Of Rajahs and Hornbills: A timeline of Brooke Sarawak

[Al-numbers]

Interlude: The calm before the storm

Bandar Brunei, 18th September 1842
​

"So..." questioned Muhammad Idzwan, "What do you think of that Englishman?"

Pangiran Said Abdullah mulled over his close friend's words. They were out from the royal palace now, walking on the road that will lead them to the heart of Bandar Brunei. The meeting between the Sultan and his subjects ended not an hour before, and already the royal court was abuzz with the events that had transpired that day. In a single declaration, the entire village of Kuching - along with all the surrounding land from Datu Point to the Samarahan River - is now under the care of a foreign adventurer.

Said Abdullah only had one word for this.

"Bad." he answered. "Very bad. These Europeans and foreigners are meddling close to what we own and close to what we govern. I distrust them. To think that our Sultan would appoint a white foreigner to care for any of our lands..."

"I agree with you on that." Muhammad Idzwan added with a chuckle; he was always the more humorous of the two. "Still, how you think he managed to do away with that Pattingi uprising? Two lords to Kuching for almost five years and nothing happened! Then along came an Orang Inggeris and just look where we are now!" He let out a short laugh. "What would our grandfathers thought if they are here... What do you think happened there, Said?"

Said deadpanned. "Most likely either that Pangiran Hashim did something sneaky or the man blew the revolters to pieces deep in the jungle. Well, I do know one thing; He won't last long."

Idzwan stopped walking. They are now on one of the main roads of the city and numerous residents are passing them to and fro to whatever destination they had in mind. Close by, several fruit vendors are shouting out for any interested customers. Turning around, he questioned. "What makes you say that?"

His friend replied back, looking at him. "I have been to Kuching before; Nothing but full of pirates and Ibans who will stop at nothing to be free. Free to roam, free to pillage... I don't think that man will last two years in that place, even with all the cannons he has, and not just that, but I wonder how long until the local lords begin to tire of him or his associate."

Pangiran Said Abdullah's fantasy​

"I don't know... for what it's worth, that Orang Inggeris does seem to have a good head. And speaking of which..." Idzwan shifted his eyes to the commotion around them, grateful for the white noise. "...any changes relating to those persons?"

Said Abdullah cast an eye over both Idzwan and the chaos around them before going off to a side street, his closest friend trailing behind. This was something else entirely, something that only they and the royal court shared behind their ruler’s back. For the past few years now, rumours were spreading of envious eyes looking at the usurpation of important posts close to the Sultan, but the fact that entire families are implicated in this have not yet reached the ears of their ruler nor the Bruneian public. Not yet, at least.

The Pangiran looked around for any close bystanders before finally speaking out what he heard. "Well, from my ears it's now confirmed; the lord of Sarikei wants to keep his post and wants absolutely no part in all of this, and Pangiran Amirul is the same as well. Pangiran Usop, however... he wants his mouth as close to the Sultan as he can get, and the man who's closest to the Sultan now is-"

"-Pangiran Muda Hashim." Idzwan gasped. "Ya Allah, what has that man got dragged himself into!?"

"And now you see why I don't like these foreigners." Said looked up above the rooftops to the evening sky before taking off along the side street back to the main thoroughfare, walking along the route that led the two men right to the harbour. There, floating in the middle of the river right before their eyes was a tall-masted European ship; the same ship that had brought the Englishman James Brooke to Bandar Brunei just twenty-five hours ago.

"They could literally ruin us all."

James Brooke's Royalist, forever remembered in bronze​

**********

Footnote: Pangiran Usop really did exist in the 1840's, and he did have an eye to become the Sultan's “Bendahara" or Prime Minister, a position then held by Pangiran Muda Hashim.

 

[Al-numbers]

To anyone who's a bit confused, here's a simple (if crude) chart detailing who dislikes whom.

Don't worry, this will all fall apart in the next update. Something's going to give, and it wouldn't be James Brooke.

 

[Jonathan Edelstein]

To anyone who's a bit confused, here's a simple (if crude) chart detailing who dislikes whom.

I hadn't realized that 19th-century Brunei was so much like high school.

 

[Al-numbers]

I hadn't realized that 19th-century Brunei was so much like high school.

Oh, it was worse in OTL. There were entire family feuds going on behind closed doors, influencing this thing and that thing while the British and Dutch pulled a few strings of their own. High school for adults really does sum up the period.

 

[Witch0Winter]

Ah, I am liking this TL more and more. Nice graphic, too.

 

[Al-numbers]

Ah, I am liking this TL more and more. Nice graphic, too.

Coming from you, thanks.

 

[Al-numbers]

Heads up, everyone. Looks like I'll be going away for family matters in the next few days, so it's possible that there may be no updates for the coming weekend. Rest assured though, this TL is far from dead.

 

[Al-numbers]

Muhammad Amirul Idzwan, Brunei: Rise and Fall of the Bornean Empire (Delima Publishing: 2001)

The period from 1841 to 1846 was a turbulent time for the Brunei court, and James Brooke becoming governor of Kuching on behalf of the sultan did not improve things.

