Of Rajahs and Hornbills: A timeline of Brooke Sarawak

[Al-numbers]

I don't think you can do anything to old updates that are locked, sadly.

Hmm, I remember in the site's past that you can change old updates, but you need the help of a mod to do so. If I can't change it then damn, looks like I need to write a workaround to that mistake.

 

[Al-numbers]

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

When Sultan Abdul Mo'min finally ascended the throne after his aging predecessor’s death in 1852, no one could guess just how much his reign would change Brunei.

From the capital city, the new ruler faced a myriad of challenges for the crumbling sultanate, the most daunting of which was the royal court itself. Before his death, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II sired a great number of progeny whom wedded into powerful families, making the royal court one of consorts and in-laws scheming against one another. Abdul Mo'min himself was a son-in-law of the late sultan, wrestling control from the ruler’s own sons in 1853 through careful diplomacy, courtly rank and external circumstances (the rebellions of Simanggang and the Rajang Delta notwithstanding).

Knowing that such a fractured nobility would bring the empire slipping further into oblivion, one of his chief matters upon ascension was to stabilize the court, and this he did through political marriage. Slowly, he began to bridge the gap between the schemers through interlinked marriages to either one another or to the progeny (or grand-progeny) of Omar Ali Saifuddin II. This would also solve another problem for the new ruler, for Sultan Abdul Mo'min had no children of his own. To solve this, he would later proclaim that only the children of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II can inherit the throne after his own death, sealing the future succession question for good. Today, there are some revisionist historians that claim that Abdul Mo'min was "putting it all in the family", but in those days almost everyone accepted the peaceful palace household that followed his reign.

However, the world outside Bandar Brunei was anything but peaceful. Control of the Bruneian Empire was now limited to only the capital and the southern coast, and even then the polity was hardly stable during the course of the 1850's. Corruption and ineffectual governance stymied rule outside the capital while the northern lords of western Sabah began acting independently of their own accord, nominally accepting the sultanate as their overlord. In addition, almost no one at court could address the piracy problem and the damages it caused to the sultanate's trade.

The rebellions of Libau Rentap and Sharif Masahor also made it clear that Brunei was losing its influence on Borneo, particularly in the latter incident. The sultan tried to act by stripping Masahor of his title and lordship, but the rebel leader continued to stir trouble across the Rajang Basin, ultimately culminating with the entire area being on the negotiation table as James Brooke sailed to the capital again in 1861.

As the royal court prepared for James' arrival, few paid any attention to the north, which was also coming under the influence of the Kingdom of Sarawak...

**********

Anton De Rycker, The Hornbill and the Lion: Dutch-Brooke Relations (Leiden University Press: 1982)

As the 1850's wore on, the Dutch realized that whatever troubles they had with the Brookes, it was nothing compared to the problems they faced in their own portion of Borneo. By 1855, both sides set aside some of their enmity as the inhabitants of the island revolted against both powers.

While Sarawak underwent rebellion and uprisings during the decade, the Dutch suffered the same problems and worse. For all its expansion and influence, the Kingdom of Sarawak mostly occupied the northern coast of Borneo and so only had to deal with the Sultanate of Brunei on problems and complaints. The Dutch instead had to deal with the entire western and southern coasts of Borneo – a region containing more than a dozen sultanates, several of them major kingdoms – plus the native Dayaks whom due to the curse of borders are now unceremoniously placed on their side of the island.

Dutch contact with South and West Borneo was firmly re-established following the Kuching Agreement, yet not all of the polities – or the people – accepted the foreign intrusion. The Chinese Lanfang Republic staged an uprising that lasted for a year while the sultanate of Banjar devolved into a proxy war between two princes, one supported by the court while the other – an illegitimate son – sponsored by the Dutch. In addition, new threats came in the form of Dayaks and Illanun pirates who roam the rivers and seas for ships to pillage and heads to lop off.

Nevertheless, the Dutch East Indies persevered through the heat and smoke, deploying steamships and gunboats up the rivers whilst placing ground troops to maintain control of the region. Dutch Residents and generals negotiated with royal courts as explorers mapped out the island's rivers and terrain. The Dutch also allowed Christian missionaries to proselyte in their Bornean holds, hoping to try and convert the Dayaks away from 'barbaric practices', as well as limiting the power of the island's numerous sultanates.

It was also during this time when the Dutch began working their designs on the Sentarum Floodplains. The Kapuas River and its tributaries form the main waterway for West Borneo, and control of the watercourse would pave the way for better control of the interior, as well as access to suspected mineral and ore deposits. Besides that, the Brooke family was too busy fighting off rebellions and reforming their kingdom during the period, and the Dutch seized the opportunity.

