Ancient Artifact Review 115 : Antique Woodblock Relief Stamp of Sir Frank Swettenham and Raja Asal letter dated 1876 CE

 

This artifact is a 19th-century carved woodblock relief stamp (acuan cetak / blok kayu) used in official Malay administrative correspondence.

• Structure & Base: The primary body consists of a rectangular block of seasoned hardwood, showing natural wood grain and age-related wear.

• Printing Surface: Mounted onto the wooden block is a hand-carved, reverse-engraved metal relief plate (plate acuan metal) containing cursive Malay-Jawi script arranged horizontally across nine lines of text.

• Header Detail: The top edge features an extended metal tab secured with a small metal rivet, containing an opening honorific heading carved in Arabic script (Al-Mustahaqq / "The Deserving").

• Function: Carved in reverse (mirror-image relief), this plate was intended to be inked—typically using lampblack or iron gall ink—and pressed onto paper to produce legible, identical copies of official diplomatic circulars.

Historical Context: Sir Frank Swettenham, Raja Asal, and the Perak War

The Historical Figures

• Sir Frank Swettenham: A key British colonial administrator who served as the Assistant Resident of Selangor (1874–1875), Deputy Resident of Perak, and later Governor of the Straits Settlements. Swettenham was fluent in the Malay language and deeply versed in Jawi script and court diplomatic customs.

• Raja Asal: A influential Mandailing chief and mining magnate who played a crucial role in the tin-mining economics and politics of Selangor and Perak during the mid-to-late 19th century.

Connection to the Perak War (1875–1876)

Following the assassination of the first British Resident of Perak, J.W.W. Birch, in November 1875, the British colonial government launched a military campaign known as the Perak War to suppress local resistance led by Malay chiefs such as Dato’ Maharajalela, Sultan Abdullah, and Ngah Ibrahim.

During this campaign, the British relied on local allies to secure supply lines, maintain order, and cut off insurgent forces. Raja Asal allied himself with the British authorities. Frank Swettenham actively coordinated logistics, troops, and supplies across the Selangor-Perak frontier to ensure Raja Asal’s forces remained well-equipped against hostiles.

Supply of Weapons and Gunpowder (Ubat Bedil)

Because rapid communication and material support were critical during military operations in 1875–1876, official letters were issued to authorize shipments of war material. In this specific correspondence, Swettenham explicitly confirms the dispatch of rifles and gunpowder (ubat bedil), and supplies under official authorization (tanda raja) to aid Raja Asal and his men in executing military and security operations on behalf of the administration.

Below is the printed letter :

Translation of the letter

الْمُسْتَحَقّ

Frank A. Swettenham

سورة درڤد بيت توان سويتنم دبندر بهارو بارڠ دسفيكن كفد صحابت   

بيت راج اسل يڠ تنت ماس اين ددالم سلام دڠن سلامتڽ

وبعد اهوال مك سورة صحابت بيت سوده سمفي كڤد بيت دڠن

سلامتڽ، مك سكارڠ صحابة بيت انترسنافڠ اوبت بديل دان كاين ددالم

تاڠن راج، جيك يڠ فركي كفد صحابة بيت مك بيت منت...

...صحابة بيت ممبوة ڤكرجاءن ايت دعن سكراڽ مك ايني بيت

...معلومكن ڤد صحابة بيت تياد لاين تندا علامت المحبة

...هڽ تابيق باڽق٢ كڤد صحابة بيت ادان تمت...

...ترتوليس ڤد 7 هاري بولن فبرواري، 1876

Al-Mustahaqq

Frank A. Swettenham

Surat daripada beta Tuan Swettenham di Bandar Baharu barang disampaikan kepada sahabat

beta Raja Asal yang tentu masa ini di dalam salam dengan selamatnya.

Wa ba'du ahwal maka surat sahabat beta sudah sampai kepada beta dengan

selamatnya, maka sekarang sahabat beta hantar senapang, ubat bedil, dan kain di dalam

tangan raja. Jika yang pergi kepada sahabat beta, maka beta minta

sahabat beta membuat pekerjaan itu dengan segeranya. Maka ini beta

maklumkan pada sahabat beta, tiada lain tanda alamat al-muhabbah

hanya tabik banyak-banyak kepada sahabat beta adanya, tamat...

tertulis pada 7 hari bulan Februari, 1876.