Brunei
Brunei, 1888 to today. Draft, not yet reviewed
Brunei, officially Brunei Darussalam, is a country in Southeast Asia, situated on the northern coast of the island of Borneo. In 1888, Brunei became a British protectorate and in 1906 was assigned a British resident as colonial manager. After the Japanese occupation during World War II, a new constitution was written in 1959. Britain's protectorate over Brunei ended on 1 January 1984, when Brunei became a fully sovereign state.
Seat of power: Bandar Seri Begawan
Rulers
Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin of Brunei
Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, 1885–1906
Sultan Hashim requested British help in the late 19th century to stop Rajah Charles Brooke's territorial expansions, which resulted in the 1888 Protectorate Agreement. Under the 1905-1906 Supplementary Agreement, a British resident could advise the Sultan on most issues, with the exception of those pertaining to Islam and Malay customs.
- Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin of Brunei (Wikipedia)
- Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin of Brunei (Wikidata)
Portrait of Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin of Brunei: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Muhammad Jamalul Alam II
Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, 1906–1924
Jamalul Alam was the first Bruneian sultan to speak English, reflecting British influence as Brunei navigated its relationship with the British Residency established in 1906. He aimed to encourage new developments in agriculture, medicine, and education, while also promoting Islamic learning.
Portrait of Muhammad Jamalul Alam II: Unknown authorUnknown author, Public domain, file
Ahmad Tajuddin of Brunei
Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, 1924–1950
He advocated for the Sultanate to have more financial and political autonomy in a way that was innovative for his day. Ahmad Tajuddin was eleven years old when he ascended to the throne as Yang di-Pertuan on 11 September 1924.
Portrait of Ahmad Tajuddin of Brunei: Government of Brunei, Public domain, file
Omar Ali Saifuddien III of Brunei
Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, 1950–1967
Omar Ali Saifuddien formed a royal commission to get feedback from locals in various regions, which was the first step towards drafting a written constitution for Brunei. On 4 October 1967, after a reign of 17 years and a protracted illness, Omar Ali Saifuddien announced his abdication in favour of his 21-year-old eldest son, Crown Prince Hassanal Bolkiah.
Portrait of Omar Ali Saifuddien III of Brunei: Government of Brunei, Public domain, file
Hassanal Bolkiah I of Brunei
Sultan of Brunei Darussalam, 1967 to today
Hassanal Bolkiah has reigned as the sultan of Brunei since 1967, and has also served as the prime minister of Brunei since its independence from British rule in 1984. He is the 29th sultan to ascend to the Bruneian throne, following the abdication of his father in 1967. On 5 October 2017, Bolkiah celebrated his Golden Jubilee to mark the 50th year of his reign.
Portrait of Hassanal Bolkiah I of Brunei: Cancillería del Perú, CC BY-SA 2.0, file
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Culture
- Brunei is the only sovereign state entirely on Borneo; the remainder of the island is divided between its multi-landmass neighbours of Malaysia and Indonesia. Its official language is Malay, and Sunni Islam is the state religion.
- The country's wealth derives from its extensive petroleum and natural gas fields.
- In 1962, a small armed rebellion against the monarchy, which was indirectly related to the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation, was ended with British assistance and led to the ban of the pro-independence Brunei People's Party.
Picture
The Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque in Bandar Seri Begawan was completed in 1958 at a cost of US$5 million.
Image: Abdullah Geelah, CC BY-SA 3.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.