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IN BRUNEIIN BRUNEI

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INTERESTINTEREST

IN BRUNEIIN BRUNEI

Beginning of 16th

centuryBrunei was an important Brunei was an important

sultanate in northwestern part of sultanate in northwestern part of

Borneo,Borneo,

it was strategically located off it was strategically located off

the sea lanes of South China Sea.the sea lanes of South China Sea.

However, Brunei’s authority over However, Brunei’s authority over

its vast territory had begun to its vast territory had begun to

weaken due to the coming of weaken due to the coming of the the

Western powersWestern powers..

Brunei was an important Brunei was an important

sultanate in northwestern part of sultanate in northwestern part of

Borneo,Borneo,

it was strategically located off it was strategically located off

the sea lanes of South China Sea.the sea lanes of South China Sea.

However, Brunei’s authority over However, Brunei’s authority over

its vast territory had begun to its vast territory had begun to

weaken due to the coming of weaken due to the coming of the the

Western powersWestern powers..

Who are those Western Powers?

BRITAIN HOLLANDSPAIN

In 1577 and 1580, Spanish tried to conquer

Brunei with naval attacks.they even ransacked

Brunei Town in 1645.

However, they did not succeed in establishing a lasting hold over Brunei.

Thus it was left to Dutch and British in their attempt

to dominate Borneo

When the Dutch merchants arrived, they began to

develop trade relations with sultanates along southern & western coasts of Borneo.

In 1600, Dutch Admiral, Oliver van Noort visited Brunei.

Dutch were not interested in North Borneo but they focused on southern and western parts

of Borneo.

Oliver Van Noort’s Ship

What are the Southern and Western Parts of Borneo?

The Southern Part of Borneo is Sarawak and the Western Part of

Borneo is Kalimantan

What is Northern Part of Borneo?

The Northern Part of Borneo is Sabah.

• 1603 - Dutch factory in Banjarmasin

attacked

• 1610 - Factory in Sambas was destroyed

• 1622 - Factory in Soekadana was burnt

HOWEVER

disasters struck when

Dutch tried to establish

themselves.

End of 18th century

However, political developments in

Europe soon forced them to

withdraw from most of their

territories in Borneo.

Dutch succeeded

partially in

establishing their

control in the

western and

southern part of

Borneo by using

force and

diplomacy.

In 1780 Dutch entered American War of independence.

In the end, bankruptcy occurred which ruined the Dutch East Indies Company and made it impossible

for them to manage their territories in Borneo.

British concentrated on the northern part of the island due to strategic reasons.

Dutch extended their influence in southern part

for political and commercial reasons.

Beginning of 19th century

English East India Company

(EIC)

North Borneo

became

important to

British as

they needed a

place for their

ships to stop

over between

Straits of

Malacca and China.

British interest in North

Borneo

British captured Manila in 1762 during the Seven tears war in Europe but had no long-term

interest on it so it was returned to Spain in 1764.

January 1761, Alexander Dalrymple made a treaty of

Alliance and Commerce with Sultan of Sulu.

In 1763, he obtained Sulu territories in North Borneo.

Later in 1773, British small factory was established in

Balambangan.

Balambangan was the best location for a

centre of trade in the East.

However, it was poorly managed and was

abandoned two years later when it was

attacked and destroyed by the Sulus.

In 1774, Britain sought refuge in Brunei. Sultan of Brunei then offered the EIC a site which was Labuan for settlement. Because he needed protection from the

Sulus.

EIC was not interested in acquiring Labuan,

instead directors of EIC decided that no new site would be

chosen if Balambangan failed.

Britain did not have important trading stations in the East until Singapore was founded by Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819

19th Century

Anglo-Dutch Treaty 1824

The treaty was signed on 23 March 1824 and through

this treaty, Dutch and British agreed to settle

their territorial conflicts in the East.

As a result:-

The Dutch control the south of the Straits of Malacca (southern part of Borneo,

Bencoolen)

The British control the north of Straits of Malacca (Malacca, Singapore)

Malay Peninsula & East Indies were separated into two areas of influence.

Malay Peninsula was to be British area of influence. Sumatra and all islands to the south of the Strait of Singapore were to be Dutch’s.

Both agreed not to have any settlements in each other’s area.

Bencoolen, a British port in western Sumatra was to be exchanged for Dutch-controlled Malacca.

British were allowed to remain in Singapore.

Both agreed not to sign treaties with any countries without each other’s knowledge.

Both agreed to co-operate with each other in removing piracy.

Dutch gained exclusive control over the trade of the Spice islands but not the trade of Malay Archipelago.

James Brooke a well-known British

adventurer, had been a military officer in British India. With the money that his father left for

him, James Brooke bought a yacht called the “Royalist”. His plan was to explore the Marudu Bay, New Guinea and

Sulu Islands for Scientific and Commercial

interests. At that time, he had no political

ambitions.

James Brooke reached in Singapore in 1838 where he heard that

Sarawak was rich in antimony ore.So he set off to Lidah Tanah (Kuching)

in august 1839.

At the same time,Datu Patinggi Ali lead a rebellion against the

oppressive Pengiran Indera Mahkota (Brunei’s Governor of Sarawak) who

was hated by the local people for using forced labour to extract ore

from the mines.

Pengiran Muda Hashim was sent by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien II to solve the political problem in

Sarawak. However Pengiran Muda Hashim failed to settle due to the

dispute he have with Pengiran Indera Mahkota.

When James brooke arrived,Pengiran Muda Hashim asked for his help to

end the rebellion in return he will be appointed as the Governor of

Sarawak.

After James Brooke successfully ended the rebellion, he

asked Pengiran Muda Hashim to keep his promise to appoint

him as the Governor of Sarawak and

forgive the rebels, but Pengiran Muda

Hashim Refuse to do so. James Brooke was

very angry that he threatened to attack

the house of Pengiran Muda Hashim.

Later, on 24 September 1841,Pengiran Muda Hashim had to appoint James Brooke as the Governor of Sarawak

by signing the Treaty of 1841.Due to this treaty,

Pengiran Indera Mahkota had to step down and left for

Mukah.

Realizing the treaty was not binding without the Sultan’s approval, James brooke then set off for Brunei and signed Treaty of 1842 with Sultan

Omar Ali Saifuddien II on 31 July 1842.Under the terms of the treaty, Sultan Omar Ali

Saifuddien II confirmed James Brooke’s appointment as

Governor of Sarawak.