Of Rajahs and Hornbills: A timeline of Brooke Sarawak

[theg*ddam*hoi2fan]

Awe to the some Really looking forward to future developments regarding Bandar Brunei. This really is a nation that's coming together, not just the Brooke family's private fiefdom...

 

[Sextus Munatius Piso]

Moar, moar, MOAR!!
Sarawak can into space!

BTW, how's Sulu doing these days?

 

[chr92]

I'd love to read 'Tales of Hong Kong', and it's very neat how you segue Low winning the bargaining into the next section. Richard Parker, too, is obviously a good read.


Thanks for sharing those excellent pics, and only hoping the section on the upriver tribes is as good as the one giving the Dayak POV.

 

[Al-numbers]

Good update.

Waiting for more...

Have an appearance by Teddy Roosevelt ITTL...

Thanks! As for Teddy Roosevelt, I... haven't really thought of him yet ITTL . Let's see... he was born in 1858, so after the POD but not before the butterflies have hit North America just yet. Because of this, there's a high likelihood that his childhood will be just like OTL, with him contracting asthma and kicking it to the curb. As a politician, I can see him becoming a senator or congressmen, but maybe not as President ITTL. The events of the late 1870's and onwards in world history would have given enough butterflies to change his political career. He might still be the adventurer though, and might visit Southeast Asia or go on a world tour with some foreign explorers in this timeline.

Say, that gives me an idea...

Really looking forward to see how the Spanish in the Philippines would look at Sarawak in the long run. Would we see some kind of conflict over Sulu and Sabah in the future, with perhaps some kind of British Ultimatum leading to the collapse of the Spanish monarchy (if the British are backing the Brookes up, of course)?

Right now (1873-1875), the Spanish are interested with conquering Sulu and have already taken some steps to carrying put their plans, though they are taking more attention on Borneo to a greater degree than OTL. The expansion of Sarawak, the power-plays in the East Indies, and the presence of the Italians have made them more shrewd in viewing their southern domains, and they want to ensure that no funny business happens to their sultanates, regardless of the sultans' own intentions.

For now, I won't say whether or not Sulu will become a huge crisis like OTL, but I can tell you that the late 1870's will resemble more like the early years of the decade to some long-running colonial administrators. I shall leave you to think about the implications.

So Charles Brooke is tightening the noose around Bandar Brunei, and the punitive expeditions are forging a nation. I imagine this will create a lot of resentment among the inland peoples, though, and as you say, an outright seizure of Brunei might bring unwanted attention from the great powers. Interesting times ahead.

Oh, the noose is going to tighten and tighten even more in the coming years. The late 1870's will be one of huge importance for Brunei, and the way the royal court will handle the crisis will be matter of life and death for the Bornean Empire itself. The presence of other great powers nearby might be a slight balm for the palace, but that doesn't mean they are of the same minds as the Bruneians.

As for the war expeditions... well, it's one thing if you are friends with a warrior from a neighboring village, but it's another when that same friend saves you during a war battle from an enemy tribe. The bonds formed in this decade and the next will extend past cultural and racial borders, and would even play a part in the fledgling economics of the nation. The upriver tribes, on the other hand, will need some serious PR, though some subgroups might need it less than others.

Awe to the some Really looking forward to future developments regarding Bandar Brunei. This really is a nation that's coming together, not just the Brooke family's private fiefdom...

Hee hee, let's just say Brunei will not be going down silently into the night, and they will try and make their downfall the biggest irk to Kuching and the British as much as possible.

Moar, moar, MOAR!!
Sarawak can into space!

BTW, how's Sulu doing these days?

Not until we reach the 1900's first! Though that being said, I wonder if the kingdom could station a launchpad for some space-faring country or other ITTL...

Sulu is not doing so good, I'm afraid. By now, the Spanish would have already begun their plans to conquer both it and neighboring Maguindanao. However, the sultan over there might also go with Brunei's example and make said conquering a huge irk to the Spanish in Malacañang. In fact, it's own downfall might become an inspiration for it's Bornean neighbor and other polities in the region, and in the end, create an even weirder Southeast Asia than OTL.

