Naning War

The Naning War
Date6 August 1831 – 15 June 1832
Location
Result British victory
Territorial
changes
Naning incorporated into the district of Malacca
Belligerents

 United Kingdom

Naning
Commanders and leaders
United Kingdom Robert Ibbetson
United Kingdom William Thomas Lewis
Dol Said

The Naning War (6 August 1831 – 15 June 1832), also known as the Naning Conflict or Naning Revolt, was a conflict in the region surrounding Malacca, which was part of the Straits Settlements under British control. The conflict was fought between British East India Company (EIC), which had taken over Malacca and its neighboring areas from the Dutch in 1824, against the Malay chiefdom of Naning, located adjacent to Malacca.

The causes of the Naning War stemmed from the expanding British interests in the Malay Peninsula and a dispute over the extent of British jurisdiction, particularly their right to impose taxation on Naning. The British, after two military expeditions, ultimately defeated Naning and fully incorporated its territory under Malacca's jurisdiction.

This conflict is one of the earliest instances of British intervention in the Malay states. However, the high monetary cost of the war prompted the British to adopt a more cautious approach in their future dealings with the Malay states. Rather than pursuing aggressive military action, they increasingly relied on political influence, a strategy that eventually led to the Treaty of Pangkor in 1874 and the establishment of the 'Resident System'.

Today, Dol Said, the chief (Penghulu) of Naning, is celebrated as a nationalist hero in Malaysia for his resistance against foreign aggression.