wars, neighbouring Kedah freed itself from full Siamese rule in 1843, although it remained a Siamese tributary state until 1909.<ref name="Wheeler2019" /><ref name="BegbieBanerjee1834" /> By 1867, the link between the Straits Settlements on the Malay coast and the British authority in India was broken, with separate administration and the transfer of the respective territories to the [[Colonial Office]].<ref name="Mackay2005" /> The [[Anglo-Dutch Treaties of 1870–1871]] enabled the Dutch to consolidate control over Aceh in Sumatra. This later escalated into the [[Aceh War]].<ref>{{cite book|author1=Simon Groenveld|author2=Michael Joseph Wintle|author3=Anglo-Dutch Historical Conference|title=State and Trade: Government and the Economy in Britain and the Netherlands Since the Middle Ages; &#91;papers Delivered to the Tenth Anglo-Dutch Historical Conference, Nijmegen, 1988&#93;|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=v360AAAAIAAJ&q=Anglo-Dutch+Treaties+of+1870%E2%80%9371+dutch+aceh|year=1992|publisher=Walburg Press|isbn=978-90-6011-794-1|pages=117–}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Arthur Cotterell|title=Western Power in Asia: Its Slow Rise and Swift Fall, 1415 - 1999|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dY79QltL5fQC&pg=PA383|date=4 August 2011|publisher=John Wiley & Sons|isbn=978-1-118-16999-5|pages=383–}}</ref>

[[File:SultanAbdullahPerak.jpg|thumb|125px|left|Raja [[Abdullah Muhammad Shah II of Perak|Abdullah Muhammad Shah II]], whose request for British intervention in Perak's affairs resulted in the 1874 [[Pangkor Treaty of 1874|Pangkor Treaty]]<ref name="1874 Pangkor Treaty">{{cite web |date=30 December 1873 |title=Raja Abdullah's Letter To The English Governor |url=http://hids.arkib.gov.my/en/peristiwa/-/asset_publisher/WAhqbCYR9ww2/content/surat-raja-abdullah-kepada-gabenor-inggeris/pop_up?_101_INSTANCE_WAhqbCYR9ww2_viewMode=print |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913052227/http://hids.arkib.gov.my/en/peristiwa/-/asset_publisher/WAhqbCYR9ww2/content/surat-raja-abdullah-kepada-gabenor-inggeris/pop_up?_101_INSTANCE_WAhqbCYR9ww2_viewMode=print |archive-date=13 September 2019 |access-date=13 September 2019 |publisher=National Library Board, Singapore}}</ref><ref name="signing of 1874 Pangkor Treaty">{{cite web |title=Pangkor Treaty is Signed [20 January 1874] |url=http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/07f0aaea-4348-4e34-947e-69448be4407f |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913051622/http://eresources.nlb.gov.sg/history/events/07f0aaea-4348-4e34-947e-69448be4407f |archive-date=13 September 2019 |access-date=13 September 2019 |publisher=[[National Library Board]], Singapore}}</ref>]]

Internal conflicts ensued in Perak. In 1873, the ruler of one of Perak's two local Malay factions, Raja [[Abdullah Muhammad Shah II of Perak|Abdullah Muhammad Shah II]], wrote to the Governor of the Straits Settlements, [[Andrew Clarke (British Army officer, born 1824)|Andrew Clarke]], requesting British assistance.<ref name="1874 Pangkor Treaty" /> This resulted in the [[Pangkor Treaty of 1874|Treaty of Pangkor]], signed on Pangkor Island on 20 January 1874, under which the British recognised Abdullah as the legitimate Sultan of Perak.<ref name="signing of 1874 Pangkor Treaty" /> In return, the treaty provided for direct British intervention through the appointment of a Resident who would advise the sultan on all matters except religion and customs, and oversee revenue collection and general administration, including maintenance of peace and order.<ref>{{cite book|author=Anthony Webster|title=Gentleman Capitalists: British Imperialism in Southeast Asia, 1770-1890|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=vH2ssfXKBLwC&pg=PA182|date=31 December 1998|publisher=I.B.Tauris|isbn=978-1-86064-171-8|pages=182–}}</ref> Britain's first priority in the region was preventing the internecine warfare among the Chinese at Larut which had been disrupting trade, and in bringing about an end to the piracy plaguing the region.<ref name=":1">{{Cite book |last=Heussler |first=Robert |title=British rule in Malaya: the Malayan civil service and its predecessors, 1867 - 1942 |date=1981 |publisher=Clio Press |isbn=978-0-903450-49-2 |location=Oxford |pages=54}}</ref>

