There may have been a person called the Raja Tengah who left Brunei after a dispute with his brother and had adventures in the south of Borneo during the 1600s. Here we look at five different stories.

Where the stories are the same:

1. Rajah Tengah left Brunei after a dispute with his brother over the throne.
2. Rajah Tengah went to Sukadana or Matan.
3. Rajah Tengah went to Johor. Johor is not certain as there were two of them, one near Sambas and the other near Singapore.
4. Rajah Tengah was murdered on his way back to Sarawak.

Where the stories differ:

1. Rajah Tengah is called RajahTinggi in the 1880 narrative.
2. The Sakeis of Kampong  Sundar in Sarawak were responsible for his safety.
3. Following his escape from Johor, he landed in Matan or Sukadana.
4. Rajah Tinggi changes to Rajah Tengah meaning of the Middle Kingdom.
5. Ratu Anam goes to Johore and not Rajah Tengah
6. Rajah Tengah was named “Sultan” after a visit from the Sultan of Mecca.
7. Sambas was under the state power of Johor
8. The authors of the Sarawak River Valley believe the stories are not true. Rajah Tengah of Brunei remained in Brunei. The rulers of Santubong were from the lineage of Hyang Gi ~966 to Tunku Ibrahim ~1512. My hypothesis is he could have been killed by his brother and the stories covered up the dastardly deed.

Conclusions:

There are way too many inconsistencies within the five stories for the tale to be true.

History of the Sultans of Bruni by Mardiah binti Haji Ramli (?)1880 Part 2

Reminder: Rajah means of the blood royal, not a Sultan.

With the war being concluded, Sultan Muaddin went to Kalekka and put in order all of his provinces. Sometime before this, the son of Merhoum Tua, Rajah Tinggi had grieved his eldest brother Sultan Abdul Jalil who wanted to get rid of him. However, he could not figure out how because nobody wanted to deal with him.

His Majesty the Sultan and the older brother sent for him. He stated he was the rightful Sultan and you my younger brother desire to be Sultan. Rajah Tinggi replied” Yes my lord I am your slave am a vassal beneath your majesty…why do you desire my absence from Brunei?

After this, his majesty said, “things being as they are it is better you become the Raja of Sarawak and take with you some of the sakeis(servants to the Rajah) of Sundar as your people.” Rajah Tinggi replied, “I obey your Majesty’s orders.”He went to Sarawak and directed that a palace and fort to be built and appointed a Temenggong. He then set sail for Johore to see the Rajah Bonda because the Rajah Bonda was the sister of Merhoum Tua who had been married by the Sultan Abdul Jalil of Johore.(Jalil ruled from 1626-1687) The Temenggong and half the sakeis remained in Sarawak. These people whose descendants to the present day (1881) are called Hamba Raja of Sarawak.(the hamba rajah is the Sultans’ personal servant)

The Rajah arrived in Johore and was made much of by the Sultan of Johore with much feasting, drinking and dancing. The Maharajah Adinda, dancing with a handkerchief tried to entice the Rajah Tinggi to dance but he replied the people of Brunei don’t know how to dance. The Maharajah pushed him to try but the Rajah Tinggi grabbed the handkerchief, balled it up and struck the Maharajah. He then rushed down to his boat.

The Sultan became very angry and would have killed Rajah Tinggi if not for the intervention of Raja Bonda went down to the boat to stop the execution.

The Sultan wanted to return to Sarawak but a gale forced him to land in Matan. He then went to the mouth of the Sambas River and was welcomed by the Ratu of Sambas who gave him a wife. He had a son named Radin Bima.

Wishing to go back to Sarawak, he sailed from Sambas to Batu Buaya(a place in Santubong where the rock looks like a crocodile) and went ashore with a Sakei and a small boy who carried a kris. He poled up the river and the Sakei stabbed him in the ribs with a spear. Taken by surprise, he took the kris from the young boy and beheaded the Sakei. He returned to the boat. The Patinggi and the Temengong had heard he was at the mouth of the river and carried him up to the palace where he died.

The son of the Sultan was left at Matan and when he grew up he became Sultan of Matan. He had a son, who became a Penambahan. He went to Brunei to meet his royal father.

