Shaik Ahmad (Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan) c1839 - c1909

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FAMILY HISTORY OF THE SHAIK AHMAD CLAN

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Shaik Ahmad
(computer-generated image)

How did the Shaik Ahmad clan came to be in Penang? What happened in our clan history? What is the source of our clan history? 

I will share with you a bit of the history of the Shaik Ahmad clan, from whatever I have heard and know from my mother and my research. There are many accounts, stories and theories.

(1) From Tok Kamarudin bin Captain Mohamed Noor

According to Tok Kamarudin bin Captain Md Noor, Shaik Ahmad was from Hyderabad near Darjeeling in Deccan, India. In the 1800s, Shaik Ahmad came to Malaya with the British army. Shaik Ahmad was either a dhobi or tailor in the British Army.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L5q7E-H5bPE


(2) Hyderabad from a Hyderabad Indian professor's POV (point of view)

I met Prof Ravindra of UMS (Universiti Malaysia Sabah) on 4 March 2013 at the PhD viva for Ms Lye Huey Shi, PPTI, USM Penang and after the viva, on our way to Kapitan Restaurant near Queensbay Mall, Penang. Prof Ravindra has been with UMS for eight years. I asked him about Indian social etiquettes. According to him, Indian females do not shake hands with males. However, today, they are not shy nor care, and they not only shake hands but also hug and kiss as part of meet and greet or parting. I asked Prof Ravindra where he was from. He is from Hyderabad. I asked him about Hyderabad. I also informed him that my ancestors were from Hyderabad. He asked whether I still have relatives in Hyderabad. I replied I don't know. Prof Ravindra said to contact him should I want to go to Hyderabad. He can show me around Hyderabad. I thanked him.


(3) From Uncle Abdul Mutalib bin Abdul Wahab (his mother Zainab Bee bt Captain Mohamed Noor was the eldest child)

Shaik Ahmad was from Hyderabad, who came with the British Army to Malaya/Penang. He and another army man were assigned to work under Brown. He was either a cobbler or tailor.


(4) From my research

Shaik Ahmad came to Province Wellesley, Penang in 1860s as the (East) Bengal marines and lascars under the British Army. He was probably first temporarily stationed at the army base in Province Wellesley, Butterworth before coming to  live at Glugor on Penang island. It was probably a quarantine army base before the army was allowed on Penang island.

On Penang island, Shaik Ahmad probably lived in a kampung house in Jelutong, possibly near Masjid Jelutong. He married a Siamese Malay lady and raised his family in Jelutong and/or Glugor. He possibly worked at the British naval base in Glugor and/or the Brown family in Glugor. His youngest son Captain Mohamed Noor bin Shaik Ahmad was born in 1890 at Glugor.

He was either a tailor, dhobi or cobbler. Most probably he was a tailor. He was sent to work under "Mr Brown" at Glugor Estate in Penang. 

Which "Mr Brown" did Shaik Ahmad work for?

• James Scott was already deceased when Shaik Ahmad arrived to work in Penang circa 1860s.
• David Brown was already deceased when Shaik Ahmad arrived to work in Penang circa 1860s.
• The Duke of Edinburgh visited Penang in 1869. The Penang welcoming party consisted a few men:

1. Colonel Anson, Governor of Penang

2. Sir Harry Ord, Governor of the Straits Settlements

3. F. S. Brown of Glugor Estate

4. Sir William Hackett Judge

Shaik Ahmad could have worked for any of the Brown family members from 1860 onward:

1. the 2nd/3rd/5th sons of David Brown
2. grandsons David Alexander Murray Brown (DAM Brown) and Laurie Brown
3. J. G. Brown
4. granddaughter Sarah Holdway Brown 
5. F. S. Brown - most probable

In Malaya, Shaik Ahmad married Puan Hajar and they had six children (three sons and three daughters). 

• Hajar's origin is unknown. Her surname is unknown. There is no mention of her background. She could possibly be from 3 places: 1) Bagan Dalam in Butterworth on the mainland, 2) Jelutong in Penang or 3) Glugor in Penang. We can only guess about her likely origin.
• Their children were possibly born in Butterworth, Jelutong or Glugor, all in Penang. 
• Their date of birth and demise are unknown as there are no documents available concerning them except for Captain Mohamed Noor bin Shaik Ahmad, MBE, which was published in the local newspaper. Captain Mohamed Noor bin Shaik Ahmad, MBE was born in Glugor in 1890.

The Shaik Ahmad clan ancestral graves are located at Jalan Perak (Perak Road cemetery), close to the main road.

(5) From Faridah Abu Hassan

Shaik Ahmad was a tailor (Hindi: darjee).