I'd love to read 'Tales of Hong Kong', and it's very neat how you segue Low winning the bargaining into the next section. Richard Parker, too, is obviously a good read.

Heh, I actually based the fake novel from all the bad history novels I picked up and skimmed in my local bookstore. I wanted to make the writing intentionally bad, but I just couldn't do it. There's something in me that wants everything to be as correct as possible, even when making intentionally bad updates

Richard Parker is an ITTL anti-colonial activist who's a creation of this TL. The real "writer" of that update is actually a Sarawakian. That being said though, when I first wrote that part of the update, I somehow typed 'Richard Nixon' instead due to me wanting at least someone from America who could influence this TL's twentieth century. Needless to say, I quickly changed my mind.

Looking forward to the cultural update...

Thanks for sharing those excellent pics, and only hoping the section on the upriver tribes is as good as the one giving the Dayak POV.

You're welcome! I'm hoping I won't disappoint with the next culture update, since it involves a Dayak tribe that has surprisingly very little concrete info on. Doesn't help that the tribe also shares the same name with an ethnic group from Burma.

EDIT: since I forgot to mention it in the update, Fort Charles = OTL Kota Kinabalu, also formally called 'Jesselton'.

 

[Al-numbers]

Yet another heads up.

I think that my life is now nothing more than a series of unexpected trips. I'll be gone to the Internet-free countryside for the next few days, so the culture update would have to wait until well into next week. Stay curious everyone!

 

[Al-numbers]

I'm back!! And if I wrote anything wrong, I didn't mean it intentionally!

“Lang Endang” (Kayangan Publishing: 1999)

Dayaks: More than just A Term

The Kayan​

In 1997, a research group from the University of Vienna conducted a month-long survey in the city of Bintulu, handing out questionnaires to ordinary Sarawakians asking how much of their ethnic culture has contributed to the overall cultural fabric of the nation. Among those questions was one that asked, "In your opinion, which subgroup of Sarawak and Sabah do you feel most deserve paramount cultural recognition?" One of the answers they got was, "The KayANs, fOr SaPE aNd dIVorcE laWS!!!"

Odd answers aside, the Kayan subgroup do stand out in the cultural psyche if one thinks of the many many upriver subgroups of Sarawak and Sabah. In terms of culture, music, and yes – even divorce laws, the Kayans have achieved that rare distinction of being famous for being who they are as an ethnic and cultural subgroup even if they don't have the large population numbers to back them up, such as the case with the Iban. Unfortunately, this also makes them an easy target for numerous stereotypes and caricatures, and the 'henpecked' Kayan has become an entrenched subject of numerous jokes and word jabs, taking a place alongside the 'enraged' Iban or the 'slow-witted' Malay.

The Kayans originated in the deep interior of Borneo, concentrated on the central highlands and the upper tributaries of the Rajang, Bintulu, and Baram rivers. However, recent discoveries have shown that their true home was located far to the south in the Sentarum region, and that they moved northward hundreds of years ago to escape persecution and war from equally fearsome subgroups. In the highlands, the proto-Kayan formed a new cultural stronghold, creating their own separate way of life different to that of their downriver cousins. Waging war with the lowlanders and the coastal sultanates, the Kayans – and their related cousins, the Kenyahs – would reign as the island's mountain rulers until the nineteenth century, extending their domains back to the south and to the east.

A map of central Sarawak in the mid-1880’s, showing the distribution of various ethnic subgroups, including the Kayan.​

As Dayak groups go, the Kayan share some similarities with that of the other subgroups of Borneo. Most of the population live in longhouse villages, with compartmentalized spaces for living and social areas. They are primarily agriculturalists, engaging in shifting rice cultivation supplemented with fish, livestock, and wild meat. Being a riverine subgroup, most villages are built beside rivers and streams for easy transport and better access to fresh water, as well as for catching fish. They also have a tradition of headhunting and war, though not to the extent of the downriver Iban.

