Monday 29 December 2014

Raja Muda Hashim

Raja (also Pengiran) Muda Hashim was the uncle of the Sultan of Brunei, Omar Ali Saifuddin II (1828-1852).

Fig 1: Picture of Raja Muda Hashim

 The exact family ties between the Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II and Pengiran Muda Hashim is depicted in the following chart.

Fig 2: Brunei royal genealogy

On the subject of royal succession, let me quote from Frank Marryat's book Borneo & the Indian Archipelago: "At the death of the late sultan, Muda Hassan (sic) was the heir-apparent to the throne, but he resigned in favour of his nephew, retaining the office of prime minister, which office he had held during the former reign, not only to the satisfaction of the sultan, but also of the people, with whom he was deservedly a great favourite."
  
Around 1835, the Sultan sent Muda Hashim to Sarawak to restore order there. Sarawak had been a loosely governed territory under the control of the Brunei in the early 19th century. At that time, an anti-Brunei force of Malays and Bidayuhs led by Datu Patinggi Ali was revolting against Pengiran Indera Mahkota, the Brunei-appointed Malay governor of Sarawak.. By various accounts, Mahkota was a harsh man, forcing the locals to work like slaves to extract antimony from the mines in Sarawak. Hence the uprising.

However even after Raja Muda Hashim’s arrival in Sarawak, very little happened for a few years, with both sides not making much progress. Also it appears that Muda Hashim and Mahkota didn't see eye to eye, and a certain tension developed between them.

When the English adventurer James Brooke reached Singapore on his Far East voyage, he heard that the ruler of Sarawak, Raja Muda Hashim had shown that he was friendly to Europeans. Earlier on the Raja Muda had been hospitable to some British sailors shipwrecked on the coastal waters of Sarawak and even sent them back to Singapore. James Brooke was curious to see what the fabled Borneo was really like. Besides Mr Bonham, the British Governor of Singapore wanted James to give a letter of thanks and some presents to Raja Muda Hashim for his kind treatment of the sailors.

And so it was on 15 August 1839 that James Brooke in his schooner “The Royalist” sailed up the Sarawak River, and anchored off Kuching.


Raja Muda Hashim gave him a friendly welcome. As one writer described Muda Hashim and the first meeting: "His appearance was not imposing but his manners were a pattern of courtesy and he maintained a certain shabby dignity. He returned the Royalist's  salute of 21 guns with a salute of 17 and received his visitor with some pomp in the palm-leaf shed which went by the name of audience hall"   All in all their meetings were amicable enough  and Muda Hashim did request his help in quelling the rebels but James Brooke declined, not wanting to get involved. He departed after a short stay.

James Brooke then spent a year cruising in the Archipelago and had decided to return to England. But before he did so, he thought he would first pay another visit to Kuching. In  August 1840, he landed in Sarawak again and found that the fighting was still continuing. This time when Raja Muda Hashim asked again, he agreed to assist.

With his powerful cannons and superior military tactics, Brooke was able to quell the rebellion. In reward for his success, Muda Hashim signed a treaty on 24 September 1841 surrendering territory from the westernmost tip of Sarawak, Tanjung Dato, to the Samarahan river  to Brooke and bestowing on him the title of Governor of Sarawak.

This appointment was made official on 18 September 1842 by Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II.  In return Brooke promised to pay the Sultan an annual tribute of $2,500, to preserve the customs and religion of the people in Sarawak and not to separate Sarawak from Brunei without the Sultan's consent. It was a big political mistake on the Sultan’s part to appoint Brooke but the Englishman had the backing of the British Navy.

Fig 3: Artist impression of James Brooke at the court of
the Sultan of Brunei

In 1844 Pengiran Muda Hashim returned from Sarawak to Brunei, accompanied by James Brooke and a British naval captain, Sir Edward Blecher. While in Sarawak, Muda Hashim had lost his high status at home due to a palace coup in Brunei. His opponent Pengiran Usop has become Bendahara in his absence.