There were several factors going on behind the scenes at Bandar Brunei, and some of them were external. The British Empire was extending its influence throughout Southeast Asia, and combating piracy was one of their chief concerns in their quest for free trade. To the Royal Navy, the biggest hotspot for piracy in the area was Borneo; with its meandering rivers and thick forests, native pirate fleets could quickly overwhelm any ships and boats that stray too close to the shore, disappearing into the swamps just as quickly as they came.

With the lucrative route to China and the Indies being a major factor, the British embarked on major anti-pirating operations up and down the Brunei coast. As expected, the royal court was displeased with a naval power interfering in what was thought of as "local affairs". At the same time though, most – if not all – of the court knew that their hold on Sarawak and north-eastern Sabah was only nominal at best and confined only to the coastal cities with little or no grip on the mainland forests, which were home to numerous tribes of fearsome Dayaks.

Besides that, the Brunei court itself was having internal problems. There were several notable figures who disapproved of the English and of James Brooke being governor of a resource-rich area. On the other hand, there were also several voices who argued for cooperation with them, arguing (correctly) that working together would prevent incurring the wrath of a naval power greater than their own. In 1845, the tensions reached boiling point.

When Pangiran Muda Hasim returned to Bandar Brunei in that year, he found out to his shock that his position as Bendahara – senior minister to the Sultan – has been usurped in a palace coup by a brash noble named Pangiran Usop. Muda Hashim quickly turned back to Kuching and with help from James Brooke, arrived back to the royal palace with a fleet of armed ships to force a counter-coup. Pangiran Usop was forced to step down and an agreement was signed, ensuring Muda Hasim his position and even making him succeed to the Brunei throne (of which he had claim, but previously refused) in case Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II died.

Instead of defusing tensions as he hoped, Pangiran Hashim only inflamed them. There were many at court who thought of the man as a schemer instead of a figure who was trying to steer the sultanate from being subjugated like its other Bornean neighbours (Pontianak and Sambas respectively). In 1846, several nobles began whispering to the Sultan's ear of the English supporters at court being a threat. At the same time, several other nobles informed the Pangiran that he and his close ones were in grave danger. A plan was made to ferry Muda Hashim's family and the English supporters to safety in Kuching and Brunei-controlled Sabah, but somehow or other the secret got leaked...

**********

Outside Bandar Brunei, April 12 1846​

Japar looked at the approaching soldiers with scorn.

It was supposed to be a silent nighttime affair, moving the noble families to the boats alongside the river before the coming attack could run its course. However, the soldiers came earlier than expected, and the families were desperate for a distraction. I can do more than that.

They came in ones and twos, but soon enough a small company of armed men stood several ways further up the road from where Japar was standing. From their wary gazes by the torchlight, Japar deduced that the men are looking out for any nasty surprises from either him or the forest surrounding them all. You are all right, but not in the way you all think.

"Too afraid to pass me by?" The man taunted.

Silence. Then, a man – presumably the leader of the troop – moved to the front of the group. "Step aside now or you will be dealt with."

"And let an innocent family be captured and executed?" Japar shouted, his voice rising with every sentence. "What have they done to invoke the wrath of the Sultan!? What have they done to suffer the dagger's blade!? What have they done to let themselves be dragged out of their homes like scared dogs!?"

"ENOUGH!!" The leader of the soldiers cried out above Japar's voice. "Let us pass now!! Amir! Bakhri! Look to the sides of this road!"

"There is no one here, and I will not move."

More silence.

"...Then you have sealed your fate. Everyone, forward!"

Japar let the men move close to him before throwing his torch to the keg of gunpowder hidden by the black of the night. Seeing the flame arcing to the hidden keg close to the group, the man silently mouthed a prayer to the Divine Creator, and to his close companions.

Hashim…Badruddin…my friends... I'll be waiting.

The last thing he saw was the blinding light of the forming blast.

**********

Kuching, Brooke Sarawak. Three days later​

“There they are!”

The young boy’s cries were passed on from his perch atop the trees to the gathering crowd waiting by the Sarawak River. Over three days had passed since the escape plan was put to motion and almost everyone in Kuching wanted to know whether or not it went perfectly. For now, it seems to be working; the transport boats have been sighted, and chances are their occupants have made their journey in one piece.

Pak Khalid and his friend were among the throng.

“Ever seen anything like this?”

“Unless it was that Gawai festival last year, no.” answered Udin beside him. “Do you really think everyone made it out from Bandar Brunei?”

No, Khalid wanted to answer, but a flutter ran through the crowd - “Rajah Putih! Rajah Putih! - White Rajah! White Rajah!” - And the two men turned their attention to the small group of people walking on a wooden pier far from them. Even from the distance Khalid could spot the fair skin of the new Governor of his town, and standing beside him was the distinctive features of the leader of the Kuching Malays; Datu Patinggi Ali.

