Tax Money for Rajah Charles
I always wondered where the Rajah Brookes got their money. While going through past copies of the Sarawak newspaper, I noticed that Rajah Charles spent more time in England than he did in Kuching. Knowing transport was expensive, I could not figure out where he found the funds. When I talked to Brooke historians, they all said the Brooke regime was poverty stricken. I now know this was not true. From 1912 onwards the Brooke Rajahs had substantial income from the Miri oil fields. But, what about before then?
Hugh Brooke Low was the son of Sir Hugh Low who had come Sarawak as a botanist. Hugh Low wrote one of the first books on Sarawak and was a noted scholar on Brunei. Hugh Brooke Low, his son, was a member of the Sarawak Service from 1869 until ending as a resident until his death in 1887.
The area the diaries cover are the upper river of the Rejang, the lower river having been omitted by the museum author. This area became part of Sarawak in 1861. The reason for his second trip was the building of a fort at Belaga, the funds taken from the people of Sarawak in the form of taxes.
Many historians call the trips “the most important published sources on the geography, peoples and cultures of the Belaga district”. After having read his diary, I feel he was a tax collector obtaining monies for the Rajah. It was through these trips and others like them throughout Sarawak that funded the Rajahs trips and other excesses. The diaries seem to be marked for the reading of Rajah Charles. Geography, peoples and cultures were only an afterthought to his main goal of raising funds from the people of Sarawak.
Let’s look at some of his entries:
March 13, 1882
“Leave at 6:15 a.m. Stopped at a placed called Mekeh, 2 hours 27 minutes to stretch my legs in the jungle. Stopped again at Sama which had captured a deer (sic) insight of our fellows. Reached Buiya at 1:25 pm. Kayan house here; name of Chief Akam Nyipa Lah. 6 doors to pay $14. Arrears for revenue $12 for 1882.”
March 15, 1882
“…There are two houses of Kayans here, the Uma Levurieng and the Uma Balui. Merieng Huleh is the chief of one and Laki Bato Chief of the other. The former numbers 8 doors and is to pay $30.00 in arrears for 1881 and $16.00 for 1882. The latter has 10 doors and is to pay $10 for 1881 and $20 for 1882. The Punans around the corner occupy three houses under two chiefs. Aman Merieng Balieng and Aki Telan Nyipa. Balieng’s house has 24 doors to pay $32 in arrears and $46 for 1882. Nyipa 13 doors to pay $44 for arrears and $26 for the New Year. Tibun, 2 doors, to pay arrears $6 and for 1882 $2….Reached Aman Siuts at 1 p.m. Fifteen doors here; to pay $44.00 arrears and $30 for 1882. Ledang, a Chief who lives opposite having 7 doors is to pay $14 for this year and $4.00 for last year.”
March 16, 1882
“Oyong Jin having 18 doors is to pay $36 for 1882 and $64 in arrears together with $14.40, the remainder of his brother’s fine for drowning a witch. …”
March 17, 1882
“The Sekapan village is reached at 12:15. …the Chief is away from home..His name is Matu but he oftener called Aman Mentri after his daughter. The doors are 26. 25 pay revenue. Arrears due $30.00 to be paid in 1882 $50.00.”
March 18, 1882
“…Ngang pays up $18 the amount for his arrears for 1881 and is to pay $20 having now 20 doors…Reach Sabang’s at 1.10 pm. This is the first Kajaman village. 12 doors to pay $14 for 1881 and $24 for 1882. The next is Kilups, is close by; 8 doors to pay $16 for each year.”
March 19, 1882
“…Usa house has ten doors. He is therefore to pay $20…The fourth is Kajaman village is Aman Udam’s ten doors. He is to pay $60 arrears and $20 for 1882. ..Belulok is a Kayan sub tribe.15 doors pay $30 for 1882 and $34 for 1881…”
The above continues through 1883-1884 until he collects $1630.
Mr. Low, according to his diaries, makes three trips (1882,1883 and 1884) up the Rejang, again collecting taxes. He seems to have kept meticulous records.
If the District officers of each of the rivers (Sarawak, Santubong, Igan, Oya, Mukah, Sadong and Saribas) collect a similar amount at each door plus the myriad of taxes collected in the towns from the Chinese, the Rajah Charles was doing very well indeed.
Fr: The Second Exploration of the Balui Valley and the founding of Belaga: Hugh Brooke Low’s Diaries of 1882,1883 and 1884 by Allen R. Maxwell in the Sarawak Museum Journal 1987
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