They are among the oldest ethnic groups in the Malay peninsula with a history dating back 2,800 years as proven by the discovery of sites in Bujang Valley and historical documents from India, China and Arabia.

By around 788 BCE, a large settlement had been established on the northern banks of the Merbok River which is located near the city of Sungai Petani today.

At the same time traders from China, Persia and Arabia, arrived at the brink of the Malacca Strait to Kedah, using Gunung Jerai as a marking point.

[6] Kedah's prestige and influence declined significantly in the 14-15th century after the rise of its southern neighbour, Malacca and Ayutthaya Kingdom in the north.

[10] The arrival of the British in the late 18th century forced Kedah to lease Penang as a protection from Siamese aggression.

Penang remained a British colony as part of the Straits Settlements alongside Singapore and Malacca until 1948, where it became a sovereign state within Malaya and later Malaysia.

In the interior parts of Kedah such as in Baling and Sik, they usually call themselves as Orang Patani as the people there are the descendants of Malay settlers from the historical region of Pattani which is now in modern day southern Thailand.

For instance instead of using kamu to denote as 'you', hang (English pronunciation: hung) is used instead and cek or kami for 'i/me' instead of saya / aku in other Malay varieties in the peninsula.

Due to their long history, Kedahan Malays have their own unique cuisines, customs and traditions compared to the rest of Malaysia.