This book will obviously take pride of place in my Sarawak history book collection. In this posting, let me share some photos with you ...
Note the book sitting on my traditional native tablecloth
A close up of the book spine
Title pages of the book
One of the Contents pages
Part of the Introduction chapter
A part of the history e never learnt in school ... which explains much about
why Rajah James Brooke never got married
Hope you enjoyed reading about this little piece of our Sarawak history ...
Interesting book WJ. Any other juicy bits to share?
ReplyDeleteThanks, WSJ. One of the more interesting postings so far - a change from the more popular topics like food, places and girls.
ReplyDeleteMany people find history boring and irrelevant. On the contrary, it's exciting and very relevant. I have always believed that we need to know our very own family history to know ourselves better - and in the process, discover a lot of things that we would not even have thought of or appreciated at first instant.
Just hope that I can get hold of the book too...I have always thought that there was "a missing link" in our Sarawak history. That was the reason for my posting of "Baroness Burdett-Coutts" on my FB page.
For the infor of those who are not acquainted with English history, Palmerstone as Prime Minister went on an aggressive world-wide expansion of its empire, especially in the Far East. France was also actively extending its influence in the region.
In parting, I agree with WSJ that a road or garden should be named after Baroness Burdett-Courts. A garden would be most appropriate. A woman of high standing who rubbed shoulders with the cream of Victorian society and yet have a heart for a faraway land inhabited by "headhunters and crocodiles" called Sarawak. Mind you...she even gave money to develop Sarawak. Some of our very own leaders are doing the opposite and yet have places named after them ! What do you think ?
Also, when you take fish or meat balls, do spare a thought for Rajah Brooke or the person who shot him.
Let's start the "Name a Garden or Park after Burdett-Coutts" campaign, Edmund and WJ ! You lead, we will all follow ... :-)
ReplyDeleteBurdett-Coutts Garden = BCG ... hmmm
ReplyDeleteWounded as he was meant that he could devote all his energies towards developing Sarawak.
ReplyDeleteLater day state leaders are just the opposite going after young nubile maidens.
Hi everyone,
ReplyDeleteever heard that James Brooke married a Brunei princess?
Ever heard that James Brooke married a Brunei princess?
ReplyDeleteHi Viviena, welcome to the blog. Yes I have read in some obscure research paper that James Brooke might have wedded a Bruneian princess ... However very little has been written about that.
ReplyDeleteThere's a "Brooke Drive", "Brooke Dockyard" & "Rajah Court".
ReplyDeletePerhaps the passageway along the Waterfront from the Hotel Grand Margerita to Brooke Dockyard be named "Burdett-Coutts Walkway" .
A befitting way to reunite these two lovers again.
Brooke Dockyard...&
Burdett-Coutts Walkway...what a combination !
Should be popular with couples who want to enjoy a romantic walk along the waterfront too. Grand Margerita, Burdett-Coutts & Brooke - all part of our history, right ?
Website Jaga,
ReplyDeleteHer name if Pengiran anak Fatima. My maternal arwah nenek is also a descendant of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin. My moyang is also named Pengiran anak Fatima.
We came from one tree ie Sultan Sharif Ali. Sharif Ali married Sultan Ahmad aka Prince Ong Sum Ping's daughter.
Edmund AS Lee,
ReplyDeleteShe should be honoured by the Sarawak Museum or the upcoming Brooke Heritage Museum for her contributions to the Raj. Without her, there wouldn't be a steamer named "Rainbow".
James Brooke's sexual inclinations may have been a bit mixed ...
ReplyDelete"Throughout his life, Brooke's principal emotional bonds were with adolescent boys, while he exhibited a total lack of interest in women. Among his more notable relationships with boys was the one with Badruddin, a Sarawak prince, of whom he wrote, "my love for him was deeper than anyone I knew." Later, in 1848, Brooke fell in love with Charles Grant (grandson of the seventh Earl of Elgin), who had just been recruited, being sixteen at the time. His love was reciprocated by the boy."
Haiduc 11:26, 5 October 2007 (UTC)
FROM GOOGLE
ReplyDeleteSome Brunei sources indicate that Rajah Sir James Brooke m. according to Muslim rites, Pengiran Anak Fatima, daughter of Pengiran Anak Abdul Kadir, and granddaughter of H.H. Paduka Sri Sultan Muhammad Khanz ul-'Alam ibni al-Marhum Paduka Sri Sultan 'Omar 'Ali Saif ud-din, Sultan of Brunei. She is also said to have had a daughter by him, who was alive in 1864 and interviewed by the then British Consul. This marriage is given as a plausible reason for the ease by which the session of Sarawak was accomplished.
Annonymous,
ReplyDeleteAccording to Harriet Mcdougall memoirs. She remembers the Raja as kind, loving, love flowers, love children.
she also state in her memoirs. He took a child (gender unknown)of mix parentage (mother iban) who was abandoned.
Charles Grant's sister married Raja Muda John Johnson Brooke aka Brooke Brooke. Her name is Annie Grant. she died of childbirth. Her grave was moved to the current site at Fort Margerita.
by the way,
ReplyDeleteI heard stories that James Brooke walks on water!
