The Sultanate of Serdang

The history of the Sultanate of Serdang, located in East Sumatra, is a complicated and volatile one. The establishment of this sultanate cannot rule of the heyday of the Sultanate of Aceh. The history of the Sultanate of Serdang should begin with Tuanku Sri Paduka Gocah Pahlawan. He was a brave figure known as the Army Commander-In-Chief (Panglima Besar Tentara) and Commander of Aceh Armada (Panglima Armada Aceh). Carrying the banners of the Sultanate of Aceh under the aegis of Sultan Iskandar Muda, Tuanku Sri Paduka Gocah Pahlawan led the conquest operations of the lands along the West and East Coast of Sumatra and reached Johor and Pahang. There were some who said that Tuanku Sri Paduka Gocah Pahlawan who was entitled Laksamana Kuda Bintan was none but Laksamana Malem Dagang who led the Aceh fleet fought against the Portuguese (1629) and conquered Pahang (1617), Kedah (1620), Nias (1624) and more (Tuanku Luckman Sinar Basarshah II, 2007 b:4).

In 1632, Sultan Iskandar Muda authorized Tuanku Sri Paduka Gocah Pahlawan the vice of Aceh Sultan or the representative of the country due to his merit and service to the Sultanate of Aceh. He then led Haru, or later known as East Sumatera (Basarshah II, 2003:2). Haru was in fact an independent kingdom conquered by the Sultanate of Aceh under the command of Tuanku Sri Paduka Gocah Pahlawan. He was the ancestor of the kings in Haru, an area which later changed into Deli and Serdang. The name Haru itself first emerged in the travel journal of a Chinese wanderer who stopped by in Sumatra at around the 13th century. It was stated in the journal that Haru sent a mission to China in 1282 AD when China was ruled by the Mongolian Empire under Kubilai Khan leadership. In addition, the name Haru was also written in Pararaton chronicle in the fragment on Pamalayu Expedition, which explained about Majapahit struggle to conquer Malay starting from the 13th century. Haru was recorded as one of the main countries in Sumatera besides Lamuri, Lamuri, Samudera, Barlak (Perlak), and Dalmyan (Temiang). Negarakertagama by the legendary Mpu Prapanca also treated the existence of Haru by stating that, in addition to Pane, Majapahit also conquered Kompai and Haru. More >>