However, that is where the similarity ends. Kayan society is markedly different than that of most Dayak subgroups in that it was markedly stratified, both socially and ritually. Pre-Brooke Kayan villages are generally divided into two separate levels, each having their own subdivisions and strata. While today this system of class and caste is now an irrelevance, they were a powerful part of Kayan daily life back in the 19th and early 20th centuries. Every family belongs to at least one or two places in the Kayan hierarchy, and almost no one can change their status and class with wealth; it was hereditary, set to what class a person’s parents were born into.

A figure from an anthropological journal showcasing the different classes present within a Kayan village, circa 1925​

In 1931, the French anthropologist Jerome Rousseau conducted a study on several Kayan villages, and reported that "...Almost all Kayan rituals contain elements which indicate whether the participants are kelunan jia ('refined people') or kelunan ji'ek ('inferior people'). For instance, the latter offer four eggs to spirits, while the former present twice or four times that number. The 'refined people' are also deemed to have greater spiritual power and to have the ability to have more intimate contact with the supernatural. Women's tattoos are distinct for the two categories."

Speaking of such, the tattooing of women's legs and hands is also a unique insight into the Kayan subgroup. While there are other subgroups that also engage in body art, the Kayans are unique in that it is primarily women, not men and warriors, who are the ones being tattooed. Furthermore, the intricate designs are almost always inscribed on a person’s arms and legs, instead of – say, the back like the lowland Dayaks. Back in the early 20th century, tattooing of Kayan girls is near-universal; they believed that the designs acted as torches after death, leading them through the darkness of the afterlife. In accordance to this, a great number of rituals are enacted when the tattooist begins her work (Kayan tattooists are exclusively women), with equally elaborate designs to match.

A photograph of a Kayan woman’s tattoos; it is estimated that with the available tools for the time, such designs would have taken up to a year to complete.​

Still though, "SaPE aNd dIVorcE laWS!!!"?

To delve into both topics is to delve deep into Kayan culture, and how the subgroup reacted when Charles Brooke directed his punitive wars up and down the kingdom in the late 1800's. In Kayan society, the status, class, and ownership of a child is - theoretically - ascribed to the father. However, an overriding factor in this is the natal dwelling in which the child lives, in which case the mother would have a chance of achieving custody and having the child enter her social or spiritual status. In any case, divorce proceedings are a complicated affair in the Kayan community, and it was made more vexing due to the subgroup's divorce rates that were – up until the 1950's – among the highest in all of Sarawak. Past records indicated that approximately one-third of all Kayan marriages are between different communities, but two-thirds of such unions end in divorce, primarily due to the incoming spouse feeling isolated in a different village. The old Kayan culture of being distrustful of outsiders did not help either.

The Sape, on the other hand, is much more understandable facet of Kayan culture. It is a lute-based musical instrument, usually carved from a solid bole of wood and painted with traditional motifs in vibrant colours. The musical instrument is not entirely exclusive to the Kayan subgroup, nor were they the first Dayaks in Borneo to ever invent string-based instruments of their own. However, the Sape's music style and the background of its most notable players have turned it into a global icon of the Dayak peoples and especially the Kayan in particular. Originally used for spiritual affairs and to induce trances, it has now become a focal point in cultural celebrations in both Sarawak and Sabah, and a few non-cultural ones as well.

A modern version of the Sape. Note the sound box at the base and the steel tuning keys at the head.​

While it is easy to say that these facets of the Kayan – or in the Sape's case, the upriver peoples – are brought to the world through simple war and peace, the reality is much more complicated. When Charles Brooke brought his native army into the mountains back in the 1870's, the Kayans were generally impressed by the Rajah's prowess. However, most disliked the lowland Dayaks who accompanied him and distrusted the state-building activities that went on downriver. As a result, many Kayan villages remained in the far interior up until the early 1900's, and several tribes even moved over the border into what was then Dutch Borneo. With the subgroup located so far inland, Charles established only a skeleton presence in the region and mostly left the Kayans to themselves once they were pacified(within reason). However, with the outside world penetrating deeper and deeper into the mountains, the Kayan way of life would soon head on an unstoppable course…

 

[Al-numbers]

Hmm... I feel just like when I first finished the Iban update; I think there could've been more info included about the Kayan, that there could be more to talk about when, well... I talk about the subgroup (well, more like wrote but you get the idea.)

