Abdul Jalil Shah IV

Paduka Sri Sultan ‘Abdu’l Jalil IV Ri’ayat Shah Zillu’llah fi al-’Alam bin Dato’ Bendahara Sri Maharaja Tun Habib Abdul Majid (or simply as Sultan Abdul Jalil Shah IV, born Tun Abdul Jalil) was the Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan Besar of Johor and Pahang and their dependencies, who reigned from 1699 to 1718.

He was the eldest son of Bendahara Tun Habib Abdul Majid who initially succeeded his father as the Bendahara of Johor in 1697. Following the death of Mahmud Shah II without an heir in 1699, Abdul Jalil was proclaimed as the next sultan.

In 1718, Raja Kecil appeared on the Riau River with Minangkabau troops and succeeded in overcoming the Johor fleet. He was then able to capture Johor's capital on Riau Island, and proclaim himself ruler, adopting the style Sultan Abdul Jalil Rahmat Shah (r. 1718–1722).

Death Following the victory of Raja Kecil's forces, the deposed Abdul Jalil Shah IV was re-appointed as Bendahara of the kingdom and lived at Kota Tinggi. By the end of 1718, he retired to Terengganu and further removed to Pahang in 1719. On 11 July 1721, he established Kuala Pahang as his new capital and made attempts to recover his kingdom with the support of nobles from Johor, Pahang and Kelantan.

There were now three power centres in the Malay world. Raja Kecil in Riau, Abdul Jalil Shah IV on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula and the Bugis in Selangor and Linggi. The Bugis eventually came out as victorious, in part because Raja Kecil had sabotaged his own popularity by having Abdul Jalil Shah IV killed in Kuala Pahang.

Abdul Jalil Shah IV was killed while conducting his prayers on board his ship, by an emissary sent by Raja Kecil off Kuala Pahang, on 21 November 1721. The sultan was buried at the Royal Cemetery, Kuala Pahang.

Raja Kecil finally admitted defeat in 1722, and the Bugis installed Abdul Jalil Shah IV's son Sulaiman Badrul Alam Shah, as the next sultan of Johor.