[[File:KITLV - 3608 - Lambert & Co., G.R. - Singapore - Members of the first meeting of the Federal Conference in Kuala Kangsar in Perak - 1897-07-14.tif|thumb|right|First Federal Conference after Perak joined the [[Federated Malay States|FMS]],<ref>{{cite web |date=31 July 1825 |title=The First Federated Malay States Durbar Meeting, Kuala Kangsar, July 1897 |url=http://www.arkib.gov.my/en/web/guest/mesyuarat-durbar-negeri-negeri-melayu-bersekutu-yang-pertama-kuala-kangsar-julai1897 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190913121040/http://www.arkib.gov.my/en/web/guest/mesyuarat-durbar-negeri-negeri-melayu-bersekutu-yang-pertama-kuala-kangsar-julai1897 |archive-date=13 September 2019 |access-date=10 September 2019 |publisher=National Archives of Malaysia}}</ref> held in Kuala Kangsar as a mark of British regard for Sultan [[Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah of Perak|Idris Murshidul Azzam Shah]], {{circa|1897}}<ref>{{cite news |author=Alan Teh Leam Seng |date=1 July 2018 |title=Conference of Rulers: How it all started |newspaper=New Straits Times |url=https://www.nst.com.my/lifestyle/sunday-vibes/2018/07/386063/conference-rulers-how-it-all-started |access-date=13 September 2019}}</ref>]]

The treaty marked the introduction of a [[Resident minister|British residential system]], with Perak going on to become part of the [[Federated Malay States]] (FMS) in 1895. It was also a shift from the previous British policy of non-intervention in Perak's affairs.<ref name="Wheeler2019" /><ref name="1874 Pangkor Treaty" /><ref name="signing of 1874 Pangkor Treaty" /><ref name="1912 Perak details" /> [[James W. W. Birch]] was appointed as Perak's first [[List of British Residents of Perak|British Resident]], and [[Tristram Speedy|Captain Speedy]], already stationed at Larut with a number of [[Sepoy|Sepoys]], was appointed Assistant Resident.<ref name=":1" /> However, Birch's inability to understand and communicate well with the locals, ignorance of Malay customs, and disparagement of the efforts of the sultan and his dignitaries to implement British tax control and collection systems caused resentment. This was also not helped by a lack of a coherent British policy for the area, and poor understanding from the Sultanate as to the implications of a British Resident.<ref name=":1" /> As a result, local nationalist [[Lela Pandak Lam|Maharaja Lela]] and the new monarch, Sultan Abdullah Muhammad Shah II, opposed him, and the following year, in 1875, Birch was assassinated through a conspiracy of local Malay dignitaries Seputum, Pandak Indut, Che Gondah, and Ngah Ahmad.<ref name="US commercial relations" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://hids.arkib.gov.my/peristiwa/-/asset_publisher/WAhqbCYR9ww2/content/residen-perak-j-w-w-birch-dibunuh/pop_up?_101_INSTANCE_WAhqbCYR9ww2_viewMode=print|title=J.W.W. Birch, The Resident Of Perak Was Killed|publisher=National Archives of Malaysia|date=2 November 1875|access-date=16 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190916102849/http://hids.arkib.gov.my/peristiwa/-/asset_publisher/WAhqbCYR9ww2/content/residen-perak-j-w-w-birch-dibunuh/pop_up?_101_INSTANCE_WAhqbCYR9ww2_viewMode=print|archive-date=16 September 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> The assassination angered the British authority, and following anti-British uprisings in several areas, a major military campaign was fought by the British in Perak in 1875-76. The perpetrators were arrested and executed and the sultan and his chiefs, also suspected of involvement in the plot, were [[exile|banished]] to the [[History of Seychelles#British rule|British Seychelles]] in the [[Indian Ocean]] in 1876.<ref name="Scarr2000">{{cite book|author=Deryck Scarr|title=Seychelles Since 1770: History of a Slave and Post-slavery Society|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=_anYGvvJKU0C&pg=PA106|year=2000|publisher=C. Hurst & Co. Publishers|isbn=978-1-85065-363-9|pages=106–}}</ref><ref name="innocent Sultan of Perak">{{cite web|url=http://www.seychellesweekly.com/July%2011,%202010/top2_sultan.html|title=The Innocent Sultan of Perak in the Seychelles|author=Julien Durup|publisher=Seychelles Weekly|date=11 July 2010|access-date=16 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190916105559/http://www.seychellesweekly.com/July%2011,%202010/top2_sultan.html|archive-date=16 September 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> The swiftness of the campaign would also act as a wake-up call to the chiefs that, unlike their other rivals, the British thoroughly intended to make their mark on the country, and had the power to enforce it.<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Heussler |first=Robert |title=British rule in Malaya: the Malayan civil service and its predecessors, 1867 - 1942 |date=1981 |publisher=Clio Press |isbn=978-0-903450-49-2 |location=Oxford |pages=56-57}}</ref>