On another hand, here's how the Sape sounds like when played into a song. It's a modern acoustic version, but it still works.

 

[Jonathan Edelstein]

If the Kayan are a relatively small minority and live so far back of beyond that the government leaves them alone, I wonder how they'll achieve so much cultural influence in modern Sarawak. Will it be Sape music that brings them to the attention of the coastal peoples, or will they carve out a place in military or civic life, or will it be something else?

 

[Al-numbers]

If the Kayan are a relatively small minority and live so far back of beyond that the government leaves them alone, I wonder how they'll achieve so much cultural influence in modern Sarawak. Will it be Sape music that brings them to the attention of the coastal peoples, or will they carve out a place in military or civic life, or will it be something else?

All in all, it's going to be a mixture of all of those factors, and a few more. The story of Sarawak will include it's highlands and mountains soon enough, and it will be from this interaction that the Kayans would get themselves known to the downriver tribes and Kuching. Whether they will be viewed positively or otherwise, though, remains to be seen.

 

[Deleted member 67076]

Fascinating developments so far. Sarawak is nicely transforming into a power and is slowly expanding its reach. Meanwhile, the start of the New Imperialism has been drastically changed with a stronger Ottoman Empire and a more ambitious Italy.

One thing I'm wondering, what of the immigration policy to Sarawak? With the kingdom now showing upon the international radar there's bound to be quite a few adventurers/investors who'd want to get in and make a name for themselves and a nice profit.

 

[Al-numbers]

Fascinating developments so far. Sarawak is nicely transforming into a power and is slowly expanding its reach. Meanwhile, the start of the New Imperialism has been drastically changed with a stronger Ottoman Empire and a more ambitious Italy.

One thing I'm wondering, what of the immigration policy to Sarawak? With the kingdom now showing upon the international radar there's bound to be quite a few adventurers/investors who'd want to get in and make a name for themselves and a nice profit.

Well, the stronger Ottoman Empire bit is only in a sense of "...Oh, we have sultans in the Far East who thinks of us as caliphs?" . However, that small connection will soon play a substantial part in the East Indies, even if the the Porte itself is unwilling to play it's hand over there. As for Italy, let's just say their "get more colonies!" rhetoric will end up making a lot of people pissed in the long-run, though a few will be laughing all the way to the conference table. Sarawak might not be among those few.

The immigration policy in Sarawak is actually one topic I'll be bringing up a few updates from now. One of the things that gets overlooked in most TL's is that Malaya and Sarawak's minorities didn't simply appear out of thin air, nor was the population movement an entirely British affair. ITTL, there's going to be even more factors influencing immigration policy in the East Indies, and that will lead to some strange immigrants moving in.

ITTL, the kingdom is going to be internationally known even earlier than OTL due to the Rajah's policies and Sarawak owning the Riau islands. Owning territories in an area where most of the world's shipping passes through is bound to create some questions as to who owns the place. Once that happens, Sarawak will be in for a wild ride; There will be investors, explorers and adventurers going about the place, as well as colonial administrators trying to see just how the heck is the kingdom functioning at all. Charles Brooke might need all the diplomacy he could get, and British backing too.

 

[Al-numbers]

A mini-update for dropping out for so long.

Kuching, Kingdom of Sarawak, 15 June 1874​

The river ferry was just a quarter-ways from the docking pier when it lurched with a sudden jolt, again.

As if by clockwork, the boatman stammered out the words. "M-My apologies, tuan. J-Just a little longer, tuan..."

Sitting under the small canopy, Sawal grunted as his driver tried to paddle on as usual, his voice and unnatural gait giving away his flabbergasted state. Boy, just what is going on in that thick head of yours?. Looking down, he saw that his precious books were all strewn about in disarray and tried to stack them back to their original order.

Silently, he grumbled. Should've gotten on that other ferry instead. Sawal didn't want to think of himself as being harsh, but being the teacher of the latest Malay school in Kuching – a school that he teaches all by himself, thank you – did meant a certain frankness in expressing opinions, and to express them freely at reprobates. Still, he figured that would just make the boatmen more nervous and so continued stacking on his books.

