Dato' Bahaman, also known as Seman Tahan, was a skilled martial artist from Bangkinang who led an uprising against British intervention in the Semantan River area in 1891. This followed years of increasing tensions after the British tried to establish a police station in the area without his consent. In December 1891, Dato' Bahaman ambushed a group led by C.E.M Desborough on the Semantan River, defeating them. In response, the British assembled forces to retaliate against the Malay rebels, but Dato' Bahaman defeated them again at his fortress in Kampung Kelubi.

2.  Dato' Bahaman, or Abdul became so famous that
Rahman, was born to the unnamed river in the
Tuanku Imam Nuh of vicinity was known as
Bangkinang and Rokiah Sungai Seman Tahan,
Andul Rahman, daughter which later became the
of Tok Setia Perkasa route in which the British
Semantan , a Bugis came through.
descent hailing from
Southern Sulawesi. Better
known as Seman, he was
also adept at the martial
arts of ‘silat’ and was
believed to be invincible.
These special abilities led
him to be dubbed ‘Seman
Tahan’ by the people of
the area. This name

3.  An uprising of the locales Terua (an area under the ruling
against the British along this of Dato’ Bahaman) without the
river (Sungai Semantan), was consent of the former. When
led by Dato’ Bahaman. The Hugh Clifford (Pahang’s
main reason of this rebellion is Deputy Resident of British)
due to the dissatisfaction and learned of the matter, he had
enmity of the local leaders advised the Sultan of Pahang
towards the intervention of the of the situation, and the Sultan
British over their territories later summoned Dato’
 The animosity between Dato’ Bahaman to go to Pekan so
Bahaman and the British had that the matter may be
begun since 1890, but it investigated. Dato’ Bahaman
reached its peak in 1891. In had refused the order and the
1890, Dato’ Bahaman was said Sultan then released a letter
to have uttered insults and which effectively dispelled his
words of anger towards position and rank as Orang
Temerloh Colonial Officer, E.A Kaya Semantan.
Wise when the latter wanted to
build a police station in Lubuk

4.  This action had led Dato’ Bahaman to retaliate by
ambushing C.E.M Desborough and his people on 15th
December 1891 while they were navigating the Semantan
River. The surprise attack was carried out because Dato’
Bahaman had initially thought that C.E.M Desborough had
come to capture him. Desborough’s party had suffered a
defeat and he then escaped to Temerloh.
 Upon hearing of the incident, British officers all around
Pahang then started preparing their armies to strike back at
the Malay rebels. On the 21st December 1891, a force led
by Clifford and Tengku Mahmud had gone to Kampung
Kelubi, also known as Dato’ Bahaman’s second defense
fortress. It was here that another skirmish between the British
and Dato’ Bahaman ensued but the British was once again
overwhelmed.