Wednesday, December 28, 2011

On Raja Muda Hashim

The exact family ties between the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II and Pengiran Muda Hashim is depicted in the following chart.

Fig 2: Brunei royal genealogy

On the subject of royal succession, let me quote from Frank Marryat's book Borneo & the Indian Archipelago: "At the death of the late sultan, Muda Hassan (sic) was the heir-apparent to the throne, but he resigned in favour of his nephew, retaining the office of prime minister, which office he had held during the former reign, not only to the satisfaction of the sultan, but also of the people, with whom he was deservedly a great favourite."

Around 1835, the Sultan sent Muda Hashim to Sarawak to restore order there. Sarawak had been a loosely governed territory under the control of the Brunei in the early 19th century. At that time, an anti-Brunei force of Malays and Bidayuhs led by Datu Patinggi Ali was revolting against Pengiran Indera Mahkota, the Brunei-appointed Malay governor of Sarawak.. By various accounts, Mahkota was a harsh man, forcing the locals to work like slaves to extract antimony from the mines in Sarawak. Hence the uprising.

However even after Raja Muda Hashim’s arrival in Sarawak, very little happened for a few years, with both sides not making much progress. Also it appears that Muda Hashim and Mahkota didn't see eye to eye, and a certain tension developed between them.

When the English adventurer James Brooke reached Singapore on his Far East voyage, he heard that the ruler of Sarawak, Raja Muda Hashim had shown that he was friendly to Europeans. Earlier on the Raja Muda had been hospitable to some British sailors shipwrecked on the coastal waters of Sarawak and even sent them back to Singapore. James Brooke was curious to see what the fabled Borneo was really like. Besides Mr Bonham, the British Governor of Singapore wanted James to give a letter of thanks and some presents to Raja Muda Hashim for his kind treatment of the sailors.

And so it was on 15 August 1839 that James Brooke in his schooner “The Royalist” sailed up the Sarawak River, and anchored off Kuching.

Raja Muda Hashim gave him a friendly welcome. As one writer described Muda Hashim and the first meeting: "His appearance was not imposing but his manners were a pattern of courtesy and he maintained a certain shabby dignity. He returned the Royalist's salute of 21 guns with a salute of 17 and received his visitor with some pomp in the palm-leaf shed which went by the name of audience hall" All in all their meetings were amicable enough and Muda Hashim did request his help in quelling the rebels but James Brooke declined, not wanting to get involved. He departed after a short stay.

James Brooke then spent a year cruising in the Archipelago and had decided to return to England. But before he did so, he thought he would first pay another visit to Kuching. In August 1840, he landed in Sarawak again and found that the fighting was still continuing. This time when Raja Muda Hashim asked again, he agreed to assist.

With his powerful cannons and superior military tactics, Brooke was able to quell the rebellion. In reward for his success, Muda Hashim signed a treaty on 24 September 1841 surrendering territory from the westernmost tip of Sarawak, Tanjung Dato, to the Samarahan river to Brooke and bestowing on him the title of Governor of Sarawak.

This appointment was made official on 18 September 1842 by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II. In return Brooke promised to pay the Sultan an annual tribute of $2,500, to preserve the customs and religion of the people in Sarawak and not to separate Sarawak from Brunei without the Sultan's consent. It was a big political mistake on the Sultan’s part to appoint Brooke but the Englishman had the backing of the British Navy.

Fig 3: Artist impression of James Brooke at the court of

the Sultan of Brunei

In 1844 Pengiran Muda Hashim returned from Sarawak to Brunei, accompanied by James Brooke and a British naval captain, Sir Edward Blecher. While in Sarawak, Muda Hashim had lost his high status at home due to a palace coup in Brunei. His opponent Pengiran Usop has become Bendahara in his absence.

In that visit, Brooke and the British Naval Forces were able to re-install Pengiran Muda Hashim as the new Bendahara. Muda Hashim also secured official recognition to become the next Sultan of Brunei. This upset the chances of Pengiran Temenggong Pengiran Anak Hashim, the son of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II, who then plotted to kill Muda Hashim.

James Brooke needed someone in Brunei that he could rely on and Pengiran Muda Hashim seemed to be the one. The British also managed to get Brunei to destroy the defensive forts on Pulau Cermin and along the Brunei River as well as an agreement to give Labuan to the British.

When Pengiran Muda Hashim and his family were eventually murdered in 1846, the British navy under Rear Admiral Thomas Cochrane came and occupied Brunei Town, setting part of it ablaze and even forcing Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II to flee to Damuan.

Fig 4: Brunei Town under attack in 1846

To end the occupation, Brunei had to recognize James Brooke as the Rajah of Sarawak and ruled without interference, free to appoint his own successor and he was no longer the Sultan’s representative in Sarawak. The Island of Labuan was also surrendered.

James Brooke was subsequently knighted and appointed as the first British Governor of Labuan in 1847.

In the city of Kuching, there is a road called Jalan Muda Hashim, in memory of Raja Muda Hashim. I think it is appropriate as this gentleman played a significant, albeit inadvertent, role in shepherding in the Brooke dynasty which lasted a hundred years, and brought significant progress to Sarawak.

Prior to the massacre of the Raja Muda Hashim, Sarawak not yet an independent state. James Brooke took the opportunity to attack Brunei and leveled the capital to the ground. The Sultan fled and was brought back to sign off Sarawak to James Brooke. That is why the founding of Sarawak should be in 1846 not 1841. -Desmond Leong

Does anyone know who are the sons and daughters of Pengiran Muda Hashim?? I understand he was murdered with his family, however it came to my knowledge that some of his sons managed to survive. Can anyone clarify this. Thank you.

Pengiran Muda Damit Tajuddin ibni Pengiran Muda Hashim. But I wonder where could I read more about Pengiran Muda Hashim while he was in Sarawak apart from similar stories above. such as, did he ever had businessess, lands, houses, who was his personal assistant etc etc in Sarawak?

Pengiran Muda Damit Tajuddin Ibni Pengiran Muda Hashim. I wonder if there are senior/elderly in Sarawak knows about Pengiran Muda Hashim's life while he was in Sarawak such as, where he used to live? What he loves to eat? What was his favourite hobby? Where was his office? Etc.

Is there anyone knows all Raja Muda Hashim family especially his sons? Whos is his other family that survive the murdered plot????? Please this is important history.Please help me find the family of Muda Hashim?

there is a jalan muda hashim in kuching adjacent to Satok. Jalan Badruddin named after Rajah Muda's brother. he is said to be a closed friend of James Brooke. There are a lot of descendants of Rajah Muda Hashim but unfortunately they do not wish to reunite.

am from sabah,Pg Muda damit Tajudin owns a tulin land at Putatan,Kota Kinabalu.Some local history believe that Pg Muda hashyim survived and managed to flee to Sabah,some claimd that he was buried at Kota Belud

am from sabah,Pg Muda damit Tajudin owns a tulin land at Putatan,Kota Kinabalu.Some local history believe that Pg Muda hashyim survived and managed to flee to Sabah,some claimd that he was buried at Kota Belud

Some believe that Pg Muda hashyim survived and managed to flee to Sabah,His son Pg Damit Tajudin was the owner of tanah tulin at Putatan those days.Some claimed that Pg Muda Hashyim grave can be fpund at Kota Belud.Ned further research