In that visit, Brooke and the British Naval Forces were able to re-install Pengiran Muda Hashim as the new Bendahara. Muda Hashim also secured official recognition to become the next Sultan of Brunei. This upset the chances of Pengiran Temenggong Pengiran Anak Hashim, the son of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II, who then plotted to kill Muda Hashim.

James Brooke needed someone in Brunei that he could rely on and Pengiran Muda Hashim seemed to be the one. The British also managed to get Brunei to destroy the defensive forts on Pulau Cermin and along the Brunei River as well as an agreement to give Labuan to the British.

When Pengiran Muda Hashim and his family were eventually murdered in 1846, the British navy under Rear Admiral Thomas Cochrane came and occupied Brunei Town, setting part of it ablaze and even forcing Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II to flee to Damuan.

Fig 4: Brunei Town under attack in 1846
To end the occupation, Brunei had to recognize James Brooke as the Rajah of Sarawak and ruled without interference, free to appoint his own successor and he was no longer the Sultan’s representative in Sarawak. The Island of Labuan was also surrendered.

James Brooke was subsequently knighted and appointed as the first British Governor of Labuan in 1847.

In the city of Kuching, there is a road called Jalan Muda Hashim, in memory of Raja Muda Hashim. I think it is appropriate as this gentleman played a significant, albeit inadvertent, role in shepherding in the Brooke dynasty which lasted a hundred years, and brought 


Discussion : 

AnonymousDecember 28, 2011 at 10:25 PM
Who was Badrudin? I thought he was a friend of James Brooke?

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Website JagaDecember 29, 2011 at 11:14 AM
@Anon - Badrudin was Muda Hashim's brother. I'm not sure why he was not featured in the family tree. My suspicion is that he is not an offspring of the "official" wife.

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Senior LibrarianDecember 29, 2011 at 7:08 PM
Badrudin was also killed during the attack on Raja Muda Hashim and his family.

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AnonymousDecember 30, 2011 at 9:20 AM
Pengeran Badrudin was James Brooke's favourite ... some people even question how close they were.

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vivienatengDecember 30, 2011 at 10:43 AM
Raja Muda Hashim and Badruddin are brothers with from same father, Sultan Muhammad Kanzul Alam. They might be 12 altogether. Two other brothers survived the massacre.

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AnonymousMarch 12, 2012 at 6:03 PM
Prior to the massacre of the Raja Muda Hashim, Sarawak not yet an independent state. James Brooke took the opportunity to attack Brunei and leveled the capital to the ground. The Sultan fled and was brought back to sign off Sarawak to James Brooke. That is why the founding of Sarawak should be in 1846 not 1841. -Desmond Leong

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AnonymousSeptember 22, 2012 at 1:36 AM
Does anyone know who are the sons and daughters of Pengiran Muda Hashim?? I understand he was murdered with his family, however it came to my knowledge that some of his sons managed to survive. Can anyone clarify this. Thank you.

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AnonymousDecember 22, 2012 at 11:18 AM
Pengiran Muda Damit Tajuddin ibni Pengiran Muda Hashim. But I wonder where could I read more about Pengiran Muda Hashim while he was in Sarawak apart from similar stories above. such as, did he ever had businessess, lands, houses, who was his personal assistant etc etc in Sarawak?

thank you.


antonio ximenezApril 2, 2013 at 12:11 AM
From what I have heard, many of the descendants of Pangiran Muda Hashim and maybe Pangiran Muda Hashim himself ran away to a district in Sabah called Tempasok which is now known as Kota Belud.


antonio ximenezApril 2, 2013 at 12:16 AM
From what I have heard, most of Pangiran Muda Hshim's descendant and most probably Pangiran Muda Hashim himself moved to a district in Sabah called Tempasok, what is now known as Kota Belud.

Thank you

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Nur-Satri PH HashimDecember 25, 2012 at 5:36 PM
Pengiran Muda Damit Tajuddin Ibni Pengiran Muda Hashim. I wonder if there are senior/elderly in Sarawak knows about Pengiran Muda Hashim's life while he was in Sarawak such as, where he used to live? What he loves to eat? What was his favourite hobby? Where was his office? Etc.

