HISTORY
Historians believe there was
a forerunner to the present Brunei Sultanate, which the Chinese
called Po-ni. Chinese and Arabic records indicate that this ancient
trading kingdom existed at the mouth of the Brunei River as early
as the seventh or eighth century A.D. This early kingdom was apparently
conquered by the Sumatran Hindu empire of Srivijaya in the early
ninth century, which later controlled northern Borneo and the
Philippines. It was subjugated briefly by the Java-based Majapahit
Empire but soon regained its independence and once again rose
to prominence.
The Brunei Empire had its
golden age from the 15th to the 17th centuries, when its control
extended over the entire island of Borneo and north into the Philippines.
Brunei was particularly powerful under the fifth sultan, Bolkiah
(1473-1521), who was famed for his sea exploits and even briefly
captured Manila; and under the ninth sultan, Hassan (1605-19),
who fully developed an elaborate Royal Court structure, elements
of which remain today.
After Sultan Hassan, Brunei
entered a period of decline, due to internal battles over royal
succession as well as the rising influences of European colonial
powers in the region, that, among other things, disrupted traditional
trading patterns, destroying the economic base of Brunei and many
other Southeast Asian sultanates. In 1839, the English adventurer
James Brooke arrived in Borneo and helped the Sultan put down
a rebellion. As a reward, he became governor and later "Rajah"
of Sarawak in northwest Borneo and gradually expanded the territory
under his control.
Meanwhile, the British North
Borneo Company was expanding its control over territory in northeast
Borneo. In 1888, Brunei became a protectorate of the British Government,
retaining internal independence but with British control over
external affairs. In 1906, Brunei accepted a further measure of
British control when executive power was transferred to a British
resident, who advised the ruler on all matters except those concerning
local custom and religion.
In 1959, a new constitution
was written declaring Brunei a self-governing state, while its
foreign affairs, security, and defense remained the responsibility
of the United Kingdom. An attempt in 1962 to introduce a partially
elected legislative body with limited powers was abandoned after
the opposition political party, Partai Rakyat Brunei, launched
an armed uprising, which the government put down with the help
of British forces. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the government
also resisted pressures to join neighboring Sabah and Sarawak
in the newly formed Malaysia. The Sultan eventually decided that
Brunei would remain an independent state.
In 1967, Sultan Omar abdicated
in favor of his eldest son, Hassanal Bolkiah, who became the 29th
ruler. The former Sultan remained as Defense Minister and assumed
the royal title Seri Begawan. In 1970, the national capital, Brunei
Town, was renamed Bandar Seri Begawan in his honor. The Seri Begawan
died in 1986.
On January 4, 1979, Brunei
and the United Kingdom signed a new treaty of friendship and cooperation.
On January 1, 1984, Brunei Darussalam became a fully independent
state.
