Nurul Alam Naqiatuddin Syah facts for kids

Sulṭāna Nurul Alam Naqiatuddin Syah was a queen who ruled the Aceh Sultanate in northern Sumatra. She was the fifteenth ruler of Aceh. She reigned from 1675 until her death on January 23, 1678. Nurul Alam was the second of four queens who ruled Aceh one after another.

Becoming Queen

The previous ruler, Sulṭāna Taj ul-Alam, passed away in October 1675. She did not have any children or close family members that we know of. So, another woman was chosen to become queen. This woman was named Sri Para Puteri. She then took the royal name Sulṭāna Nurul Alam Naqiatuddin Syah.

We don't know much about her family connection to the previous sultan's family. Some old writings suggest she was the daughter of Malik Mahmud Qithul Kahar Syah. His family line might go back to an earlier sultan, Alauddin al-Kahar.

People believe that the peaceful rule of the previous queen, Taj ul-Alam, made it easier for another woman to become queen. The time before the queens had been very strict and sometimes unfair. The rule of the sultanas brought more peace. It also helped set up laws to protect both local people and visitors.

Her Time as Queen

During Nurul Alam's rule, Aceh was divided into three main regions called sagis. These regions were known by the number of districts they had: the XXII Mukims, XXVI Mukims, and XXV Mukims. These divisions probably existed before she became queen. However, her reign confirmed the rights of the local chiefs, called uleëbalangs. From then on, these three regions had to agree on who would become the next ruler.

We also know that during her reign, a big fire destroyed important buildings in Banda Aceh. The Baiturrahman Grand Mosque and the sultan's palace were burned down. Many royal treasures and valuable items were lost in this fire.

Some stories say that Nurul Alam had a daughter named Puteri Raja Setia. This daughter later became queen herself, known as Sultan Inayat Zakiatuddin Syah. If this is true, Nurul Alam might have been married to a man named Sultan Muhammad Syah. He is mentioned as the father of Sultan Inayat in an important historical book called Bustanus Salatin.