[[File:The Author's first ride in Perak.png|thumb|right|British female explorer, naturalist and writer [[Isabella Bird]] led by two local men in her first ride on elephant in Perak, {{circa|1883}}]]

During his exile, the Sultan had the use of a government-owned residence at Union Vale in [[Victoria, Seychelles|Victoria]], [[Mahé, Seychelles|Mahé]]. The other exiled chiefs were given allowances but remained under strict surveillance. The sultan and his chiefs were temporarily relocated to [[Félicité Island]] for five years, before being allowed to return to Victoria in 1882 when the turmoil in Perak had subsided. The sultan led a quiet life in the Seychellois community, and had communications access to [[State House (Seychelles)|Government House]].<ref name="correspondence">{{cite journal|title=Letters From Exile — Correspondence of Sultan Abdullah of Perak from Seychelles and Mauritius, 1877—1891|author=Cheah Boon Kheng|journal=Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society|year=1991|volume=64|issue=1|pages=33–74|jstor=41493172}}</ref> After many years, the Sultan was pardoned following petitioning by the Seychellois and correspondence between W. H. Hawley of Government House, Mauritius, and [[Secretary of State for the Colonies]] [[Henry Holland, 1st Viscount Knutsford|Henry Holland]]. He was allowed to return to the Malay Peninsula, and spent most of his later life in Singapore and Penang before returning to [[Kuala Kangsar (town)|Kuala Kangsar]] in Perak in 1922.<ref name="correspondence" /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.arkib.gov.my/en/web/guest/dokumen-permohonan-pengampunan-sultan-abdullah-perak|title=Pardon Application Documents Sultan Abdullah, Perak|publisher=National Archives of Malaysia|date=31 July 1825|access-date=10 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190206024453/http://www.arkib.gov.my/en/web/guest/dokumen-permohonan-pengampunan-sultan-abdullah-perak|archive-date=6 February 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>

[[File:Collectie NM van Wereldculturen TM-60016187 Foto Auteur Marie-Francois-Xavier-Joseph-Jean-Honore Brau de Saint-Pol Lias (1840 - 1914).jpg|thumb|right|Group portrait of 4th British Resident [[Hugh Low]] and two Perak and Larut Malay rajas, {{circa|1880–1881}}]]

Being the only candidate to the Sultanate who could be confidently ascertained to be innocent of the plot, Abdullah's brother [[Yusuf Sharifuddin Muzaffar Shah of Perak|Yusuf]] was dully appointed Sultan, albeit one that would be considered far more of a British puppet than before. Despite this, the Malay population seemed largely to welcome the British as a source of stability compared to the often feuding chiefs.<ref name=":2" /> Initially, the now vacant role of British Resident was taken over by [[James Guthrie Davidson]], a previous resident of Selangor. However, the low pay and insecure position resulted in him disengaging from the role and leaving after only one year in office. Needing someone both local and skilled enough to handle the complicated circumstances of Perak, the Governor would subsequently appoint the more experienced Hugh Low, who had spent much of the past twenty-eight years in nearby [[Labuan]], and who was considered a safe pair of hands by both London and the Governor.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Heussler |first=Robert |title=British rule in Malaya: the Malayan civil service and its predecessors, 1867 - 1942 |date=1981 |publisher=Clio Press |isbn=978-0-903450-49-2 |location=Oxford |pages=58}}</ref>

