Puteri Saadong facts for kids

Puteri Saadong, also known as Mariam, was a powerful queen who ruled Kelantan in the late 1600s. She was the adopted daughter of the famous Queen Siti Wan Kembang, also known as Che Siti, a legendary ruler of Kelantan. Puteri Saadong's full name was Tuan Puteri Saadong binti Raja Loyor, Puteri Vijaya Mala, Raja of Jembal.

Her Early Life

Puteri Saadong was raised in a place called Bukit Marak by Che Siti, after her own mother passed away. She became the ruler of Jembal in 1663, taking over from her father. Later, in 1667, she was officially made the Raja, or queen, of Kelantan.

Marriage and Challenges

When Puteri Saadong was only 15 years old, Che Siti arranged for her to marry her cousin, Raja Abdullah. He was the Raja of Kelantan-Selatan, which was also known as Jembal.

A difficult time came when Puteri Saadong was captured by the Siamese, who are people from Siam (which is now Thailand). She was forced to stay with King Narai of Siam. This happened to save her husband, Raja Abdullah, from harm. Raja Abdullah promised he would wait for her and never marry anyone else.

A Tragic Return

After several years, Puteri Saadong managed to heal King Narai from an illness. The King had promised her freedom if she could cure him. When she finally returned to Bukit Marak, she found that Raja Abdullah had broken his promise and married another princess. This new princess had apparently been jealous of Puteri Saadong's marriage to Raja Abdullah before.

A very serious argument happened when Puteri Saadong discovered this. It is believed that in her great anger, a tragic event occurred involving Raja Abdullah. After this sad incident, Puteri Saadong left Bukit Marak and was never seen again.

You can still find Raja Abdullah's tomb today. It is located at Padang Halban, Melor, in the district of Bachok, Kelantan.