White Rajahs of Sarawak
A Borneo Dynasty
The White Rajahs were a dynastic monarchy of the English Brooke family, who founded and ruled the Kingdom of Sarawak, located on the island of Borneo, from 1841 to 1946. The first ruler was Englishman James Brooke. As a reward for helping the Sultanate of Brunei fight piracy and insurgency among the indigenous peoples, he was granted the landmass of Sarawak in 1841 and received independent kingdom status.
Based on descent through the male line in accordance with the Will of
Sir James Brooke, the White Rajahs' dynasty continued through Brooke's
nephew and grandnephew, the latter of whom ceded his rights to the United Kingdom
in 1946. His nephew had been the legal heir to the throne and objected
to the cession, as did most of the Sarawak members of the Council Negri.
Rulers
Sarawak was part of the realm of Brunei until 1841 when James Brooke was granted a sizeable area of land in the southwest area of Brunei – around the city of Sarawak (now Kuching) and the nearby mining region of Bau – from Bruneian Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II. He was later confirmed with the title of Rajah
of the territory. The Kingdom of Sarawak developed and expanded during
the rule of the first two White Rajahs, growing to occupy much of the
north region of the island of Borneo. The Brooke administrations leased
or annexed more land from Brunei.
James and Charles had short grammar school educations, Vyner,
Bertram, and Anthony went to public schools and Cambridge University
(but without taking degrees). All but Anthony died in England and are
buried at Sheepstor parish church,
Devon. Anthony Brooke had his ashes interred at Sheepstor as well as at
the Brooke Family graveyard in Kuching, as per his last wish.
The White Rajahs pursued a policy of paternalism,
with the goal of protecting the "native peoples" (indigenous peoples)
from "capitalist exploitation". While James Brooke laid much of the
groundwork for the expansion of Sarawak, his nephew Charles, the second
rajah, was the great builder. He constructed public buildings to serve
welfare, such as a hospital, in addition to forts. He worked to extend
the borders of the state.
Vyner Brooke instituted significant political reforms during his tenure. He ended the absolute rule
of the Rajah in 1941, before the Japanese invasion of World War II, by
granting new powers to the Council Negri (the parliament). Bertram
co-ruled with his elder brother, taking turns of 6 – 8 months in charge
of the country each year. By 1939 Bertram's son Anthony had taken on the
reins of government, and it was with considerable controversy that
Vyner attempted to cede Sarawak to Britain secretly in 1946 in what gave
rise to the anti-cession movement of Sarawak.
James of Sarawak (James Brooke) 1841-1868, born at 29 April 1803 in India, death at 11 June 1868 in England, granted Sarawak and the title Rajah by the Sultan of Brunei.
Government
When James Brooke first arrived in Sarawak, it was governed as a vassal state of the Sultanate of Brunei;
the system of government was based on the Bruneian model. Brooke
reorganised the government according to the British model, eventually
creating a civil service. It recruited European, chiefly British, officers to run district outstations. The Sarawak Service was continually reformed by Rajah James and his successors.
Rajah James retained many of the customs and symbols of Malay
monarchy, and combined them with his own style of absolute rule. The
Rajah had the power to introduce laws and acted as chief judge in
Kuching.
The White Rajahs were determined to prevent the indigenous peoples of
Sarawak from being exploited by Western business interests. They
allowed the Borneo Company Limited
(the Borneo Company) to assist in managing the economy. The core of the
early Sarawak economy was antimony, later followed by gold, which was
mined in Bau by Chinese syndicates who imported numerous workers from China. After the local Chinese uprising in 1857, the mining operations were gradually taken over by the Borneo Company; it bought out the last Chinese syndicate in 1884.
The Borneo Company provided military support to the White Rajahs during
crises such as the Chinese uprising. One of the company steamships, the
Sir James Brooke, helped recapture Kuching.
Rajah Charles formed a small paramilitary force, the Sarawak Rangers,
to police and defend the expanding state. This small army also manned a
series of forts around the country, acted as the Rajahs' personal
guard, and performed ceremonial duties.
Cession to the United Kingdom
After the Second World War, during which Sarawak and Borneo had been occupied by Japanese forces, the third rajah, Vyner Brooke, ceded his life interest in Sarawak to the Colonial Office.
In exchange, he received a sizeable pension for him and his three
daughters. Unclear as to the legality of cession, the British Government
simultaneously passed a Bill of Annexation. Rajah Vyner's nephew and
legal heir, Anthony Brooke, initially opposed annexation by the Crown, as did a majority of the native members of the Council Negri.
Because of his opposition to the cession, Anthony Brooke was considered suspect when Duncan Stewart, the second British governor to Sarawak, was assassinated by a political group agitating for union with newly independent Indonesia.
He was never prosecuted. Documents released in the late 20th century
indicate that the British Government knew that Brooke was not involved,
but chose not to reveal the truth of the matter.
Since those events, there has been no serious movement for the
restoration of the monarchy, although Anthony's son James Bertram Lionel
Brooke remains the principal beneficiary (heir) under the Will of Sir
James Brooke.
The period of Brooke rule is generally looked upon favourably in
Sarawak, and in recent times the government has accepted the importance
of their legacy for its social, cultural, and touristic value.
The Brooke family still maintains strong ties to the state and its
people and are represented by the Brooke Trust, and by Anthony Brooke's
grandson Jason Desmond Anthony Brooke, at many state functions and supporting heritage projects.
Legacy
- The coaling station of Brooketon in Brunei was named after the Brooke family.
- The architectural legacy of the dynasty can be seen in many of the country's 19th-century and colonial heritage buildings. In Kuching these include the Astana, or governor's residence; the Sarawak Museum, the Old Courthouse, Fort Margherita, the Square Fort, and Brooke Memorial. The Brooke Dockyard, which was founded in the period of Rajah Charles, is still in operation, as is the original Sarawak Museum. Several key buildings from the Brooke period, such as the offices and warehouses of Borneo Company, have been demolished for more recent developments.
- The James Brooke Café and the Royalist, a pub named after James Brooke's schooner, refer to the history of the Brookes.
Source: wikipedia
Photo: www.goodreads.com
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