Yamtuan Besar

Yamtuan Besar Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Negeri Sembilan
Provincial/State
Incumbent
Tuanku Muhriz
Details
Style	His Royal Highness
First monarch	Raja Melewar
Formation	1773

Yamtuan Besar, also known as Yang di-Pertuan Besar, is the royal title of the ruler of the Malaysian state of Negeri Sembilan. The ruler of Negeri Sembilan is selected by a council of ruling chiefs in the state, or the Undangs. This royal practice has been followed since 1773. The Yamtuan Besar is selected from among the four leading princes of Negeri Sembilan (Putera Yang Empat).

This unique form of government later inspired the first Prime Minister of Malaysia, Tunku Abdul Rahman, to implement a form of rotational constitutional monarchy for a newly independent Malaya. Thus, the office of Yang di-Pertuan Agong was created.

Negeri Sembilan has been receiving immigrants from Sumatra for hundreds of years. Prior to the implementation of this unique form of monarchy, the area was ruled by the Sultan of Malacca. After Malacca was defeated by the Portuguese, it was ruled by the Sultanate of Johor.

By 1760, however, Johor, which was having trouble from the Dutch, decided to allow the state to find a leader from Minangkabau in Sumatra. Between 1760 and 1770, a council of leaders known as the penghulu luak (the predecessor of the Undangs today) left for Pagar Ruyung in Minangkabau in search of a leader.

The Raja of Pagar Ruyung—who was believed to be a descendant of Dhul-Qarnayn (possibly Alexander the Great or Cyrus the Great ), gave them a leader in the form of his son, Raja Mahmud. Raja Mahmud later became known as Raja Melewar when he came to Negeri Sembilan.

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Wikipedia