The Sultan Who Loved Peace

8/3/2019 The Sultan Who Loved Peace

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THE SULTAN WHO LOVED PEACE

About the play

Raja Mahmud is a peace-loving ruler of the village of Bukit Besi. Together with a young man named

Tengku Halim and others of the village, they have made the village a peaceful place to live in.

One day the evil Raja Busu from downriver comes to the village of Bukit Besi. He wants to marry

Siti Kamariah, the beautiful daughter of Raja Mahmud. Raja Mahmud does not agree to this and sends

Raja Busu and his man, Tengku Malik, away. The evil Raja Busu, however, does not give up. He promises

to return in a weeks time to take away Siti Kamariah.

When Raja Busu and Tengku Malik leave, Raja Mahmud and hi men prepare to fight. They know

that Raja Busu will attack Bukit Besi and try to take Siti Kamariah away.

Raja Busu returns with his army a week later but the people of Bukit Besi are readyand waiting.

In the fighting that follows, Raja Busus army is defeated and many of his men are killed or

captured.When he tries to kill Raja Mahmud, he is himself killed by Tengku Halim.

The story ends happily and Tengku Halim marries Siti Kamariah.

CHARACTERS

RAJA MAHMUD, ruler of the peaceful village of Bukit Besi

TENGKU HALIM, a young man of the village

TAJUDDIN, soldier

HAMID, soldier

Five or six other soldiers from the village of Bukit Besi

MESSENGER of RAJA MAHMUDs court

RAJA BUSU, a cruel and evil ruler of Kampung Ular

TENGKU MALEK, the captain of his army

Five or six soldiers of RAJA BUSUs army


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SCENE ONE

In this scene we are in the court of RAJA MAHMUD of Bukit Besi. It is day time.

Enter R RAJA MAHMUDfollowed byTENGKU HALIM and a few people of the court. RAJA MAHMUD

walks to C andTENGKU HALIM stands on his right. The other people stand around L and R.

RAJA MAHMUD [faces the people]: Soon the padi harvest will be over and we shall have plenty to eat

and be happy. It has been a good year for this village of Bukit Besi. I must thank you all, my good people,

for having worked so hard.

TENGKU HALIM: We must thank you too, Your Highness. You have taught us to live in peace. We plant

padi and make tools, we fish and farm instead of fighting useless wars with others.

RAJA MAHMUD: Yes,what you say is true, Tengku Halim. I have tought you the ways of peace and you,

my people, have learned well. You live in a nice house, have nice clothes to wear and plenty to eat. The

iron we mine from the hill near here brings us much money to buy many things. You are all happy

people. It is a great thing for a Raja to rule over happy people.

A messenger rushes in R and bows before RAJA MAHMUD.

MESSENGER: Your highness, I have bad news. The evil Raja Busu from downriver is at the gates.

RAJA MAHMUD: Raja Busu! I have heard much about him. He is a bad man who loves to fight. He and his

men have killed many people in the village downriver, burnt their houses and stolen their things. [To the

MESSENGER] What does he want?

MESSENGER: I do not know Your Highness.

TENGKU HALIM:shall I go with some men and chase him from the village?

MESSENGER: That will not be easy, Tengku Halim. He has many men with him. They are all well-armed.

RAJA MAHMUD: No Tengku Halim. We shall not fight unless we have to. Perhaps Raja Busu is here to

trade. He knows we have much to sell. Messenger , allow Raja Busu and just one other man to enter.

MESSENGER: Yes, Your Highness. [Leaves R]

TENGKU HALIM: I cannot believe that Raja Busu is here to buy or sell, Your Highness. He is a thief and a

robber. We all know that. He would never pay for anything he took.

FIRST PERSON OF THE COURT: Yes, Tengku Halim is right, Your Highness. He became ruler only a year

ago. Since then he had done much harm to many. He keeps a large army and loves war as much as we

love peace.

SECOND PERSON OF THE COURT: We should kill him before he does any harm, Your Highness.

