Kedah, by virtue of research and historical findings, is the most ancient state in the country. The present Royal family can trace back its line to the Hindu times. Situated on one of the main transit routes across the Peninsula on the great East-West trade route, the state was a prosperous centre for settlement and trade in the old days. Some of the earliest known stone age artifacts and sites are located in Kedah and it is a state which has remnants from the Hindu-Buddhist period in Malaysian history.
This is reflected in the numerous temple sites in the Bujang Valley. It was a centre which attracted traders who travelled between China and India. The Bujang Valley was an ideal "resting destination" while waiting for the monsoon to change. History has it that in 671 AD, a Buddhist monk from China, I.T.Tsing, stopped at Bujang Valley. Archaeologists unearthed evidence of Hindu civilisation at the location which is home to more than 50 Hindu temples. A visit to the Bujang Valley will unravel a story about Kedah civilisation.
The Kedah Sultanate began at Bukit Meriam which is located in-the district of Kuala Muda. Maharaja Derbar Raja was the first ruler who converted to Islam and changed his name to Sultan Muzaffar Shah. He ruled Kedah from 1136 AD to 1179 AD and was laid to rest at the Kampung Langgar, Mukim Bujang. Since then, there have been 27 Sultans who ruled Kedah. Before Sultan Muzaffar, Kedah was ruled by eight Maharajas and this is an evidence to show that the Kedah Sultanate is the oldest Sultanate in the region.