And here we all thought these White Men were weird. Among James Brooke’s more unconventional decisions, the pardoning of the chief of the Sarawak Uprising and his appointment to become leader of the town's Malays caused more than just a stir among the surrounding villages. However, considering the region was now at peace for the past five years hardly anyone was willing to complain about it to the new ‘Rajah Putih’. Well, everyone except for Indera Mahkota. Where is the man now anyway?

The small fleet of boats sailed up to the pier and were soon attached to the pier. Soon, voices began filtering through the crowd from the riverfront. “That’s Pangiran Badruddin; and that’s his wife...” “Is that their son?” “Wait, where are the other lord’s friends?” “I heard they escaped to a place named Tempasok in Sabah…”

Khalid and Udin watched from their position as a man stepped out onto the pier and conversed with James Brooke and Patinggi Ali. The buzzing of the crowd went silent for a few moments as the ones in the front tried to listen to the conversation. Then, a new whisper rose, dispersing slowly through a hundred lips to the two men at the back. This time, it marked not of discovery, but of an end.

“…Pangiran Hashim did not make it. He was killed.”


__________

Footnote:

1. The 1845 palace coup really did happen and the terms set after the countercoup was exactly as OTL. However, many people today disagree as to what date it was when it actually happened.

2. Japar blowing up the soldiers is also OTL with only the circumstances being different; in real life, the man blew up the soldiers after the families were captured. ITTL, his actions gave the fleeing nobles some more time.

3. Datu Patinggi Ali really did become instated as leader of the Malays in Kuching by James Brooke. However, he died in 1844 in OTL during an anti-pirate raid.

4. The term 'White Rajah', was conferred upon James Brooke on either the year 1941 or in 1942 by the native lords or the Sultan of Brunei. Regardless, by 1946 the title stuck.

 

[Al-numbers]

Hmm... I think I might just do away with the fancy fonts 'cause it's almost too much of a hassle to deal with. On the other hand, they do differentiate between the narratives and the academic updates.

What do ya guys (or girls) think?

 

[Silver]

You're doing nothing wrong so far to me. So please continue ASAP.

 

[Al-numbers]

You're doing nothing wrong so far to me. So please continue ASAP.

I'm trying! Right now, I really hope the next update will be the final one of the Pre-Brooke-Brunei updates because I really wanna get to the juicy stuff with state-building and Dutch conflicts and stuff. I'm trying to see if I can fit a map into it too.

 

[Witch0Winter]

Yeah, you're doing fantastic, sketch! This is all very interesting stuff, and I love the mix of viewpoints in the updates. Fantastic stuff! I only wish I knew more about the history of Sarawak.

 

[Al-numbers]

Yeah, you're doing fantastic, sketch! This is all very interesting stuff, and I love the mix of viewpoints in the updates. Fantastic stuff! I only wish I knew more about the history of Sarawak.

Thanks! And don't worry if you don't know anything about Sarawak; the "unknown-ness" of the region is why I made this TL after all! (apart from several other TL's I love to read... which might or might not include yours) Ask away if you want some more info about the region!

 

[Witch0Winter]

Thanks! And don't worry if you don't know anything about Sarawak; the "unknown-nes" of the region is why I made this TL after all! (apart from several other TL's I love to read... which might or might not include yours) Ask away if you want some more info about the region!

Oh, it'll include mine, since Sarawak and Sabah are going to feature heavily in my TL once I get past a certain point, as well as Malaysia, Indonesia, Sumatra, etc. Anyway, great stuff, and I'm really loving how accessible this TL is considering its over a part of the world very few are aware of.

 

[FleetMac]

Nice little update, sketchdoodle. It's interesting how such a frankly bizarre situation like this is playing out, let alone the fact that it's credible and fun to read (I certainly do get a "Male Rising" feel from it in terms of format and narrative style. It's a compliment ).

Keep up the good work!

 

[Al-numbers]

Nice little update, sketchdoodle. It's interesting how such a frankly bizarre situation like this is playing out, let alone the fact that it's credible and fun to read (I certainly do get a "Male Rising" feel from it in terms of format and narrative style. It's a compliment ).

Keep up the good work!

Heh, I'll admit Jonathan's style of writing really made an impact on me so thanks for the compliment!

As for what's going on, it's gonna get even weirder in the next few decades. The British aren't the only ones interested in Borneo; but then again their rivals didn't really think of the island as important... until the Brooke's arrived.

 

[King of the Uzbeks]

Intresting.

 

[Jonathan Edelstein]

Very subtle departure - I assume we haven't heard the last of the fleeing nobles, and that their being in Sarawak will affect the balance of power.

 

[Huehuecoyotl]

Oh, how lovely! You had me at hornbills, but when I realized that this is focused on such an uncommon area in these parts, you had me even more.

 

[Al-numbers]

Very subtle departure - I assume we haven't heard the last of the fleeing nobles, and that their being in Sarawak will affect the balance of power.

Well, let's just say they'll be very useful for James Brooke for the next ten or twenty or so years.

Oh, how lovely! You had me at hornbills, but when I realized that this is focused on such an uncommon area in these parts, you had me even more.

Hehe, thank you for having such an interest in this. Hope you enjoy your stay!