Of Rajahs and Hornbills: A timeline of Brooke Sarawak

A question to all my readers; would it be OK if I use some modern-day photos in my updates from time to time? I ask this because almost every old Dayak photos I can find were of the Ibans and almost no one else or no other tribe else. Guess the whole "Noble Savage" thing only extended towards the ones who cut off the most heads. :rolleyes:
Yeah, go ahead! :D
 
Given the paucity of pictures other than more recent ones, I have no problem with you doing that. It is a load of BS that the ones who did the most beheading got the most publicity, but then I've never been all that fond of the Noble Savage trope (at least, not in its more recent iterations).

Yeah, go ahead! :D

Ironically, it was the Noble Savage trope that led the Dayaks to be protected in the first place, so the whole idea is kinda mixed and iffy to the Sarawak Dayaks nowadays (though I agree with you on how the trope has been played lately) :rolleyes: . Well, here's hoping I can find the right photos.

How have I missed this? It's an excellent read.

Hope you enjoyed your stay!

Next update on either Monday or Tuesday, depending if I can get the right photos.
 
This clamping down on piracy and head-hunting outside of his borders wouldn't lead to Brooke's kingdom expanding now, would it? ;)

I wonder how much of an influence Sarawak will have on how Southeast Asian governments actually govern. I'm not exactly an expert in the subject in OTL, so I'm not sure how much of an influence there actually was.
 
This clamping down on piracy and head-hunting outside of his borders wouldn't lead to Brooke's kingdom expanding now, would it? ;)

I wonder how much of an influence Sarawak will have on how Southeast Asian governments actually govern. I'm not exactly an expert in the subject in OTL, so I'm not sure how much of an influence there actually was.

Well, the Englishman does have cannons... and ships... and stability of a sort. I repeat what I said when I posted that map of Borneo: Brunei is soooo screwed. :p

As for influence, Sarawak didn't last long enough to see the rise of the modern OTL SE-Asian states, and even when it's kicking only Brunei paid attention to it (mainly because of that getting screwed thing). Of course, things might get a bit different this time. ;)
 
Dayak Report: The Bidayuh
If I wrote anything insulting; I didn't mean it.

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“Lang Endang” (Kayangan Publishing: 1999)

Dayaks: More than just A Term

Introduction


The island of Borneo has bewildered and excited the world ever since the early Portuguese set foot on its many shores, and none are more bewildering or more emblematic of the land than the indigenous Dayaks that inhabit them.

However, the term 'Dayak' is in fact a misnomer, for there in fact over two-hundred riverine, mountainous, and coastal subgroupings under the term 'Dayak' with each tribe and grouping as different as the next. Each and every group has their own conception of belief, their own version of order, their own views on social structure, art, architecture, work, play, and so on. Although much of the developed world has accepted this, there still remain certain corners of the globe who see us as nothing more than headhunters who live in longhouses or wooden huts. To those of you who see us as this, I am sorry for your ignorance.

Nevertheless, it is my intention in this book to educate anyone who is reading this of the complexities and intricacies that resides within the major Dayak subgroups in the simplest yet most understanding manner possible. I am not able to document each and every subgroup that still lives on this island, but I will at least try and explain the larger groupings that still influence this island today. Along the way, I will try and explain some of their relations with the wider world and – if possible – share their tumultuous history as well.

However to do this, we need to rethink ourselves for a while. Think of Borneo not as simply a wild jungle island inhabited by the unknown, but as a bubbling melting-pot full of different peoples with different systems and different worldviews, all inhabiting the same land. Sometimes we fight and sometimes we make peace, but we are always, always here...


***


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The Bidayuh or Land Dayak


When the British naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace visited Sarawak in 1854 in his quest for scientific knowledge, he found to his surprise that the indigenous Dayaks he met were quite skillful in their workmanship, noting that one particular Dayak tribe“…make paths for long distances from village to village and to their cultivated grounds, in the course of which they have to cross gullies and ravines, and even rivers; or sometimes, to avoid a long circuit, to carry the path along the face of a precipice.”