He was summoned to Bruni where he was invested as Sultan Anum and he became the root of the Sambas royal dynasty. The land from Tanjong Datu to Batu Balak was given to him as the territory of Sambas and from that point, the territory of Matan began.

Text of Manuscript B Salasilah Rajah Rajah Beruni by Sweeney JMBRAS Translation by Tom McLaughlin

So then Sultan Muhiuddin wanted to make something of the Sultan Tengah; he thought, “I’d better not extend the story anymore; that’s the end of the Sultan Tengah. “Then the Sultan Tengah became angry and ordered his brother to kill his brother. “Now your fate is in your brother’s mind. “You make two kings in both of us, the sons of the deceased”.

Sultan Tengah marched to Santubong with a large force. Then the Sultan came and commanded all the people to go to the palace, and not to stop until the palace was finished.

If the will of Sultan Tengah is done in this way, the Sultan Tengah will choose a Pengiran to be his representative in Serawak. He goes to the state of Johor because in Johor there is a Abdul Jalilul Akbar called Marhum Tua, that is, the daughter of the Marhum Tua. So the Sultan of Sambas was replaced by the Sultan of Johor.

The Head of Treasury will be Kalakian and he has completed Sultan Tengah who was made the lord also representing the kingdom in Serawak. Then Sultan Tengah set out with a thousand men, half of whom he brought to Serawak under the control of the Temenggong.

Shahadan did not know how long the Sultan Tengah was in Johor. So when ‘Abdul Jalil Mah of Johor sent to welcome with the honour of his people in accordance with the custom of the previous kings glorified by the Sultan Adinda  Johor of the king and feasted all the food and drink and games in the state of Johor, as is the custom of the king in Johor. And the king’s sons in Johor themselves got up and danced and played. Then the Maharajah of Johor and the Sultan Tengah stood up. Then Sultan Tengah said, “This brother of yours, the Berunai, doesn’t know how to dance”. He danced but his heart was not in it. He then smashed the Maharajah of Johore with his handkerchief and ran to his boat. He then sailed to Matan and was given Matan to rule. After that he sailed to Sarawak.

A young man sakei attempted to stab the Sultan while the Sultan was alone. The Sultan went crazy and stabbed many men.  An earthquake nearly knocked the Sultan Tengah out. After he died, he was buried at sea.

 The Salasilah of Sambas

Reminder: Rajah means of the blood royal and not a Sultan.

In Brunei, the Rajah Tengah became a threat to his brother’s rule. He left Brunei and moved to Sukudanna. Rajah Tengah was then allowed to move to Sambas. It was better for the Rajah Tengah to live far away from the Brunei throne.

He was accepted by the ruler of Sambas. Rajah Tengah settled in a Kampong close to Rajah Anum.

Rajah Tengah (son of the Sultan of Brunei) confirms problems with his brother, the Sultan. He said he lived in Sambas. He was married to the Princess of Matan and has a son, Pangeran Mangkunegara(a Java principality on Borneo). To his second wife, the Princess of Sambas, he has a daughter Radin Bilam. He then returned to Sarawak where he was assassinated.

Pangeran Mangkunegara and Radin Bilam are married and were called to Brunei. They then ruled over Sambas. He received the title Rajah Anum. Rajah Tengah’s son seems to have less power than Pangeran Mangkunegara and Radin Bilam.

As time passed, Raden Sulaiman, the child of Rajah Tengah, was married to a sister-in-law of Raja Anum, Raja Sapurdak’s second daughter. Ratu Anum goes to Johor and leaves Raden Sulaiman in charge. Raden Sulaiman’s rule is wise and just. He is loyal to Ratu Anum.

A person in charge of the ruler becomes jealous. He sends Pangeran Mangkurat to Ratu Anum with the news Sulaiman is planning a coup. Ratu Anum tells both men he is returning. Raden Sulaiman sends a welcoming party to the mouth of the Sambas River. Sulaiman’s brother-in-law has one of the Chiefs murdered before his eyes. Radin Sulaiman moves elsewhere because he does not have the support of Raja Anom. Three chiefs want to prevent Raja Sulaiman from leaving.