@viviena - If the man can still father children after the musket ball damage to his you-know-what, then he should be able to walk on water :)
ReplyDeleteAny doctors want to comment how the above is possible?
ReplyDeleteWho was Cobden?
ReplyDeleteOn page 24 of the book, I found a little story I had not heard before, on how James Brooke came to land in Sarawak (Kuching) rather than elsewhere in Borneo.
ReplyDelete"... The plan he had in mind was to make for Marudu Bay, in the extreme north. But a chance incident turned his course. The Rajah's biographers make no reference to it, but I have the story on the authority of the Rane margaret of Sarawak, who once told me that a short time before the Royalist reached Singapore the Governor, Mr Bonham, while out riding one morning, reined in his horse to watch a Chinese tongkang unloading ballast. The horse reared and kicked a heap of stones which the sailors had flung ashore. One of them split in two and the Governor saw the broken halves glinting in the morning sunlight. He told his orderly to pick them up, and took them back to Government House. They proved to contain antimony, and further inquiry revealed that the tongkang had come from the Sarawak River, on the western coast of Borneo.
Brooke arrived shortly afterwards, and on hearing his plans, Mr Bonham told him the story of the antimony and suggested that Sarawak, then a province under the rule of the Sultan of Brunei, offered better prospects than Marudu, for, besides the possibilities of the antimony, the Sultan's governor, Rajah Muda Hassim, had lately befriended a shipwrecked British crew and displayed a humanity unusual in Malay princes. Mr Bonham promised Brooke a personal letter to Rajah Muda Hassim and said that the Singapore Chamber of Commerce would be glad if he would take with him a present as a recognition of the services of the Rajah Muda had rendered to British seamen. This gave Brooke a definite objective and to Sarawak he decided to go."
Rajah Mudah Hashim was the uncle of Sultam Omar Saifuddin. Hashim's younger brother, Badruddin was a close confidante of James Brooke. Badruddin was murdered during the Palace revolt by Brunean loyalists, purportedly worried over his friendship with James and his links with the British Crown.
ReplyDeleteTwo roads in Kuching, Jln. Muda Hashim and Jln. Badruddin were named after these two gentlemen. Surprisingly there is no road named after Sir James Brooke till today. ( did I get this correct ? ) Regards.
ya Edmund, I also can't think of a Brooke Road in Kuching. The closest is Brooke Dockyard, Brooke Leper Camp (12th Mile or Semongok)and the James Brooke Cafe (near Hilton Kuching). Quite an ungrateful lot we Sarawakians seem to be :-(
ReplyDeleteWebsite Jaga,
ReplyDeletethere is one Jalan Brooke in between Kampung Gersik and Bintawa.
Thanks Viviena. Still a pretty measly count of places with the Brooke name ...
ReplyDeleteCan I ask anyone who is in the vicinty of these places to take a photo of the sign showing the Brooke name and send to me (jslyong@hotmail.com or +6596678155). I will post on this blog. Thanks.
Website Jaga,
ReplyDeleteThere is a Persiaran Brooke in Sibu.
the kampung where that Jalan Brooke is. they are proposing to develop the area and moving the residence out. there is an old muslim cemetery smack right in between.
best regards.
All in all, James Brooke spent hardly 20 years in Sarawak, from 1839 to 1858 ... yet he was able to do so much.
ReplyDeletedid James Brooke have to face any protest marches? like bersih?
ReplyDeleteAnonymous:-
ReplyDeleteI dont think he faced any protest march.
He was nearly killed during the chinese rebellion in 1857.
My other relatives, Pengiran Indera Makhota tried to poison him but killed his interpreter instead. He faced a lot of attacks from his enemy whom he deemed "lanun" or pirates to name a few.
I think the Chinese Rebellion really got to JB. Soon after that he went into retirement mode back in England.
ReplyDeletefrom historical records.
ReplyDeleteJB had small pox in 1853, never recovered from the plaque. when Liu Shan Bang attacked Kuching, JB was in sick in bed.
right after the rebellion, he had his 1st heart attack.
There's Jalan Brooke in Miri with hotel Brooke Inn to go with it. It's a budget hotel and I only came to know of it today.
ReplyDeleteRoom rates about RM50.00 per nite.
Actually came to know about it because the CEO of a financial instituition is putting up the nite there. No joke.
LS
ReplyDeleteAny photos of that hotel? Please post.
@vivienteng, check the latest posting.
ReplyDeleteLS,
ReplyDeletethanks for the photos. nice!
best regards.
Anyone in Sibu can send us a photo of Pesiaran Brooke?
ReplyDelete"Dum Spiro Spero"
ReplyDeleteDum Spiro Spero
ReplyDeletewhilst you still alive, you pray for beautiful days to come!
Make the Most of Each Day ...
ReplyDeleteThats actually what appears on the Brooke family's coat of arms. Or motto as they call it.
ReplyDeletenobody studies Latin any more. dead language lah.
ReplyDelete@vivienteng - Are you living in Brunei or Sarawak?
ReplyDeleteKacang putih,
ReplyDeleteI'm in Kuching.
Nonsense. Antimony in Sarawak was 'discovered' long before and was traded to Singapore by the Sultan of Brunei at least ten years before James Brooke arrived on the scene.
ReplyDelete