吉打華人甲必丹戴春桃社會角色之研究

Research on Chinese Kapitan Tee Choon-Too of Kedah State

在19世紀末至20世紀初，戴春桃（1828-1922）是吉打亞羅士打華人社會中具有影響力的華人甲必丹。他是位惠州客家人，出生於中國，大概于19世紀中葉抵達亞羅士打。雖然亞羅士打的華人人口，主要是以閩南和廣府兩大方言群為主，但是身為客家人的戴春桃卻能在兩大方言群為主的華人社會中，成為華人甲必丹，并領導亞羅士打華人社會，並獲得亞羅士打居民的尊重與愛戴。不過，在馬來西亞華人史上且很少對戴春桃做深入的研究，其生平事蹟也是大略提及，甚至對其甲必丹任期亦交代不清。因此本文將會對戴春桃的生平事蹟加以考證，之後將分析戴春桃在亞羅士打所扮演的角色，以及戴春桃如何去獲得社會控制的權力。上述所做的釐清與分析工作，可以為將來想研究戴春桃時，有更為可靠的依據，以便可以進一步的去對戴春桃作深入研究。

Between the end of 19th century and the early 20th century, Tee Choon Too was recognised as the most influential Chinese Kapitan in the Chinese community of Alor Setar, Kedah. He was of Hakka tribe, Huizhou Province, was born in China. He first reached in Alor Setar in the mid 19th century. At that time, the Chinese Dialect Groups of Alor Setar was made up mostly of Hokkien and Cantonese. As a Hakka, Tee Choon Too was able to be a Kapitan, leading the Chinese community of Alor Setar, and being respected by the community. However, study about him was few and not in depth, his biography was briefly mentioned and even his tenure was unknown. This study would verify his life story and his tenure. Besides formulating the life story of Tee Choon Too, this study also state a different view of his success in officialdom. The study and formulation job above can be used as distinct basis for future study in Tee Choon Too.