दर्जी

darjee

Hindi: Darjee wala = tailor

(6) Shaik Ahmad was with Muslim Society at Masjid Kapitan Kling

• Shaik Ahmad had no surname. His surname is unknown.
• Shaik Ahmad was a well-known public figure in Penang. 
• He was Assistant Secretary for the Muslim Society at Masjid Kapitan Kling. 
• His name appears as Shaik Ahmed, Assistant Secretary of Muslim Society based at Masjid Kapitan Kling in George Town, Penang. 

MUSLIM SOCIETY-Kapitan Kling Mosque, Penang

• President-E. Abdullah Merican
• Vice-Presidents-Syed Mashoor bin Ali, Mushoot, Md Ismail
• Hon. Secretary-H. M. Qassim Sahibal-Sailany
• Assistant Secretary-Shaik Ahmed
• Auditor-M. Abdul Gunney Merican
• Kazi-Syed Hussain Idroos
• Mufti-Shaik Davood Tamim
• Kathi-Hajee Yuhia
• Imam-Haji Abdulla

(7) Place of origin

• Shaik Ahmad was from Hyderabad city, in Sindh region, in Pakistan, Undivided India.
• Hyderabad in Sindh region is approx. 2 hours drive from Karachi, which is on the coast.
• Hyderabad in Sindh region is the CBD (central business district) for the interior region of modern Pakistan. It is well-developed and has many textile mills and industries along the Pulelli canal. It has universities, an army base, hospitals, mosques and shops.
• The shops, signboards and businesses in Hyderabad, Sindh region, use Jawi script.
• There are various settlements or colonies scattered throughout Hyderabad in the Sindh region.
• Shaik Ahmad had most probably worked as a young tailor in the textile mill or as a street cobbler in Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan, before joining the British Indian Army in Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan. 
• The British Indian Army hired young Pakistani men, as young as 18 years old.
• Shaikh Ahmad probably joined the British Indian Army in Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan, and as a young man, possibly around age 25. 
• It seemed that Shaik Ahmad's British Indian Army regiment then migrated from Hyderabad, Sindh in Pakistan, to Hyderabad, Telangana in the Deccan Plateau, India, where the British Army gathered its army from various regions in India, and was stationed for quite sometime for the army personnel to get acclimatised. 
• Shaik Ahmad could have probably travelled on horses as the British Indian Army had horses to tackle the rough terrain of the Deccan Plateau. 
• There was no proper road linking Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan to Hyderabad, Deccan, India in the old days because there was a treacherous mountainous ridge that divided Pakistan and India. 
• From the interior highlands of Hyderabad, Deccan, India, Shaik Ahmad then travelled with the British Indian Army to coastal Mumbai (now Chennai).
• The British Indian Army then brought Shaik Ahmad and the other Pakistani men to board British vessels which carried army personnel (soldiers) and sailed to Province Wellesley, Penang, Malaya. 
• The British Indian Army landed at Kuala Muda, where there were sufficiently good shipping facilities and sheltered deep seaport for sea vessels to safely dock.
• The British Indian Army controlled the deep seaport at Kuala Muda. 
• The British Indian Army base was at Kuala Muda and possibly near Kg Benggali at Penaga.
• Other battalions of army personnel of the British Indian Army were sent to Singapore and possibly other places. 
• It is not known if Indian convicts from the Indian sub-continent travelled on the same vessels as the British Indian Army Pakistani men from Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan.
• All the British Indian Army Pakistani men were given a one-way ticket to Penang, Malaya; there was no returning to their homeland.

(8) Languages spoken

What languages did Shaik Ahmad speak, know or used?

We can only make an educated guess and deliberate about it.

He was from Pakistan. What are the languages used in Pakistan?

Shaik Ahmad's mother tongue was possibly Hindi. 

Shaik Ahmad possibly went to school and learned English

Shaik Ahmad possibly knew other languages from mixing with people who spoke other languages if he was trading - Urdu, Arabic, Tamil

Shaik Ahmad worked as Assistant Secretary for the Muslim Society based at Masjid Kapitan Keling in George Town, Penang. So he must have known Tamil and was proficient in Tamil (spoken, reading and writing).

• Hindi - most likely
• Urdu - some words appear in Hindi
• Arabic - some words appear in Hindi
• Tamil - a language in south India; Deccan is in central India
• English - if educated and taught in school

Hindi words translated to English:

मोची

mochee = cobbler

दर्जी
darjee = tailor

धोबी
dhobee = dhobi

सचिव
sachiv = secretary

क्लर्क
klark = clerk

पुलिस
pulis = police

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FAMILY TREE OF SHAIK AHMAD (HYDERABAD)