Today, we know these people as the Bidayuh, a term that means 'People of the Land' although back in Rajah James’ time they were called ‘Land Dayaks’ due to their placement of settlements on the hills and slopes surrounding the town of Kuching. However, just like the word 'Dayak' is a misnomer, the word 'Bidayuh' is in fact an umbrella term used to describe a collection of hill tribes and indigenous groups stretching from Bau at the west to the Samarahan River in the east, with many more communities existing west of the Sarawak border.

As expected of indigenous groups underneath an umbrella term, each tribe has their own culture and their own language which are not mutually intelligible with the next, forcing the collective to adopt Malay (and later, English) as their language of communication. Despite this, there are some elements which are commonly shared among the Bidayuh that make them – to a part – a distinct subgroup of their own when compared to the other Bornean tribes.

One way in which the Bidayuh differ from the other Dayak subgroups is in their social structure. Though each tribe possesses their own way of conducting social order, in general the adolescents and bachelors of most Bidayuh tribes reside in a unique architectural construct known as the Baruk, or headhouse; a circular building with a thatched roof that is connected to the main longhouse by a platform. This is where the young warriors and unmarried bachelors of the longhouse reside until they are married, in which case they would generally move to the wife’s longhouse and family to start a new life. The Baruk is also the scene for important events and celebrations, and thus forms a focal point in the life and culture of the Bidayuh.

Another, far more notable aspect of the Bidayuh was their construction of walkways and bridges made entirely from Bamboo. These constructs are built from bamboo poles that cross each other like the letter X, with the intersecting points being bounded together using either roots or rattan or flexible stems. Using this construct, the Bidayuh are able to bridge large distances between their longhouse settlements, crossing obstacles such as rivers or gullies with comparative ease. These walkways and bridges are used for ease of access as well as transportation and are much sturdier than they look; indeed one of Rajah Brooke's secretaries often delighted himself in walking on these constructs, although why he did so remains a mystery to this day.


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Examples of Bidayuh engineering: A Baruk fenced off for repair and refurbishment and a 50 meter-long Bamboo bridge still in use by a Bidayuh community. Both structures are located deep in the countryside of Bau


A more subtle connection that defines the Bidayuh is their belief of ‘Semangat’, a term that can be defined to a point as 'Courage' or 'Prowess'. To be more precise, a majority of Dayak subgroups believe that there is a living principle in all animate (and some inanimate) things, and that harnessing them can bring good harvests or well-being to a person or to the tribe. For the Bidayuh (though also held by a few others) this belief is also applied to Semangat; that harnessing Courage from a person and spreading it around would improve the well-being of the tribe, with an added touch that it can be influenced by a greater power. With their views of Courage and Prowess, it was little wonder that they were the first subgroup to broker an understanding with their new sovereign in the late 1840's – with the Rajah James Brooke.

When the adventurer began enforcing his laws in the 1840’s, he quickly found out that to do so would mean putting the Dayaks under his domain to revolt. However, the Bidayuh also respected James very much for his courage and leadership in dealing with pirates and the other warring tribes. It also helped that he often went into the forests to meet the Bidayuh chieftains, who viewed his visits as an auspicious event. In light of this, an understanding was made: The Bidayuh would slowly phase out their ritual of headhunting of which they practiced (though not to the extent of some of the other subgroups). In return, James Brooke would protect them from the pirates or the other warring Dayaks that would often cross the border from Dutch Borneo or Brunei.

This rule would be strained at times, but its eventual success would open the door to peacekeeping possibilities with the next subgroup the Rajah and his descendants faced: the Iban...


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A bevy of Bidayuh women during the 1995 Gawai celebration
 
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This clamping down on piracy and head-hunting outside of his borders wouldn't lead to Brooke's kingdom expanding now, would it? ;)

I wonder how much of an influence Sarawak will have on how Southeast Asian governments actually govern. I'm not exactly an expert in the subject in OTL, so I'm not sure how much of an influence there actually was.