Placing down the final volume, Sawal felt the ferry's arrival at the pier with a bump and quickly hopped himself off the craft with his stack carefully balanced on his left arm. Using his right, he quickly fished out a few Sarawak Dollars to the boatman, who continued to apologize over and over on account of his atrocious manoeuvring skills. The Malay teacher quickly walked up the steps to escape hearing any more of the matter.

Climbing up the last steps, Sawal's eyes quickly swept over the expanse of green dotted with small groves that was the Rajah's garden, focusing instead on the whitewashed building at now took up almost all of his vision. To say that the structure looked peculiar was something of an understatement; what looked like a strange high-roofed palace was augmented with several large stone towers flanking the front doorway; towers that looked like they should belong on a stone fort. By now Sawal is used to the view, but it still struck him as odd from time to time.

Still, at least it's better than Palembang. Passing through the guards who now knew him from his face, Sawal wondered what his former home now looked like. The Orang Belanda had already disposed of the last resistant royalists in the mountains, and he remembered how some of the pepper farmers wanted to move elsewhere to avoid the new taxes that, so the rumours say, will be imposed on them by their new overlords. Sawal could have stayed behind, his profession being one of the few that is needed at least somewhere in Sumatra, but he decided to take a chance and, like those few pepper farmers, sold his house for a new life about three years ago. ...that seemed like another life. Is the rice harvest going on well? What about Kak Jah and her children? Are the Orang Belanda still going on about the region?

Walking through the doors and into the entrance hall, Sawal quickly went through the usual route to the Astana's sitting room, passing through the usual sights. It was nearly noon, and the corridors were empty from the usual morning rush of nobles and merchants wanting to see the Rajah. Entering his destination, the Sumatran teacher quickly spotted his group of students sitting Indian-style on the floor. As usual, the Ranee Margaret was at the center, talking animatedly to her bevy of Malay women friends. There was Isa and Shahada, and even some of the latter's daughters joining in on the talk. From the look of it, only young Lehut was silent with her eyes looking at the Ranee with what seemed to be awe, or was that jealousy? Children at dawn and women at noon. If my father could see this now... .

On his entrance, all the women went silent and looked at him, waiting for the man to begin. Sawal cleared his throat and said. "Assalamualaikum dan selamat tengah hari, Rajah Ranee. Hari ini saya-"

But just as Sawal reached over to the group, he heard a tinkling noise coming from the open doorway. Turning around, his eyes barely noticed his crop of adult students all craning their necks to see around his large frame.

Framed by the open space stood a small girl with fair skin and dark hair, a small anklet ringed with bells wrapped around her right foot. In an instant, Sawal cleared the space for his Ranee, now standing up and hurrying over to – what he now realized – her daughter.

"Lily! Why are you out of bed!?"

**********​

Name: Peter Mojuntin

Date: 15 June 2004

__________________________________________________

Hildegarde Tuition Centre; Charleston branch.

Holiday homework

Question: Write about a person that you consider to be interseting. Then, find a picture of your subject and paste it down below.
__________________________________________________

The person I would pick is the first Ranee of Sarawak Margaret Brooke because of how she familiarized and later, adapted to life in her new home.

When Margaret first arrived from England in 1869, she didn't know what to do with herself as the wife of Rajah Charles Brooke. The land was foreign, and there were only a few European women in the capital to talk amongst. However, she decided to make some parties with the local Malay women to see just what would happen, and surprisingly found her new company enjoyable. She soon learnt Malay, and was later able to talk to her new friends without using a translation book.

Margaret also followed her husband Charles into the jungle and met the Dayaks too. Instead of turning away from them, she allowed herself to be curious and asked lots of questions about their world, and they asked lots of questions about her too. After a few years, she went out to the jungles by herself and her friends, meeting with Bidayuhs, Ibans, Melanaus, and even a few Kayans from the far mountains. She even camped in a forest hut for a few nights while cruising the Rajang, only to be woken by the dawn and the nose-flute of her boatman. In the end, she managed to overcome her British prejudice for something totally new, and gained an experience few European women had.

