Tok Janggut

Hassan bin Mat Munas (1853–1915), known as Tok Janggut, "Old Long Beard", was a Kelantan religious teacher and farmer who led the 1915 rising at Pasir Puteh against the new British administration and its taxes, and was killed in the fighting. ^{1 2 3}

He was born at Kampung Jeram, Pasir Puteh, the son of Panglima Munas, a commander in the Kelantan palace, and received a pondok education in Kelantan and in Mecca; he was also known as a master of silat. After the Anglo-Siamese Treaty of 1909 transferred Kelantan from Siam to Britain, a British officer, Encik Latif, took over the Pasir Puteh administration from the hereditary local chief Engku Besar Jeram and enforced new land, head and produce taxes rigorously. ^{1 2}

Engku Besar, Tok Janggut, Haji Said, Che Sahak and Penghulu Adam swore not to cooperate with the British, and tax refusal spread across the district. When Sergeant Sulaiman came to arrest him on 29 April 1915, Tok Janggut refused to submit and Sulaiman was killed in the scuffle. The rebels occupied Pasir Puteh, proclaimed it independent and set up a government with Engku Besar as ruler and Tok Janggut as chief minister. The Sultan declared him a traitor, and British and then Indian troops were sent against him; he was killed in battle — the Malay article places his death at Kampung Pupuh on 25 May 1915, while the English article's narrative gives a final attack on 25 June 1915. His body was carried to Kota Bharu, displayed before the palace, and buried at Pasir Pekan. ^{1 2}