After fortifying the town of Sintang to the teeth as a starting base (as well as brokering a treaty with the Sintang court) the Dutch conducted multiple punitive expeditions into the Sentarum Floodplains, fighting off headhunters and gaining Dayak allies in the same way James Brooke had done so only a few years earlier. The Dutch also encouraged what Dayaks they managed to win over to settle alongside the main waterways of the floodplains, where they would be easier to watch over.

The officers of Fort Brooke protested against the incursions and some of the chieftains in the northern parts fought solidly against the Dutch, but by the end of 1859 some of the southern parts of the plains changed their nominal allegiances from Kuching to Batavia. As the conflicts of the island winded down with the decade, the Brooke family soon realized of the disturbances in Sentarum and began asking the Dutch to leave. Batavia's reluctance and subsequent presence in the region further soured relations, forcing Sarawak to ask its benefactor, The British Empire, to intervene on their behalf...

**********

Joseph Pairin Kitingan, The Land Below The Wind: A History of Sabah, (Charleston University Press; 1993)

To say that the modern history of Sabah started in 1851 is a bit of misnomer; the region had attracted European explorers since the early 1500s, and the British East India Company even had a stake in the region dating back to 1763. Nevertheless, it was during the decade when the Kingdom of Sarawak - and the British Empire - began to take interest in Borneo's northern frontier.

Though 1851 is set as the official date, it could be argued that Sarawak's interest in northern Borneo started back in 1846, when several members of the Bruneian nobility fled north from the capital during the botched "Bruneian Escape". At that point, Bruneian Sabah had internally disintegrated into a collection of independent-minded fiefs, nominally ruled from Bandar Brunei. Because of this, some of the ex-nobles were able to seek shelter in the north, away from the prying eyes of the royal court.

After his ascension as Rajah of Sarawak, James Brooke kept in touch with the exiled nobles, sometimes ferrying messages to and fro from Kuching to the northern frontier on his anti-pirate expeditions. Further contact was established in 1850 when the famous Admiral Sir Henry Keppel fought with an Illanun pirate fleet at Kimanis Bay and burned down a nearby pirate settlement in the region, gaining the respect of the locals.

However, it would be the 1851 expedition to Mount Kinabalu by Sir Hugh Low that would put Bruneian Sabah right on the map. Born into a family interested in nature, Low was sent to Singapore in 1844 to collect exotic plants on behalf of his father. While there, the naturalist soon formed a friendship with the then-adventurer James Brooke and through his help, became Colonial Secretary of Labuan upon the island's handover to the British Empire. In 1851, the naturalist decided on an expedition up to Mount Kinabalu in what was then Northern Brunei; the first European to do so. Today, the highest point on the mountain – Low's Peak – is named in his honour.

Aside from that, several new species of plants and animals were named after Low and his benefactor, Rajah James. From then on, contact with the northern region of Brunei increased through the decade as both the Royal Navy and the Kingdom of Sarawak tried to dislodge the Illanun and Chinese pirates plaguing the region. While shrewd, the northern lords were more than happy to accept foreign protection from the pirates, so long as internal matters are still held in their hands.

This anti-piracy connection, tenuous as it is, would lead to Sabah becoming a prize for the White Rajahs in the 1860's and 70's. However, with the age of New Imperialism rising with the times, northern Borneo would also gain the eye of several other powers...and a few adventurers.
__________

Footnotes:

1. The Bruneian succession system prior to Abdul Mo’min is comparatively different from that of the other Malay kingdoms; To simplify, a ceremonial keris (a type of dagger) would be passed around to prospective candidates – usually nobles – with the accepting candidate proclaimed sultan.

2. Also, consider this update a slight retcon of the preivous Brunei update, which states that the sultan’s son inherits the throne (though everything else in that update happened). My bad.

3. The Sultanate of Banjar really did have a war going on during the 1850’s involving rival princes.

4. Sir Hugh Low’s expedition 1851 to Mount Kinabalu is OTL.

 

[Germania09]

Come on Overbeck don't screw things up this go around

 

[Al-numbers]

Come on Overbeck don't screw things up this go around

With the POD now almost twenty years past, there might be another Austro-Hungarian having an eye for Sabah, or maybe another European entirely.

Anyhow, this rounds up the 1850's for Sarawak and for Borneo. By this time around, the surrounding world would have changed just about enough to affect major events in history, and with luck my next update (which might take a while to think about) would focus on these changes.

As again, if I slip up or made something wrong, don't hesitate to tell me; I might have read a few more things, but I'm still clueless about 19th century European history in general.

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

Tenuous connexion, not strenuous, surely?

 

[Unknown]

Anyhow, this rounds up the 1850's for Sarawak and for Borneo. By this time around, the surrounding world would have changed just about enough to affect major events in history, and with luck my next update (which might take a while to think about) would focus on these changes.

