After his death that year, his eldest son, Tun Mutahir, succeeded him as Bendahara, but did not execute his father's wish of granting tax revenues of Kuantan and Endau provinces to his younger brother, Wan Ahmad.

The Siamese Rattanakosin Kingdom also weighed in on the side of Wan Ahmad, viewing the disorder as an opportunity to exercise greater control over their southern provinces and extend their influence farther south into Pahang.

[9] Hostilities began in November 1857, when Wan Ahmad forces attacked Pekan town and nearby Ganchong, but failed to make significant permanent gains.

[11] At the early stage of the war, Major General William Orfeur Cavenagh, the Governor of the British Straits Settlements, offered to mediate but was rejected by both sides.

Long before his death, Tun Ali had retired from active participation in the government and removed his official residence to Lami where he spent his declining years.

[19] Tun Mutahir failed to appear at his father's death-bed to receive the last solemn injunctions which, according to Malay customs, a dying laid upon his heir.

They went on further stating that in a written affidavit dated 2nd Safar 1273 AH (corresponding to 2 October 1856), Tun Ali had actually ordered the execution of Wan Ahmad, his favourite son.

In July 1857, Temenggung Ibrahim of Johor requested the Governor of the Straits Settlements to prevent Ahmad from fitting armed vessels at Tekong Island for an attack on Pahang.

[23] In 1857, Mahmud Muzaffar Shah of Riau-Lingga, recently deposed by the Dutch, began intriguing to get himself recognized as Sultan of Pahang, a territory historically part of the Johor Empire and ruled by his ancestor, but declared independent in 1853 by the late Tun Ali.

[24] To add to the political complications, the Siamese, who indirectly controls the autonomous states of Kalantan and Trangkanu to the north, also aspired to revive its ancient suzerainty over Pahang, and covertly supported the pretensions of the former Sultan of Riau-Lingga and Wan Ahmad.

[25] In July 1857, while Wan Ahmad was in Singapore preparing for his offensive, conflict between his followers and those of the Temenggong of Johor were narrowly averted, and both parties went around with arms concealed on their person.

[34] In an attempt to strengthen his position, Tun Mutahir concluded a treaty with Temenggong Daeng Ibrahim in early 1861, whereby one agreed to help the other in case of an attack.

[43] The last significant battles saw increased involvement of Johor in the conflict under Temenggong Abu Bakar, who succeeded Daeng Ibrahim, who died in early 1862.

[44] He sent Johor troops, mercenaries from Perak and Johol (now Negeri Sembilan), along with ammunition and medicine supplies, as well as a schooner and a gunboat Muar to help the Bendahara.

[45] Abu Bakar's interference instead convinced the remaining Chiefs who were still on Tun Mutahir's side up to that point, to refrain from attacking Wan Ahmad, on the grounds that the Temenggung, who as an outsider, virtually directed operations, and claimed to control the country.

[50] The taking of the capital virtually ended the war; however the Bendahara's forces held up in the suburb of Temai, 20 km west of Pekan city, for another five months, before retreating further south.

In spite of the Temenggong's frantic attempts, backed by men, money and arms to rally the legitimists forces, the Bendahara followers took boat in May 1863, and fled from Pahang.

Any form of military assistance requested by Tun Mutahir was rejected and the British even used its influence to prevent further intervention of Siam, Terengganu and Johor.

In a letter written in July to Tun Mutahir, who at the time happened to be in Telok Blangah, Singapore, Cavenagh expressed his regret at the Bendahara's disappointment that the British had not helped to expel Wan Ahmad from Kuantan, but he pointed out that outside assistance might only embitter and prolong the struggle .

The Siamese Rattanakosin Kingdom under King Mongkut saw the disorder as an opportunity to exercise greater control over their east coast tributary states, Kelantan and Terengganu, and extend their influence farther south into Pahang.

Living in Bangkok at the same time was another exile, Mahmud Muzaffar Shah, a descendant of Sultan Abdul Rahman of Riau, whom Raffles had replaced as the ruler of Johor.

The merchant community saw it as a threat to their economic interests not only in Pahang, where Siam had never had any influence of note, but also in Terengganu and Kelantan, where increased Siamese presence would threaten their independence and thus trade with Singapore.

[66] In 1857, Mahmud Muzaffar Shah of Riau-Lingga, deposed by the Dutch, began intriguing to get himself recognized as Sultan of Pahang, a territory which historically part of the Johor Empire and ruled by his ancestor, but declared as an independent state in 1853 by Tun Ali .

These marriages, which had a political significance, strengthened the Bendahara's position, while he, in return for a promise of assistance, ceded to Johor the land which lay between Endau and Sedili Besar, a territory which, from the middle of the 15th century, had belonged to Pahang.

[85] In October 1863, the Bendahara informed the Governor that he had been invited to Pahang by the four senior nobles, and had conquered that state on Tuesday, 22nd of the month of Dhu al-Hijjah, 1279 AH (corresponds to June 10, 1863).

Before the end of the year, Governor Cavenagh had reported to the home government that the people of Pahang were becoming reconciled to their present ruler, and that the country was rapidly becoming tranquillised and trade was reviving.

[87] On July 2, 1866, the Bendahara acknowledged a letter in which Governor Cavenagh had declared he was unable to recognize the validity of Tun Ahmad's authority over the Pahang islands on the ground that they were subject to the rule of the Temenggong.

"[88] In the same year, Abu Bakar finally receded to the demand and had offered to cede to his enemy the islands of Tioman, Seri Buat, Kaban and others to the north of latitude 2°40', and in 1868 Governor Sir Harry Ord awarded them to Pahang.

Panglima Kakap Bahaman, the magnate of Semantan, had closed all the tracks to Selangor and lay in wait for the retreating invaders, but Wan Aman extricated himself from an awkward situation by coming to terms with his enemies, and he and his men were allowed to depart after a conflict which had lasted for nine months.

[97] The Pahang troops, consisting mostly veterans of civil war in their homeland, quickly subdued the Raja Mahdi forces and occupied the Selangor capital, Kuala Lumpur in March 1873.