Bendahara

Bendahara (Jawi: بندهار‎) was an administrative position within classical Malay kingdoms comparable to a vizier before the intervention of European powers during the 19th century.

For the ancient kingdoms of Malacca and Johor, there were many tasks and responsibilities but the primary ones were:[citation needed] The legitimacy of the sultan lay with the bendahara.

[citation needed] The involvement of the British and the Dutch in the administration of the Malay States and the subsequent independence of Malaysia and Indonesia has reduced the bendahara to a symbolic title.

Under Tun Perak's service which spanned several sultans, Malacca reached its height in the late 15th century.

After the rule of Sultan Abdul Jalil IV, the bendahara was awarded Pahang as his personal fief.

In Brunei, the title of Pengiran Bendahara was given to royal family members and to serve as a significant military commander.

[27] In the Philippines, the term bendahara was recorded by Antonio Pigafetta during the Ferdinand Magellan expedition to refer to the Prime Minister of the Rajahnate of Cebu who was the brother of Rajah Humabon, king of that Polity.