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Much of the architectural heritage surviving in this city dates from the mid-19th century. Johor Bahru in fact means 'new Johor' in the Malay language and, as the capital of the Johor state, encapsulates 150 years of modernising efforts under forward-looking and capable monarchs.
Deeper historical roots lie in the upper reaches of the Johor River, near Kota Tinggi in Johor Lama—the 'old Johor'. After Malacca fell to the Portuguese in 1511, defeated Sultan Mahmud Shah fled to Bintan and subsequently founded the Sultanate of Johor. Around 1540, his son and heir, Sultan Alauddin Shah, moved the capital to Johor Lama, where fragments of the original stone fort still remain. However, Portuguese and Acehnese hostilities plagued the infant sultanate for the rest of that century. Only in the early 17th century did it prosper under economic and political alliances with the Dutch. In 1641, it helped the Dutch oust the Portuguese from Malacca. By then, Johor was a thriving trading entrepôt and the Johor-Riau Empire a paramount Malay power.
The empire's fortunes reversed following the murder in 1699 of the ineffectual Sultan Mahmud, the last descendant of the Malaccan royal lineage and whose resting place lies within the Kota Tinggi Royal Mausoleum. More than a century of instability ensued. Prey to internal strife and new powers from Europe and in the Malay world, the empire weakened and splintered. In 1819, Stamford Raffles capitalised on factional rivalry in the empire to acquire Singapore for the British. When the Anglo-Dutch Treaty came into effect in 1824, Johor and the Riau islands fell, respectively, into British and Dutch spheres of influence. Johor came under the leadership of Temmengung Ibrahim, a descendant of Bugis nobles (Muzium Bugis showcases the history of the Bugis people). A capable governor, he put in place the early foundations for sustained progress—opening up land to Chinese settlers from Singapore and initiating the cultivation of pepper, among other moves.
Present-day Johor Bahru only began to take shape under the administration of Ibrahim’s son and successor, Abu Bakar. He took over the reins of government in 1862, and the British formally acknowledged him as the Sultan of Johor in 1885. Widely regarded as the 'Father of Modern Johor', Sultan Abu Bakar established Johor’s constitution and developed a modern administrative system. He moved the state capital to Bandar Tanjung Puteri and renamed it Johor Bahru. Today the city’s major architectural sights conspicuously display the legacy of this widely-travelled ruler who was educated in the West. The Istana Garden plays host to the Istana Besar (Grand Palace), once the residence of the royal family and now home to the Abu Bakar Royal Museum. The sultan also laid the first stone for the visually-arresting Sultan Abu Bakar Mosque but passed away before its completion. His private animal sanctuary is open to public in the form of the Johor Zoo.
Sultan Sir Ibrahim succeeded his father in 1895, maintaining dominion from the last few years of the Victorian age, through two world wars and to the eventual independence of a united Malaya. Johor was made to accept an adviser from the British in 1914, despite its long record of successful self-administration. The 64-year reign saw in 1924 the erection of the Causeway, linking Singapore and the mainland, and in 1940 the construction of the majestic Sultan Ibrahim Building. The War Memorial, along the waterfront of the Johor Straits, commemorates martyred servicemen of the two world wars.
Economically, rubber plantations dominated Johor, as they did other states in the peninsula in the early 20th century. With the ensuing influx of immigrant labour, Malays no longer formed the majority population by the 1930s. The Johor Old Chinese Temple and the Sri Mariamman Temple in downtown Johor Bahru stand as colourful testaments to the transformation of a small, quiet Malay fishing village to the bustling city seen today.
Sultan Sir Ibrahim’s grandson, Sultan Iskandar, ascended the throne in 1981 and continues to rule the State of Johor, with occasional bouts of controversy. The present royal family resides within the secluded and expansive compounds of the Istana Bukit Serene. As for the departed sultans and nobles, their tales and glories forever linger in the ornate and tranquil Sultan Abu Bakar Royal Mausoleum.
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