Alauddin Muhammad Da'ud Syah I

Sultan Alauddin Muhammad Da'ud Syah I (1802 - 1838) was the thirty-first sultan of Aceh in northern Sumatra. He was the sixth ruler of the Bugis Dynasty and reigned from 1823 to 1838.

The old sultan Alauddin Jauhar ul-Alam Syah had led a turbulent reign and was not recognized in all Aceh at his death in December 1823. He did not even control the capital Kutaraja. At his demise he left six children, two by the principal queen Puteri Siharibulan and four with other wives. His testament pointed out a six-years old son by the main wive called Abdul Muhammad. However, this was not accepted by Panglima Polem who headed the XXII Mukims, one of the three regions (sagi) of Aceh. Instead a 22-year-old son from a co-wife, Tengku Da'ud (also known as Tengku Darid or Sultan Buyung), was appointed, supported by his grandmother Merah di Awan. His throne name was Sultan Alauddin Muhammad Da'ud Syah. His full brother Tuanku Ibrahim was appointed Raja Muda (junior king); he would be the main force at the Acehnese court up to 1870. A new civil war threatened to tear Aceh apart since Puteri Siharibulan refused to accept the decision. She made an appeal to the British in Penang and asked for intervention. However, at this time the British had no interest in the politics of Aceh. Puteri Siharibulan and Alauddin Muhammad Da'ud Syah were eventually reconciled via the mediation of the Raja Muda. The new sultan gradually gained acceptance from the panglima sagi (regional headmen), the orang kayas (grandees) and the uleëbalangs (chiefs).

The British reluctance to intervene was related to the London Treaty of 17 March 1824 between the Netherlands and Great Britain. Britain, concerned with the power balance in Europe, did not want a weak Netherlands and agreed to demarcate the spheres of interest in the East Indies. The Melaka Straits would form the border between the spheres, meaning that there would be no British possessions on Sumatra, and no treaties with local states there. On the other hand, the British rights to Singapore and Melaka were stated. The Dutch diplomats promised to build up regular relations with Aceh to ensure security for sailors and merchants without abrogating its independence. The Acehnese authorities were not consulted on the matter but the treaty helped prolonging the independence of Aceh up to the 1870s.

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