Borneo has influence on SEA. Issue would be how big. Since Brooke is British, he would have access to industrialization. Depending on Brooke's migration policy, Borneo can actually challenge the Dutch and Spanish by late 19th century.

It can be patterned with USA expanding to the west during the 19th century much like Brooke expanding to SEA ATL.
 
Borneo has influence on SEA. Issue would be how big. Since Brooke is British, he would have access to industrialization. Depending on Brooke's migration policy, Borneo can actually challenge the Dutch and Spanish by late 19th century.

It can be patterned with USA expanding to the west during the 19th century much like Brooke expanding to SEA ATL.

Ah, but you're forgetting one giant thing: Brooke paternalism. For as much as the White Rajahs wanted to industrialize, there were really weird in their thinking that "Natives must be left alone, so we shall conquer everyone else's territory to protect them." You can guess what this meant for OTL industrialization.

But then again, I might add in a butterfly or two to kickstart factories in Borneo. The only problem is that Dutch might be extremely unhappy with this. ;)
 
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So, the official languages of TTL Sarawak are Malay* and English, right?

*This TTL version of Sarawakian Malay are more influenced by Bidayuh languages.
 
So, the official languages of TTL Sarawak are Malay* and English, right?

*This TTL version of Sarawakian Malay are more influenced by Bidayuh languages.

The official language is English and Malay, but the Lingua Franca is what will be known ITTL as 'Sarawak Creole', and its going to have a lot of Bidayuh and Iban influence as time goes on.
 
Is the said creole English-based (like Singlish lah) or Malay-based?

Malay-based, though some western languages will get mixed up into the pot; English will have a substantial influence, along with Dutch and another language I'll not say until it's time. ;)

EDIT: I'll need to think of a Sarawak version of "-Lah". "-Bah"?
 
Malay-based, though some western languages will get mixed up into the pot; English will have a substantial influence, along with Dutch and another language I'll not say until it's time.

So a bit like Lingala or Swahili then.

Thanks for the Bidayuh update, BTW - it's important background, and I always like to learn more about OTL cultures. It's also amazing how many cultures have chivalric principles: Semangat should answer well to the British world-view, especially when that view is filtered through adventurers like Brooke.
 
So a bit like Lingala or Swahili then.

Thanks for the Bidayuh update, BTW - it's important background, and I always like to learn more about OTL cultures. It's also amazing how many cultures have chivalric principles: Semangat should answer well to the British world-view, especially when that view is filtered through adventurers like Brooke.

Well, more towards the Swahili than the Lingala (though maybe with more word variation).

And thanks for noticing! I was a bit worried that no one liked the culture update, so that's a relief :eek: . I'm trying to see if I can put a culture update in-between the usual narratives and academic posts; given the Brookes' personal dealings with the Dayaks, it might be needed anyhow.

Oh, and the Bidayuh are not the only one to value Semangat, though the other tribes might not take it as easy as them; blowing up longhouses in the jungles will do that to them. :rolleyes:
 
Ah, but you're forgetting one giant thing: Brooke paternalism. For as much as the White Rajahs wanted to industrialize, there were really weird in their thinking that "Natives must be left alone, so we shall conquer everyone else's territory to protect them." You can guess what this meant for OTL industrialization.

But then again, I might add in a butterfly or two to kickstart factories in Borneo. The only problem is that Dutch might be extremely unhappy with this. ;)

I agree on this especially on rural areas. However, in cities, where population is more or less would look like Australia, industrialization can still happen.

Also not everyone in Borneo is a native that requires protection. You still got minorities like western, Chinese, Malay population.

Brooke still needs to have a Borneo stronger than Dutch armed forces and economy to beat them. I also just realized the opportunity that Brooke has. You got the Dutch at the south and Spanish in the north. All western nations but not anymore great powers.
 
