The rise of Johor as a political power was precipitated by the downfall of Melaka. Fleeing from the Portuguese invasion of Melaka in the 1511, its last sultan, Sultan Mahmud escaped first to Pahang before settling down in Bintan island in Riau Archiepelago. Although Mahmud never succeeded in reestablishing his sultanate in Melaka as he had hoped, he became Johor-Riau's first Sultan.With the Portuguese capture of Malacca in 1511, the Malay kingdom re-established itself in Johor. . According to a panelist of renowed historians in Malaysia such as Associate Prof. Dr. Rahimah bt. Abdul Aziz (UKM), Dr. Ahmad Jelani b. Halimi (USM) and Mr .Kassim b. Thukiman (UTM), the foundation of the Johor - Riau Empire was laid by Sultan Abdul Jalil 1 the prince of the  Sultan Mahmud Shah of Malacca in 1528 AD. 

The history of Johor from the late 1500s to the late 1600s is characterised by a series of succession struggles interspersed with strategic alliances struck with regional clans and foreign powers to maintain its political and economic hold in the Straits. In competition with the Achehs of northern Sumatra and the port-kingdom of Melaka under Portuguese rule, Johor engaged prolonged warfare with their rivals, often striking alliances with friendly Malay states and in particular the Dutch. In 1641 Johor in cooperation with the Dutch succeeded in capturing Melaka. By 1660, Johor had become a flourishing entrepôt, although weakening and splintering of the empire in the late seventeenth and eighteenth century reduced its sovereignty. It would not be until Raffles came to Johor in 1818 that a strong sultanate under Sultan Hussein was instituted.

The history of modern Johor began with Dato’ Temonggong Daing Ibrahim, the son of Temenggong Abdul Rahman who was a descendant of Sultan Abdul Jalil IV of Johor - Riau Sultanate.  

Dato’ Temenggong Daing Ibrahim maintained the seat of government at Teluk Belanga in Singapore. He however began to develop Tanjung Puteri on the Johor mainland. His reign also saw the opening up of land to Chinese settlers from Singapore for the cultivation of pepper, a move that boosted the economy of the state.

The Temenggong was succeeded by his son, Dato’ Temenggong Abu Bakar who later took the title Seri Maharaja Johor. Temenggong Abu Bakar continued his father’s efforts in cultivating friendly relations with the British. In 1866, he was formally crowned Sultan of Johor. Sultan Abu Bakar was chiefly responsible for the development of modern Johor, a feat that earned him the title of ‘Father of Modern Johor’. He gave Johor its constitution and developed an efficient system of administration. The moving of the seat of government from Teluk Belanga to Tanjung Puteri (renamed Johor Bahru) in 1841 led to the rapid development of the town as government offices, police stations, mosques and court houses were built. The Istana Besar constructed during his reign became the official residence of the Sultan. The economy prospered as more investors were lured to Johor

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In 1885, under the terms of a treaty between the British in Singapore and Sultan Ali of Johor, (The descendant of Sultan Hussein Shah) the control of Johor was formally ceded to Dato’ Temenggong Daing Ibrahim. Sultan Ali retained control over Kesang until shortly before his death in 1877 when the territory was ceded to Dato’ Temenggong Abu Bakar.

His successor, Sultan Ibrahim, continued to maintain close relations with the British and in 1910, requested for the services of a British advisor to counsel him on matters of state. Under the able administration of Sultan Ibrahim and his successor, Johor continued to thrive and prosper.

The increased demand for black pepper and gambier in the nineteenth century lead to the opening up of farmlands to the influx of Chinese immigrants, creating Johor's initial economic base. The Kangchu system was put in place. Under the British Residency system, Sultan Ibrahim, Sultan Abu Bakar's successor, was forced to accept a British adviser in 1914. D.G. Campbell was dispatched as the first British adviser to Johor.

British administration of Johor lasted until 1941, year of the Japanese invasion. After the war, from 1945 to 1946, Johor was under the jurisdiction of the British Military Administration.

The British in London formed the Malayan Peninsula Planning Unit in 1943, and on 10 October 1945, the Malayan Union scheme was laid out before the British Parliament. A day later, Sir Harold MacMichael was sent to the Malayan Peninsula to obtain the agreement of the Malay Rulers. According to this agreement, Pulau Pinang, Melaka and nine other Malay states were united under the Malayan Union.

Malay opposition derailed the Malayan Union plan, and the Malays under Dato' Onn Jaafar's leadership formed the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) on 11 May 1946 in the Istana Besar now the Royal Museum.  The Malay Federation was founded on 1 February 1948, the first step towards independence, and on 31 August 1957, independence was achieved.

The state continued to flourish throughout the 19th and 20th century. Today its economy continues to exhibit strong growth, with healthy industrial development and outstanding trade and business facilities. The present ruler is His Majesty Sultan Iskandar, who served from 1984 to 1989 as Malaysia's Eighth Yang Di Pertuan Agong and  further enhanced the glory of the state . Johor, today, boasts of a thriving economy, a growing industry, modern facilities and amenities and has the potential to develop still further.

ROYAL ABU BAKAR MUSEUM

Said  to be one of the finest museums in the world in terms of its ambience and its dazzling display of cultural treasures, the Royal Abu Bakar Museum occupies the Istana Besar, or Grand Palace, built by Sultan Abu Bakar in 1866. The museum was founded in 1990 by Johor's present ruler, His Majesty Sultan Iskandar, and its collection consists of the treasures of the Royal Family. In addition to an extensive art collection, the museum displays the ceremonial regalia, personal memorabilia, furniture, objets d'arts, and cultural artifacts accumulated by the Royal Family over the course of its reign. 

General Meeting at Istana Besar Johore Bahru on 11th May 1946, which led to the inception of UMNO

Following the surrender of the Japanese on 14 August 1945, the British administration tried to impose the Malayan Union arrangement in place of the Federated and Unfederated Malay States. The creation of the Malayan Union led to the reduction of the status of the Malay Rulers, which, coupled with the watering-down of citizenship eligibility regulations, translated into the loss of Malay rights.

The Malays came out in force to oppose the April 1946 formation of the Malayan Union scheme. Malay associations came together to form the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) to foil British intentions. The British were consequently compelled to abandon Malayan Union and established the Federation of Malaya that comprised all the states of the Peninsular on 1 February 1948.