As again, if I slip up or made something wrong, don't hesitate to tell me; I might have read a few more things, but I'm still clueless about 19th century European history in general.

If you need any help with changing events in this period, PM Jonathan Edelstein.

Good updates.

 

[Germania09]

With the POD now almost twenty years past, there might be another Austro-Hungarian having an eye for Sabah, or maybe another European entirely.

Anyhow, this rounds up the 1850's for Sarawak and for Borneo. By this time around, the surrounding world would have changed just about enough to affect major events in history, and with luck my next update (which might take a while to think about) would focus on these changes.

As again, if I slip up or made something wrong, don't hesitate to tell me; I might have read a few more things, but I'm still clueless about 19th century European history in general.

Oh dear the butterflies

 

[Ultimate Paragon]

Good update.

 

[FleetMac]

*Sigh* it seems that poor Borneo and Sarawak can't catch a break. What with that reference towards the end for more "adventurers" coming along to ruin their lawn and break their stuff. In any event, this was a very nice update, and I hope the Brits can make the Dutch see the error of their ways, should they continue pressing against the Sentarum in the manner they've been doing.

 

[Jonathan Edelstein]

I have a feeling Brooke may be waiting a long time for the British Empire to bail him out - anti-piracy is one thing, but spending blood and treasure fighting the Dutch over interior Borneo is something else entirely. He'll eventually have to come to terms with the Dutch on his own, and seems to be in the process of doing so.

The arrival of other adventurers in Sabah could make things interesting, in the Chinese sense.

 

[Al-numbers]

Tenuous connexion, not strenuous, surely?

Ah, my mistake. Thanks for pointing that out!

If you need any help with changing events in this period, PM Jonathan Edelstein.

Good updates.

Just did so. I may need some help about European history anyways. Thanks for reading!

Oh dear the butterflies

Ah, how they flutter around! Changing births and hastening deaths~

Good update.

Thanks for reading!

*Sigh* it seems that poor Borneo and Sarawak can't catch a break. What with that reference towards the end for more "adventurers" coming along to ruin their lawn and break their stuff. In any event, this was a very nice update, and I hope the Brits can make the Dutch see the error of their ways, should they continue pressing against the Sentarum in the manner they've been doing.

Well, let's just say the British are now starting to grasp the whole "other countries want colonies too!" thing. In any case, the Brookes might want to hold on their seats once the Brits call back; their answers may enrage them.

I have a feeling Brooke may be waiting a long time for the British Empire to bail him out - anti-piracy is one thing, but spending blood and treasure fighting the Dutch over interior Borneo is something else entirely. He'll eventually have to come to terms with the Dutch on his own, and seems to be in the process of doing so.

The arrival of other adventurers in Sabah could make things interesting, in the Chinese sense.

Yep, and the British are in no mood for a confrontation with the Dutch at that point in time, so it's probable that they would all have to sit down and talk it out (much to Sarawak's displeasure).

And speaking of adventurers, it turns out Sabah had a reaaally interesting history prior to Baron von Overbeck taking it all. So, in the spirit of this TL, I would like to posit a question for you all:

If there could be another White Rajah ruling - if for a moment - over a Bornean territory, which country do you want him to come from?​

.

 

[Ridwan Asher]

Either Ottoman Empire or somewhere Scandinavian or Slavic.

 

[SunDeep]

A few interesting possibilities- if you want someone who hails from a European power other than Great Britain, the Netherlands, or Spain, then a French or Portuguese White Rajah could be interesting, and have far reaching ramifications. Elsewhere in Europe- well, if their Kingdom of Sabah is going to fall anyway, why not go for a Belgian? It'd be good to see their colonial efforts getting a kick in the teeth early on. Italy were offered Sabah IOTL by von Overbeck, but chose to spurn the offer. If Sarawak's a bigger success though, it might persuade them (or one of their precursor states, prior to Italian unification) to go ahead and purchase Sabah ITTL. Elsewhere, well, you could easily envision some U.S of American having the ambition to head over to Borneo and try to emulating Brooke's success ITTL.

There's even a candidate I had in mind; for the French, if you want a tyrannical villain, Jean-Baptiste Onésime Dutrou-Bornier sounds like he'd be ideal to play that role. And on that note, if you don't decide to go with Dutrou-Bornier, could either he, Alexander Salmon Jr. or John Brander be influenced by the Kingdom of Sarawak's greater success, and establish their own enduring Kingdom of Rapa Nui on Easter Island?

(p.s, doesn't the head of that weird creature on Dutrou-Bornier's flag look like the head of a hornbill? A remarkable coincidence, wouldn't you say?)

 

[Ridwan Asher]

I'd point to a Russian since I have personal soft spot for Russian presence in the region.