Raden Sulaiman builds his own Kampong. He is joined by other people from Raja Anums’ kampong. This town is called Kota Lama. Ratu Anum’s brother becomes very oppressive to the people. The three chiefs try to get Sulaiman to take over the government of Sambas. Raden Sulaiman accepts.

The Chiefs tell Raden Sulaiman to ask for a token from Raja Anum. Ratu Anum moves to Selaku. He moves again to another kota and is made Sultan by four other chiefs. The chiefs have succeeded in their plan to allow Rajah Sepudak succession through the youngest daughter rather than through Raja Anom.

Raden Sulaiman sends his son, Raden Bima, to Sukadana. Raden Bima stays for some time and marries the sister of the Sultan of Sukadana. Raden Bima builds his own kampung. He assumes power after his father’s (Sulaiman) death. Meanwhile, Raden Anum loses all his followers and joins his brother in Selaku. (Kratz 1980 p. 255-267)

The First Sultan of Sarawak and his links to Brunei by Ib Larsen

Ib Larsen calls the Rajah Tengah Sultan. He is not.

The following is taken from Ib Larsen in the Journal of the Malaysian Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society, 2012.

Sultan Tengah ibn Sultan Muhammed Hasan  was appointed the Sultan of Sarawak in 1599. He established his capital at Santubong by building a palace and fort.

Sultan Tengah decided to visit an aunt in Johor and appointed four datus to rule Sarawak. Leaving Johor, he was blown off course by a hurricane (there are no hurricanes or cyclones in this part of the world) and ended up in Sukadana. Sukadana was ruled by Sultan Muhammed Tsafiuddin.

In Sukudana, he was married to the Sultan’s sister, Ratu Surya Kusma who gave birth to his first son, Radin Suleiman followed by four other children. He then moved, with his family, up the coast towards Sambas with 40 ships. They settled at Kota Bangun at the confluence of the Sambas and Sambas Besar rivers where he built a cluster of villages.

Ratu Sepudak, the Hindu King of Sambas, who resided in Kota Lama, welcomed Sultan Tengah. Sultan Tengah then began preaching about Islam.

Sultan Tengah with his wife and four children left for Matan before returning to Sarawak. Sultan Tengah was assassinated by his escort at Batu Buaya at Santubong in 1641.

Ratu Kesuma Yudah, who was the successor to Sepudak, appointed his brother Aryo Mangkurat as a Wazir for inside the palace. Radin Suleiman was appointed the Wazir for outside the palace.  Aryo Mangkurat killed one of Radin Suleimans’ ministers.

Radin Suleiman leaves Kota Lama. He proceeds up the Sambas Kecil, past Sambas, past the current Royal capital then up the Sulu River to Kota Bandir. After two years, Patinggini Bantilau arrives with a message from the King of Sambas. Ratu Kesuma Yudha, the King of Sambas, could no longer face Suleimans’ brother. Aryo Mangkurat had seized power in Kota Lama.

Radin Kesuma Yudha offered the kingdom to Suleiman and as a sign of loyalty handed the five cannons over to him. Suleiman was crowned in 1631 and took the name Muhammed Tsafuddin I. Radin Bima was the second Sultan.  Radin Bima moved the capital to its present location at Muara Ulakan at the confluence of the Subah and Terengganu river. Radin Bima went to Brunei and the two spears, located at the Istanna in Sambas, are evidence of this journey.

Larsen, Ib  The First Sultan of Sarawak and his Links to Brunei and the Sambas Dynasty, 1599-1826: A Little Known pre-Brooke History in JMBRAS, vol 85, p.2, No. 303, 2012. p. 1-16

Keradjaan Sambas

In this essay, Radja means of the blood royal.

