Kelantan (pop. 1,539,601) is a state in the northeast of Peninsular Malaysia. It is bounded by the states of Perak to the west, Pahang to the south, and Terengganu to the east. To the north are Thailand and the South China Sea. Kelantan covers an area of 5,830 square miles (15,099 square kilometers). The head of state of Kelantan is a hereditary ruler known as a sultan. Most of the people are Malays. Most people live in the plain and delta of the Kelantan River. Large areas of the state, especially the mountainous borders, are uninhabited, except for dwindling groups of Orang Asli, who are Indigenous (native) peoples of the mountainous interior of Peninsular Malaysia.
The single most important source of employment is agriculture. The principal crops are rubber and rice. Other important crops are coconuts, oil palm, and tobacco.
Many people work in traditional industries, particularly the production of engraved and filigree silverware, woodcarvings, and hand-printed batik cloth. On the northern coast of the state, many communities earn their living from fishing.
There has been human settlement in Kelantan since prehistoric times. Archaeologists have found prehistoric remains in the interior, especially in the caves above Gua Musang. The mouth of the Kelantan River has been an important political and trade center for at least 1,000 years. In the 1400’s, the region converted to Islam under the influence of the powerful state of Melaka.
At the beginning of the 1500’s, Kelantan began a long period of independence and prosperity, based upon trade in forest products, gold, pepper, rice, and tin. In this period, Kelantan was involved in a fluctuating power struggle with its northern and southern neighbors, Patani and Terengganu. In the early 1800’s it became a tributary state of the Thai kingdom. Thailand abandoned all claims over the state in 1909, and the state became a British colony. During the colonial period, Kelantan remained isolated and economic development was slow.
In December 1941, Japanese troops landed at Kota Bharu to sweep down the peninsula toward Singapore. During their occupation (1941-1945), the Japanese returned Kelantan to Thailand. With the defeat of Japan, the state once again came under British authority. In 1948, Kelantan became part of the Federation of Malaya. On Aug. 31, 1957, the Federation of Malaya became independent from British rule.