 

[orangnumpanglewat]

Nice update. Again, I am not sure that the British would intervene directly against the Dutch. But I'd like to point out that Anglo-Dutch relations in the Indies at the time aren't exactly friendly. In 1858, the Dutch subjected the Sultanate of Siak Inderapura. It is a Malay Sultanate on modern day Riau, Indonesia just across the strait from Singapore. The British had their own ambitions on this sultanate, thus they protested. IOTL, the British did not recognize Dutch control of Siak until 1878. I still doubt that the British would get involved in a colonial war against the Dutch, but a proxy wouldn't be too far-fetched.

 

[Al-numbers]

Interesting suggestions on who could be the White Rajahs of Sabah, everyone. All I can say for now is some of those countries will have eyes on northern Borneo. It's just a matter of keeping it.

Nice update. Again, I am not sure that the British would intervene directly against the Dutch. But I'd like to point out that Anglo-Dutch relations in the Indies at the time aren't exactly friendly. In 1858, the Dutch subjected the Sultanate of Siak Inderapura. It is a Malay Sultanate on modern day Riau, Indonesia just across the strait from Singapore. The British had their own ambitions on this sultanate, thus they protested. IOTL, the British did not recognize Dutch control of Siak until 1878. I still doubt that the British would get involved in a colonial war against the Dutch, but a proxy wouldn't be too far-fetched.

Huh, I thought the 1824 Anglo-Dutch Treaty took care of that bit. Then again, considering the messes both countries did towards Malaya, Sumatra and the East Indies up till the late 1870's, I shouldn't be surprised.

EDIT: Didn't know that there was Kingdom of Napa Rui! Hmm, what if a much nicer adventurer would come and declare himself governor of the island? It would certainly do the Napa Rui's a lot of good.

 

[The Sandman]

My guess is that the Brookes will eventually get the entire Kapuas basin and northwestern corner of Borneo in exchange for considerations elsewhere (help subjugating Aceh, Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands, possibly even convincing the Portuguese to sell their half of Timor). Leaving the basin split between two countries would cripple it economically in the long run.

As for an adventurer who might try for Sabah... I'd personally lean towards either an American or a Scandinavian; most other possibilities would either cause political difficulties (any of the existing major colonial powers) or have things to occupy them at home (Italians and Germans). The other person who might take an interest would be Leopold II, but frankly I'd prefer butterflies resulting in him drowning in a bathtub or something to that man getting anything in his clutches.

 

[SunDeep]

My guess is that the Brookes will eventually get the entire Kapuas basin and northwestern corner of Borneo in exchange for considerations elsewhere (help subjugating Aceh, Christmas Island and the Cocos Islands, possibly even convincing the Portuguese to sell their half of Timor). Leaving the basin split between two countries would cripple it economically in the long run.

As for an adventurer who might try for Sabah... I'd personally lean towards either an American or a Scandinavian; most other possibilities would either cause political difficulties (any of the existing major colonial powers) or have things to occupy them at home (Italians and Germans). The other person who might take an interest would be Leopold II, but frankly I'd prefer butterflies resulting in him drowning in a bathtub or something to that man getting anything in his clutches.

Well, I'm getting the impression that, whoever gets hold of Sabah and becomes its White Rajah ITTL, it'll fall out of their clutches soon enough- perhaps to be conquered by the Sarawak/British at a later stage? In which case, the best outcome for the world would probably be if the Belgians do get their clutches on Sabah, albeit for as brief a period as possible. If King Leopold II's attempt to claim Sabah, which would be the Belgians' first colonial endeavour ITTL, ends up with them suffering a humiliating defeat and bankruptcy, then the blow could easily butterfly away the Belgian colonial empire entirely. And that can only be a good thing, am I right?

 

[Al-numbers]

About Belgium, I am really interested in butterflying King Leopold and his Congo Free State entirely, but I'm not so sure on how the resulting butterflies would react, or how will the other powers would take the ex-Belgian Territories. Germany would want it's place in the sun alongside all the Colonial Powers, and Portugal would definitely try harder to get their 'Pink Map'.

I've already made a thread about this, and so far I'm still mulling the options. A Belgian Sabah would be a great(ly horrible) alternative, but I wonder if such a thing would make the Dayaks/Malays more suspicious of their overlords more quickly than OTL. Besides that, Sabah would pale in comparison to resource-rich Africa, though Brussels/Leopold could use it as a starting point.

On another note, it seems college has put another spanner in the works, so no updates for the entirety of next week. Stay curious, everyone.

 

[Al-numbers]

Just a placeholder so that the next update wouldn't be at the bottom of the page. Also, Belgium had an eye on the Far East waaay earlier than I thought.