The following was translated from the Indonesian to English by Tom McLaughlin

 In ancient times, Berunai was the northernmost part of Kalimantan Island, and the island was called Berunai. In addition, Berunai was one of the oldest in the country and a few other states in Indonesia. The country was ruled by a king named Sultan Muhammed. According to historical records, Sultan Muhammed had a daughter, and she married a convert from the Tioghua lineage named Wong Tong Ang, who was named Sultan Ahamad and later succeeded Sultan Muhammed. From this marriage, Sultan Ahamad received a princess whom he married to an Arab nobleman who had just come from Thaif(a city in the Mecca province of Saudi Arabia) or Mecca named Sharif Ali. According to the story, Sharif Ali is a surname of Amir Hasan whose full name is Sharif Ali. This Sultan gave birth to Sultan Sulaiman, this Sultan was the father of  Sultan Balkia, and then down the lineage of Sultan Balkia and Sjaifulridjal, the Shah of Berunai.

The Sultan’s wife later gave birth to a second prince, the elder named Radja Abdullah and he ruled the Berunai kingdom with the title of Sultan Abdul Jalil Akbar, and the younger Radja Tengah and later became the Radja of the Sarawak state. According to the historical view of the events in the 16th century, the Middle Kingdom was then famous for its warriors and it was difficult to compare it around Serawak and Brunai, so with the wisdom and unity of the strong Berunai kingdom of Serawak, it became more famous and expanded the area from the country that was under the rule of the king to the Sulu kingdom. His other endeavours were to expand his empire, to spread Islam, to build up the hearts of the people in the path of obedience, to build mosques, and to mobilize people to study the Quran. In this way, he was hated and rejected not by his family but by his fellow citizens, and he felt himself equal to the king because of his high and praiseworthy personality.

When the Middle Kingdom ruled the country, it was always surrounded by its guards with a few soldiers escorting the state. About two years later, Radja Tengah stayed in Johor and then he went back to the country of Serawak but in the middle of the return journey, the course of the ship changed in a storm, until it could be repaired and stranded on the beach at Negri Sukadana. On the third day she became the Raja of Sukadanna state called “Addition of Giri Mustika” commonly called “King of Milian”. The arrival of The Tengah Radja was well received and was greeted with great joy by the four great personages of the Radja-Radja. Fortunately for Radja Tengah in Sukadana, he was appointed by Penambahan,(descendant of Royal Javanese.) as the Minister of the Kingdom and was given the special task of the affairs of the “civilisation” to take the first step towards the jihad of in the cause of Allah.

With the mediation of a newly arrived Sheikh from Mecca named Samsuddin, the addition of Sukadana was granted by the Raja of Mecca the title of Sultan in the name of Sultan Muhammad Sjafuiudin and was given a copy of the Quran and an emerald tombstone. The arrival of Sheikh Sjamsuddin as an ambassador was an opportunity for Radjah Tengah to study and deepen his knowledge of the Islamic religion. For the Sultan, it became clear that the Radja Tengah was a gentleman and came from a noble family, and he had the character of a gentleman and a talent for getting along with the people, attracting the attention and trust of people so that people felt the love of a friend. Because his personality was so good, but he was more and more despised by the Sultan, he finally was married by the Sultan to his younger sister Queen Suria Kusuma.

When Raja Tengah was still in Johor, he received a statement from Sultan Djohor’s mother-in-law who told him about the state of Sambas, who was familiar with the state of the golden resource and argued about the fairness of the government in Sambas. This is clearly known by the mother-in-law, as the country of Sambas is under state power in Johor, and every year she brings tribute by donating gold and mushrooms. Radana at that time adhered to the Buddhist religion. From the marriage of Radja Tengah with Radin Suria Kasuma they had three sons and two daughters, the eldest of whom was named Raden Sulaiman, the second Raden Baharuddin and the third Raden Abdul Wahab. During the time that Radjah Tengah stayed in Sukadana, it was not in his heart to return to Serawak, but he always carried his anxiety because he wanted to know and spy on the country of Sambas.

From Kalimantan: Republik Indonesia  Jakarta: Kementerian Penerangan,1950Top of Form

Sarawak River Valley authors

The authors of the Sarawak River Valley, relying on oral history,  believe the line from Hyang Gi to the collapse of the last person in the lineage, Tuanku Ibrahim, was precipitated by the invasion of Santubong by the Brunei forces. This ends the Hyang Gi line.

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