Kapitan

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Kapitan refers to an assortment of different political positions held historically in several different areas.

[edit] Germany

Main article: Kapitän

Kapitän is a traditional shorted version of several ranks in the German navy, ranging from Kapitänleutnant to Kapitän zur See. The general meaning is equivalent to Captain. Whenever the umlaut ä is not available or desirable, the alternative spelling Kapitaen should be used.

[edit] Malaysia

Kapitans were appointed chiefs or headmen of the various ethnic communities during the Portuguese and Dutch colonial rule in what is present-day Malaysia.

[edit] Chinese Kapitans

Kapitans played an important role in the history of the Chinese in Malaysia. They wielded considerable influence, contributing to social, economic and political development in areas under their jurisdiction. Among Chinese settlements in the Malay Peninsula, Malacca was the oldest and most established, with an illustrious line of Kapitans. Yap Ah Loy was a kapitan in Kuala Lumpur and is considered as the founder of the city. The title was abolished in 1902 when the last Kapitan, Yap Kwan Seng died.