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First Generation

1. Shaik Ahmad (Hyderabad, Sindh, Pakistan) - born in (East) Bengal in Undivided India, estimated to have lived circa 1839 -1909, arrived in Penang in 1863 with the British Indian Army, married in Penang in 1864, came to live on Penang island in Jelutong/Glugor in 1864 - 1909, served the Brown family in Glugor under Messrs. J. G. Brown or Messrs. F. S. Brown, and died in Glugor. He is buried at Perak Road cemetery, near the main road (Perak Road, now Jalan Perak).
2. Hajar (wife of Shaik Ahmad) was possibly born in Kedah/Penang or Langkawi, and was estimated to have lived circa 1851 - 1931. She married at age 13, and had 6 children. She is deceased at age 80 years. She is buried at Perak Road cemetery near Shaik Ahmad.
3. It is unknown whether Shaik Ahmad outlived Hajar or Hajar died later than Shaik Ahmad.
4. Their exact graves cannot be determined today because the inscriptions on the wooden tombstones have all disappeared now.
5. Dr Che Lah's son, Kamaruddin bin Che Lah knows the graves but it is difficult for him to get there from his home in Seberang Perai and to navigate the graveyard at Perak Road (Jalan Perak) as he is wheel-chair bound now.

Shaik Ahmad married Hajar (kakak), who was the eldest of three sibs.

        (i) Hajar (elder sister)

        (ii) T. Sara married Md Shariff and their son is Nasarudin

        (iii) Mai Sari in Langkawi?

• Nothing is known about Hajar
• Hajar's younger sister is T. Sara. She could be Mai Sara or T. Mai Sara.
• Hajar's youngest sib from Langkawi could be Mai Sari or T. Mai Sari.
• The sisters could be Kedah Malay, Siamese Malay or Acehnese Malay. We can only postulate and deliberate.
• It seemed that T. Sara had married to Md Shariff and their son is Nasaruddin/Nasrudin/Nasarudin.
• It is unlikely that this Md Shariff who married T. Sara is Md Shariff bin Awang Osman who was born in 1890 (same year as Captain Mohd Noor bin Shaikh Ahmad).
• Nothing is known about Hajar's sib in Langkawi. However, some descendants have responded that their ancestors were from Langkawi. Their father had visited Langkawi to trace his ancestors there.

[1] From Faridah Abu Hassan

 

Whom did Shaik Ahmad marry? Where was his wife from?

There were 2 sisters (Mai Sara and Mai Sari). Shaik Ahmad married one of the 2 sisters.

[2] Was Shaik Ahmad's wife from Langkawi?

[3] What does the letter 'T' stand for in T. Sara? Does T stand for Tengku, Tunku, Teuku or Tuan? 

[4] What is the Siamese equivalent for royal titles? 

• A Thai prince is called Pya or Nyai.
• Ghazali Abdul Ghani (anak Rabiah) has great interests in history.

Second Generation

1. Hamidah Bee bt Shaik Ahmad was born in Penang; estimated to have lived circa 1865-1952; deceased aged 87 years or earlier.
2. Jan Bee bt Shaik Ahmad was born in Penang; estimated to have lived circa 1870-1952; deceased aged 82 years or earlier.
3. Mohd Joonos bin Shaik Ahmad was born in Penang; worked as a clerk; estimated to have lived circa 1875-1952; deceased aged 77 years; married Juma Bee bt Kassim (c.1887-c.1952, 65 years) circa 1900 and had 5 kids (1 girl and 4 boys). Juma Bee bt Kassim was from Kg Dodol in Perak Road, Jelutong West. This was probably her second marriage. She had first married to Mohamed and had a daughter, Wan Su Mohamed. Mohamed died early, and Juma Bee bt Kassim then remarried to Md Joonos bin Shaik Ahmad.
4. Mohd Ali bin Shaik Ahmad was born in Penang; estimated to have lived circa 1880-1952; deceased aged 72 years.
5. Mariam bt Shaik Ahmad was born in Penang; estimated to have lived circa 1885-1952; deceased aged 67 years.
6. Captain Md Noor bin Shaik Ahmad, MBE was born in 1890 in Glugor; lived to age 79 years (born 1890-d.1969); worked as Malay Interpreter at the High Court in George Town, Penang. He also served in SSVF for Penang and Province Wellesley (PWVC). He married 3 wives and had 19 kids.

Third Generation 

From Mohd Joonos bin Shaik Ahmad and Juma Bee bt Kassim:

1. Mak Besar Bee bt Mohd Joonos (born c.1901-died c.1952, 52 years)
2. Dr Che Lah bin Mohd Joonos (born 1903 Penang - d.1986 Penang, 82 years)
3. Ali Baba bin Mohd Joonos (born c.1905-died c.1952, 47 years or greater)
4. Osman bin Mohd Joonos (born c.1907-died c.1952, 45 years or greater)
5. Mohamed bin Mohd Joonos (born c.1909-died c.1952, 43 years or greater)

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