British Resident in Perak [[Hugh Low]] proved an effective administrator, preferring to adopt a generous approach that avoided confrontation with local leaders. As a result, he was able to secure the co-operation of many rajas and village ''[[penghulu]]'' with his policy rather than resorting to force, despite giving transport infrastructure little attention during his term.<ref name="US commercial relations" /><ref>{{cite journal|title=The Journal of Sir Hugh Low, Perak, 1877|author=Emily Sadka|journal=Journal of the Malayan Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society|year=1954|volume=27|issue=4|pages=1–108|jstor=24249161}}</ref><ref name="Martin2004">{{cite book|author=Susan M. Martin|title=The Up Saga|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=RtDTYPUl-yEC&pg=PA26|year=2004|publisher=NIAS Press|isbn=978-87-91114-51-9|pages=26–}}</ref> In 1882, [[Frank Swettenham]] succeeded Low for a second term as the Resident of Perak. During his mandate, Perak's rail and road infrastructure was put in place. Increasing numbers of labourers were brought from India, primarily to work as railway and municipal [[coolie]]s.<ref name="KhooLubis2005" /><ref name="Martin2004" />

[[File:Groepsportret van meisjes uit Kuala Kangsar.png|thumb|left|Perak [[Ethnic Malays|Malay]] girls in [[folk costume|traditional dress]], [[Kuala Kangsar (town)|Kuala Kangsar]], image pre-1921]]

The British introduced several changes to the local political structure, exerting influence on the appointment of the sultan and restricting the power of his chiefs to Malay local matters. The sultan and his chiefs were no longer entitled to collect taxes but received a monthly allowance from the state treasury in compensation.<ref name="transformation of Perak's political and economic structure">{{cite journal|url=http://journalarticle.ukm.my/6228/1/d.pdf|title=The Transformation of Perak's Political and Economic Structure in the British Colonial Period in Malaya (1874-1957)|author1=Azrai Abdullah|author2=Izdihar Baharin|author3=Rizal Yaakop|journal=Malaysian Journal of History, Politics & Strategy, School of History, Politics & Strategy|via=[[Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia]]|year=2012|volume=39|issue=2|pages=63–72|issn=2180-0251|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190917090236/http://journalarticle.ukm.my/6228/1/d.pdf|archive-date=17 September 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref> British intervention marked the beginning of Perak's transition from a primarily Malay society to a multi-ethnic one. The new style of government worked to promote a [[market economy|market-driven economy]], maintain law and order, and combat [[slavery]], seen by the British as an obstacle to economic development and incompatible with a [[capitalist economy]].<ref name="transformation of Perak's political and economic structure" />

Under the [[Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909|Anglo-Siamese Treaty]], signed in Bangkok in 1909, Siam ceded its northern Malay tributary states of Kedah, [[Kelantan Sultanate|Kelantan]], Perlis, and [[Terengganu Sultanate|Terengganu]] and nearby islands to [[United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland|Great Britain]]. Exceptions were the [[Patani (historical region)|Patani]] region, which remained under Siamese rule, and Perak, which regained the previously lost inland territory that became the [[Hulu Perak District]].<ref name="Reman occupied districts" /><ref name="British aid resulted to the regain of Hulu Perak" /> The treaty terms stipulated that the British, through their government of the FMS, would assume responsibility for all debts owed to Siam by the four ceded Malay states, and relinquish British [[extraterritoriality|extraterritorial rights]] in Siam.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://hids.arkib.gov.my/en/peristiwa/-/asset_publisher/WAhqbCYR9ww2/content/perjanjian-british-siam-1909/pop_up?_101_INSTANCE_WAhqbCYR9ww2_viewMode=print|title=Anglo-Siamese Treaty Of 1909|publisher=National Archives of Malaysia|date=10 March 1909|access-date=17 September 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190917075317/http://hids.arkib.gov.my/en/peristiwa/-/asset_publisher/WAhqbCYR9ww2/content/perjanjian-british-siam-1909/pop_up?_101_INSTANCE_WAhqbCYR9ww2_viewMode=print|archive-date=17 September 2019|url-status=dead}}</ref>