Exploring the happenings around the 1874 Pangkor Treaty in Perak...Foraying into Beruas

Greetings! Continuing the story-telling from the article Exploring the happenings around the 1874 Pangkor Treaty in Perak...Pasir Salak historical complex . After we're done at Pasir Salak, it's time to head for Taiping, a place with history integral to the happenings around the Pangkor Treaty. In fact after J.W.W. Birch was killed in 1875, the Malay warriors and patriots were put to trial and sentenced to exile and death by the British at the fort of Ngah Ibrahim just outside Taiping!

To get to Taiping, there is a route through the sleepy town of Beruas. The small town might not have anything to do with the happenings around the treaty but Beruas has it's own history which is integral in the history of Perak. So might as well pay a visit. Here is the story...

First, we stopped at the museum of Beruas...

Here are displayed some items related to history of the old Islamic kingdom of Beruas said to have existed since some 700 years ago... And before that there was a much older kingdom having existed within the same grounds. This is the kingdom of Gangganegara said to be a Hindu and Indianised, established sometime in the 2th Century AD!

For some elaboration, do have a look at the article The origin of the name Beruas. posted here half a year ago... Look also at the articles A short stop in Beruas. And a talk on Beruas' very own mysterious "Batu bersurat" or inscribed stone... and The ancient kingdom of Beruas and its ties with the more ancient kingdom of Gangganegara! which were posted slightly earlier.

Time to go inside...

We spent sometime looking at the artifacts on display...

Oh, by the way the museum is located next to the police station. In the background is the the Bubu mountain looming at around 5,500-feet high...

Then it's time to visit the real item, the tombs of the kings of Beruas in Kampung Kota, some 4km south of Beruas town... There's two main clusters of ancient tombs here...

In the first cluster, inside one walled area, the tombstones are missing. What's left is the stub of one tombstone...

Luckily the tombstones inside the other walled area are still intact. For the record, this type of tombstones is called Aceh tombstones.

Next, we visited the second cluster...

More Aceh-type tombstones here...

Somehow, I always admire its intricate design made for people of much importance especially royalty and important religious and spiritual leaders of old...

Once done at the tombs, we stopped at the Kampung Kota mosque to rest a bit, refresh and did our obligatory prayers...

Overlooking the mosque is the hill of Shamsul Bahrin which has its own history. A series of related video clips will be posted in the blogspot CATATAN SI MERAH SILU shortly. Cheers!