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KELANTAN

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Originally appearing in Volume V17, Page 482 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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KELANTAN .—ThiS See also:

state on the See also:east See also:coast, bounded N. and N.E. by the See also:China See also:Sea, E. by See also:Trengganu, S. by Pahang and W. by See also:Perak and Ra-nge, lies between 40 48' and 6° 20' N. and 1010 33' and 102° 45' E. The greatest length from See also:north to See also:south is 115 M. and the greatest breadth from east to See also:west 6o m. The See also:area is about 5000 sq. m. The See also:northern See also:part of the state is See also:flat and fertile, but the See also:southern See also:district which comprises more than See also:half the See also:total area, is mountainous and uncultivated. Next to the Pahang, the Kelantan See also:River is the largest on the east coast. It is 120 See also:miles See also:long and is navigable for shallow-draft launches and big See also:country boats for about 8o miles, and for vessels of 8 ft. draft for about six miles. Its See also:principal tributaries are the Galas, Pergau and Lebir. The Golok and Semarak See also:rivers See also:water the west and east parts of the state, falling into the sea a few miles on either See also:side of the mouth of the Kelantan River. The See also:climate of Kelantan is mild and singularly healthy in the open cultivated regions. The See also:population is about 300,000 of which 10,000 are aboriginal tribes (Sakeis and See also:Jakuns), Io,000 Siamese and See also:Chinese and the See also:rest See also:Malays. The Chinese are increasing and natives of different parts of See also:India are resorting to the state for purposes of See also:trade. Kota Bharu (pop.

Io,000) is the only See also:

town in the state. It lies on the right See also:bank of the river, about six miles from the sea. Since 1904 it has been laid out with metalled roads and many public and private buildings have been erected. The town is the commercial as well as the administrative centre of the state. Tumpat and Tabar on the coast, with population 4000 and 3000 respectively, are the places next in importance after Kota Bharu. A network of creeks render communication easy in the northern districts, the river and its tributaries afford means of See also:access to all parts of the south; 20 miles of road have been made in the neighbourhood of Kota Bharu. Kelantan is connected by See also:telegraph with See also:Bangkok and See also:Singapore, and maintains See also:regular postal communication with those places. See also:Rice cultivation is the principal See also:industry and is increasing rapidly. Coco-See also:nut and betel-nut growing are also largely practised. Much livestock is raised. About 400,000 acres of See also:land are under cultivation. Though reputed See also:rich in minerals, past See also:misrule prevented See also:mining enterprise in Kelantan until, in 1900, a large concession was given to an Englishman and the country was opened to foreigners.

In 1909 three mining syndicates were at See also:

work, and several others were in See also:process of formation. See also:Gold, See also:tin and See also:galena have been found in several localities and during the years 1006–1909 28,000 ounces of gold were dredged from the Kelantan River. The Kelantanese are See also:expert fishermen, some 30,000 finding employment in fishing and See also:fish-drying. See also:Silk-See also:weaving is a growing industry. See also:Foreign trade, which in 1909 reached the value of two and a half million dollars, is chiefly with Singapore. Principal exports are See also:copra, rice, fish, See also:cattle and gold; See also:chief imports are See also:cotton goods, hardware and specie. The currency is the Straits Settlements See also:dollar and small See also:silver See also:coin, supplemented by a locally made tin coin of See also:low value. By virtue of a mutual agreement made in 1902 See also:Siam appointed a See also:resident See also:commissioner to Kelantan and consented, so long as the See also:advice of that officer should be followed, to leave See also:internal affairs to be conducted locally. Under this arrangement a, See also:council of state was appointed, departments of See also:government were organized, penal, See also:civil and See also:revenue See also:laws were passed and enforced, courts were established and a See also:police force was raised. Though formerly of an evil reputation, the See also:people were found to be naturally peaceful and See also:law-abiding, and serious See also:crime is rare. The state revenue, which was practically nothing in 1902, amounted to $320,000 in 1907. See also:Islam-ism was adopted about 300 years ago but the old animistic superstitions are still strong.

The state is divided into mukim or parishes, but the See also:

imam no longer exercise temporal authority. There are three See also:schools at Kota Bharu, See also:education in the interior being in the hands of the imam assisted with government grants. No See also:historical records of Kelantan exist, and the state was not noticed by the See also:European merchants of the 16th and 17th centuries. Consequently little is known of its See also:early See also:history beyond what is to be gathered from brief references in the See also:Malay See also:annals and the old See also:chronicles of Siam. The sites of See also:ancient towns and the remains of former gold diggings are visible here and there, but all knowledge of the men who made these marks has been lost. The See also:present ruling See also:family See also:dates from about 1790. Siam was frequently called upon to maintain internal See also:peace and in 1892 a royal See also:prince was sent to reside in Kelantan as commissioner. Complications brought about by the incapacity of the ruler led to the making of the agreement of 1902 above mentioned, to the fixing of a regular See also:tribute in See also:money to Siam, and ultimately to the merging of the state from chaotic lawlessness into the path of reform. On the 15th of See also:July 1909 the state came under See also:British See also:suzerainty and thecommissionerof Siam was replaced by a British adviser, from which date the liability to See also:payment of tribute ceased, though in all other respects the administrative arrangements of Siam remained unaltered.

End of Article: KELANTAN

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