Pahang could have been named after this dangerous tree

If there’s one thing people know about Pahang, it’s that it’s really large; it’s the largest state in Peninsular Malaysia in fact, and is home to all our favorite hilltop retreats, namely, Genting Highlands, Cameron Highlands, and Fraser’s Hill.

And much like most of the other Malaysian states, Pahang may owe its modern name to a foreign influence.

Pahang may have gotten its name from the Khmers of Cambodia

Once called by the Sanskrit name ‘Inderapura’ during the years that pre-dated the Malaccan Sultanate, Pahang was one of the most important states in the Majapahit Empire (they actually used the name ‘Pahang’ to describe the entire Malay peninsula). Even back then, Pahang (especially Sungai Lembing, Kuantan) was known for its abundance of tin. So rich in resources was Sungai Lembing that the town was nicknamed the ‘El Dorado of the East’.

The discovery of prehistoric tin mines in Sungai Lembing led historian William Linehan to theorize that Pahang’s name may have come from the Cambodian word for ‘tin’, which is ‘saamnbahang’ (សំណប៉ាហាំង). It does make sense, considering that the Old Pahang Kingdom was a mueang (city state) under several ancient kingdoms, including the ancient Khmer civilization.

There is, however, an alternate theory as to the origin of its name, and this one is a bit closer to home.

Pahang’s name may also have been from a colossal, dangerous tree

The story goes that there was a macaranga tree (called ‘mahang’ by the Jakun Orang Asli tribes) in Pekan that grew across the Pahang River from Kampung Kembahan (Gembuang), which was so large that it was visible from the sea, and pirates would use it as a guide to raid the village.

Because of this threat to the locals, the state government ordered for it to be felled, employing seven Orang Asli to do the deed. The entire process took seven days to complete due to its large size, and all seven Orang Asli later died after the tree fell. It was said the resulting stump of the tree was so wide, people could arrange ’40 dishes’ on it.

The adjacent river was named ‘Sungai Mahang’ after the deadly tree, and the state ‘Mahang’, which over time evolved into ‘Pahang’.

If you want to discover more interesting origins of our states’ names, pick one from the list below!

Kedah | Terengganu | Kelantan | Perlis | Johor

Selangor | Penang | Perak | Pahang | Malacca

Negeri Sembilan | Sabah | Sarawak | Federal Territories