And thanks for noticing! I was a bit worried that no one liked the culture update, so that's a relief :eek: . I'm trying to see if I can put a culture update in-between the usual narratives and academic posts; given the Brookes' personal dealings with the Dayaks, it might be needed anyhow.

Just to say I love the culture update, and am looking forward to more.
 
Just to say I love the culture update, and am looking forward to more.

Yay, another liker! :D

I agree on this especially on rural areas. However, in cities, where population is more or less would look like Australia, industrialization can still happen.

Also not everyone in Borneo is a native that requires protection. You still got minorities like western, Chinese, Malay population.

Brooke still needs to have a Borneo stronger than Dutch armed forces and economy to beat them. I also just realized the opportunity that Brooke has. You got the Dutch at the south and Spanish in the north. All western nations but not anymore great powers.

About the Malay-Chinese thing, it's a bit more complicated than it looks. And considering that the Spanish managed to attack and conquer Sulu in the 1870's, I wouldn't write them off just yet. ;)
 
About the Malay-Chinese thing, it's a bit more complicated than it looks. And considering that the Spanish managed to attack and conquer Sulu in the 1870's, I wouldn't write them off just yet. ;)

Well it doesn't have to be Malay or Chinese since that would put us back looking otl population. It all depends on the migration policies of Brooke. The nearest and most populated are Filipinos and Javans. A 1m western population in 20 years is also possible in 1860s like Australia in otl.

The Spanish are still a western power but not a great power. Goes the same with the Dutch. Winning vs that level of power is achievable for Borneo or Brooke as long as the right decisions are made. This is in the assumption that Spain and the Dutch can keep their locals in south east Asia loyal to them especially ATL where a separate South East Asian power exists.
 
Well it doesn't have to be Malay or Chinese since that would put us back looking otl population. It all depends on the migration policies of Brooke. The nearest and most populated are Filipinos and Javans. A 1m western population in 20 years is also possible in 1860s like Australia in otl.

The Spanish are still a western power but not a great power. Goes the same with the Dutch. Winning vs that level of power is achievable for Borneo or Brooke as long as the right decisions are made. This is in the assumption that Spain and the Dutch can keep their locals in south east Asia loyal to them especially ATL where a separate South East Asian power exists.

Hmm... there might be something I can do to increase immigration to Sarawak. But the POD for this is at least 20 or so years away, and with the way I'm planning for the Dayaks ITTL, I don't think they (and especially the Iban and Melanau) would like it if some "johnny-come-lately's" would come set up shop, even if it's in the cities. Watch this space.

And about the Spanish and the Dutch, I'm thinking of a few PODs but again they're simply too far ahead and have too many circumstances. However, I will say that Sarawak might end up being more lopsided than it is OTL. Keyword: might.
 
Hmm... there might be something I can do to increase immigration to Sarawak. But the POD for this is at least 20 or so years away, and with the way I'm planning for the Dayaks ITTL, I don't think they (and especially the Iban and Melanau) would like it if some "johnny-come-lately's" would come set up shop, even if it's in the cities. Watch this space.

And about the Spanish and the Dutch, I'm thinking of a few PODs but again they're simply too far ahead and have too many circumstances. However, I will say that Sarawak might end up being more lopsided than it is OTL. Keyword: might.

Well, you either have a large population or get a more advanced and sophisticated technology to survive even the weak western powers like the Dutch and Spain. Having large populations is not a necessary requirement(nordic nations come into mind) for survival of a nation but it does help since industry and wars are dependent on population. With regards to natural resource, the whole Borneo already got locally all the natural resources to become a modern nation. Having abundant natural resources have positive and negative sides. Positive since you dont have to conquer anything beyond your country, negative since one way or another some other nation will want to conquer your country.

The bad thing about an absolute monarchy is it is all the monarch's fault. The good thing about it is also all the monarch's fault. Success/Failure of Sarawak is wholly dependent on the decision that Brooke or any monarch had or will make.
 
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