THIRD PERSON OF THE COURT: That is right. He should not be allowed to leave here alive.


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RAJA MAHMUD: Silence! Raja Busu may be a bad man, but so far he had left us alone. Today he has

come in peace. He may be evil and cruel but he has not done us any harm. We shall welcome us in

peace. We do not kill visitors just because we think they are all bad people.

EnterMESSENGER R and bows before RAJA MAHMUD.

MESSENGER: Your Highness, Raja Busu is here.

RAJA MAHMUD: Welcome him in.

The MESSENGER moves in to the R and bows towards the 35 wings. EnterRAJA BUSU andTENGKU

MALEK. They both carry swords.

RAJA BUSU: I am Raja Busu from Kampung Ular.

RAJA MAHMUD: I know. News travels fast along the river. We have heard much about you. Have you

come to buy? We have much to offer-padi,meats,boats,cloth.

RAJA BUSU: I do not need to buy or sell.

RAJA MAHMUD: Then perhaps you have come for a short visit?

TENGKU MALEK: We have no time for such things. Raja Busu is here to

TENGKU HALIM[loudly]: Stop! You must not speak to His Highness in this manner.

TENGKU MALEK[his hand on his sword]: Dont dare shout at me. I am Tengku Malek and I have five

hundred soldiers in my charge. I could kill you easily.

RAJA MAHMUD: You will do no such thing here, Tengku Malek. We are men of peace. If you must fight,

do it somewhere else. We have no quarrel with you. Now Raja Busu, if you are not here to buy or sell

and have not come on a visit, what is it you want?

RAJA BUSU: Your daughter, Siti Kamariah.

TENGKU HALIM: What![His hand goes to his sword.]

RAJA MAHMUD: My daughter? You want my daughter?

RAJA BUSU: I have heard so much about her even downriver. As you said,news travels fast along the

river. I hear she is very beautiful. I want her for my wife.

TENGKU HALIM: Never! She will never be..

RAJA MAHMUD: Quiet Tengku Halim. Raja Busu, I welcomed you in peace because I thought you came

in peace,as a friend. But you make me angry by asking for my daughter.

RAJA BUSU: I take what I want- and I want Siti Kamariah.


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RAJA MAHMUD: What if I refuse?

TENGKU MALEK: Then we shall kill you all and take her by force.

RAJA BUSU: Think about that.

TENGKU MALEK: And think well, Raja Mahmud. My Raja does not like to be refused.

RAJA MAHMUD: Do not threaten me. You are my guests, otherwise I would have you killed this

moment.

RAJA BUSU: Kill us? You make me laugh.[Laughs]

RAJA MAHMUD: The matter is ended. You may not have my daughter. So leave this place at once or I

shall be forced to.

RAJA BUSU: All right, I will leave now but I shall be back in a weeks time. Make sure that Siti Kamariah is

ready and waiting for me for I shall not leave without her.

RAJA BUSU andTENGKU MALEK leave R. They are led out by the MESSENGER.

TENGKU HALIM: Your Highness, shall we attack them now and kill them? If we let them go they will

return later and.

RAJA MAHMUD: No Tengku Halim. He has many men with him today and they are all well-armed. We

would never succed.

FIRST PERSON OF THE COURT: But Raja Busu will return in a weeks time to take Siti Ka mariah. Are you

going to give her to him?

RAJA MAHMUD: Of course not.

SECOND PERSON OF THE COURT: We have lived in peace for a long time. It will be difficult to fight well

as soldiers again.I,for one, have not touched my sword for ten years.

THIRD PERSON OF THE COURT: Against Raja Busus men we will be cut down.

TENGKU HALIM: What you say is true, but no matter, we may be men of peace but we shall fight to the

death if necessary.

RAJA MAHMUD: Well said, Tengku Halim. Come, let us go now and prepare ourselves.

They are all leave R

SCENE TWO

It is a week later outside the village of Bukit Besi. There are a few rocks and bushes UR and DC.

Documents

The Sultan Who Loved Peace