Bugis in Selangor

Originating from Sulawesi, the Bugis were a seafaring race and their maritime power dominated the Malay states of Johor, Selangor and Kuala Linggi. In 1667 the Dutch East India Company captured the Bugis capital city of Makassar and this intrusion acted as a catalyst for the dispersal of the Bugis people across the Malays world.

Not long after the rise of a Bugis dynasty in Aceh in 1727, Bugis power was established in the kingdom of Johor in 1728.

Intermarriage with Malay royalty and nobility enabled the Bugis to identify with and become increasingly Melayu, and their influence spread throughout the peninsula. The Bugis were so strong that they successfully installed a new sultan in Selangor.

In the 18th century, the interior of Selangor was virtually uninhabited and when the migration of Bugis from the east took place, many settled there. During the period of conflict between the Minangkabau and the Bugis Raja Kechil invaded Selangor.

The Bugis eventually drove the Minangkabaus out in 1742 but realized they needed to establish solid governments in these settlements. To the end they set up the sultanate of Selangor, only this time a Bugis family held the title.

Raja Lumu (1705–1778) was the first Sultan of Selangor. He was the son of the famous Bugis warrior prince Daeng Chelak. He took on the title of Sultan Sallehuddin of Selangor in 1742.
Bugis in Selangor