Finally, Margaret raised her children to have the same experiences she had. When they were born, many Kuching people sent her toys and gifts, and they were blessed with Malay and Chinese prayers. They were taught Malay, and they went with her to the jungles and met the Dayaks when they were old enough. They, along with their mother, also tasted Sarawakian fruits and wore Sarawakian clothes, ultimately making them more rooted to their home than to England.

It is because of these reasons that I pick Margaret Brooke as my writing subject.​

Mr Lou: We need to talk about your writing skills.

____________________

Notes:

1) Yes, that is Margaret Brooke, wife of Charles. Most of what was written down really did happen IOTL, even the camping in the jungle bit. She really did have Malay friends and really did went out to meet the Dayaks, though IOTL she was usually accompanied by her husband and children. Here's a picture of her and some of the women in Kuching wearing Malay dress.

2) Surprisingly, there was a small amount of immigration from Sumatra to Sarawak in the 1870's IOTL. Even today there is no answer to this, though I do have some assumptions, particularly regarding to Charles Brooke's economic policies. We might not see the last of those pepper farmers...

3) Historically Margaret Brooke gave birth to a girl and twin boys, though they soon passed away en route to England due to a cholera outbreak on the ship. It was only later on IOTL that she sired Vyner and his brothers. ITTL, the cholera outbreak didn't happen, and her second set of children are entirely butterflied away.

 

[Al-numbers]

Comments? Questions, anyone? Did my update came in the middle of the Christmas preparations?

And speaking of which, I don't know if this is aright to say it so soon, but Merry Christmas everyone!

 

[Jonathan Edelstein]

As always, the school essay is great.

Will Margaret's only child ITTL be a daughter? If so, how will that affect the Sarawak succession - was a ruling White Rani a possibility at this time? What might be interesting is that a daughter might be educated in Sarawak rather than sent to England, resulting in her having a more Malay/Dayak view of the world if she does take power.

 

[Ephraim Ben Raphael]

Good update, as always. Haven't got much to say.

 

[Imperator Maximilianius]

Interesting developments.

 

[Archangel]

Good updates, sketchdoodle!

 

[Al-numbers]

As always, the school essay is great.

Will Margaret's only child ITTL be a daughter? If so, how will that affect the Sarawak succession - was a ruling White Rani a possibility at this time? What might be interesting is that a daughter might be educated in Sarawak rather than sent to England, resulting in her having a more Malay/Dayak view of the world if she does take power.

Thanks.

ITTL, Margaret's children will be that of her first set born in Sarawak; An elder daughter and her younger twin brothers. IOTL, they all died in a cholera outbreak that affected their ship while en route to England. ITTL, that didn't happen and Sarawakian history is unimaginably changed. The kingdom's succession rules is - for now - an open matter but the usual path is "Whatever the Rajah says, goes." A female heir will get support, but less so than a male one due to the cultural conventions among Sarawak's populace at the time.

All three children will eventually get educated in England, but it's likely that their childhood will be somewhat like James Brooke's; born and bred in India and only sent to England at age 10. There's a lot of culture and childhood these kids could absorb while in Sarawak, and that might stay with them all the way through their studies abroad.

Let's see... As for their names, let's say the elder daughter's is Lily De Windt while the twins are Andrew Clarke Brooke and Richard Clayton Brooke. You can't get more British than that.

Interesting developments.

Indeed. It'll get even stranger as the decade goes by.

Good update, as always. Haven't got much to say.

Good updates, sketchdoodle!

Thank you both! And don't worry if you don't have much to say. If you like it, that's enough for me.

Johor and Sarawak's economic policies in the next update, with a slight possibility of adding Siam as well. After that, I might fill in what's going on around the world, though I might need help on that.

 

[Dathi THorfinnsson]

Moar, moar, MOAR!!
Sarawak can into space!

BTW, how's Sulu doing these days?

Helmsman of the Enterprise?

 

[xt828]

Helmsman of the Enterprise?

Two Enterprises, and his daughter was too!