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AnonymousJanuary 10, 2013 at 11:53 PM
Is there anyone knows all Raja Muda Hashim family especially his sons? Whos is his other family that survive the murdered plot????? Please this is important history.Please help me find the family of Muda Hashim?

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AnonymousApril 2, 2013 at 12:33 AM
Pangiran Muda Chuchu Damit and his uncle Pangiran Muda Muhammad were the survivors of the murder plot. Thought to have gone on hiding in a district of Sabah.

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rovdyrdreamsJanuary 14, 2013 at 8:11 PM
What does the title Muda? Which is equivalent to an explanation?

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vivienatengJanuary 16, 2013 at 2:23 PM
Nur-Satri PH Hashim:-

there is a jalan muda hashim in kuching adjacent to Satok. Jalan Badruddin named after Rajah Muda's brother. he is said to be a closed friend of James Brooke. There are a lot of descendants of Rajah Muda Hashim but unfortunately they do not wish to reunite.

wasalam

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AnonymousApril 2, 2013 at 12:37 AM
You say there are alot of descendants? Where?
Didn't most of his descendants excep for 1 of his sons die in the murder plot?


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RomaJuly 4, 2013 at 6:58 PM
am from sabah,Pg Muda damit Tajudin owns a tulin land at Putatan,Kota Kinabalu.Some local history believe that Pg Muda hashyim survived and managed to flee to Sabah,some claimd that he was buried at Kota Belud

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RomaJuly 4, 2013 at 6:58 PM
am from sabah,Pg Muda damit Tajudin owns a tulin land at Putatan,Kota Kinabalu.Some local history believe that Pg Muda hashyim survived and managed to flee to Sabah,some claimd that he was buried at Kota Belud

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RomaJuly 4, 2013 at 7:01 PM
Some believe that Pg Muda hashyim survived and managed to flee to Sabah,His son Pg Damit Tajudin was the owner of tanah tulin at Putatan those days.Some claimed that Pg Muda Hashyim grave can be found at Kota Belud.Ned further research

Source : Story of Sarawak


9 comments:

  1. I heard that Raja Muda Hashim was sent to govern Tempasuk (Kota Belud) in those days and subsequently was murdered on his return to Brunei. He left one of his sons, Salleh, in Tempasuk. One of Salleh's sons was Andersi, my great grand father.

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    1. Raja Muda Hashim is still part of my research subject will publish more details once i got all the facts.. yes there are some stories about the survival of Raja Muda Hashim and childrens

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    2. According to our Salsila..There were two had survived during dark day in Brunie in 1840. it's either Himself Mudah Hashim or His Children..Raja P S and Dayang Lahama. Raja PS married to Ayang Kanun daughter's local Chieftain. His Children pawned His belt to Sultan of Sulu reign of S Azam.

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    3. Salam. One of Raja Muda Hashim brother was my moyang, and lately change his name bcoze of SOAS2 n Pg Usop. Fortunetly, my moyang family were safe and settledown around Kimanis Bay

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  2. Two of His Pg Mudah Hashim children whos survived and escaped to Tawi Tawi. Pg Raja Muda married there local Chieftain's daughter and have five Children are Pg Ulma, Pg Atld, Ftma Salam, Intan Pinhong, aMas Mera. I among the 7 generation great grand children from Pg RaUlma bin Raja Muda pg.S. while His sister Dayang Lahama married to other district..Salamu alaykum..Thanks..

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  3. Raja Muda Hashim
    Have Son Pengiran Salleh@Sali and marred to Dagangan Bte Datu Amir Bahar.Pengiran Salleh@Sali was Miraja Dinda@Raja Muda run to Pandassan(Tempassuk)after Datu Rambangan take over the some area in Tempassuk from Datu Komedal(The last Sultan sa Tebuk)

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  4. I am a Dayangku and direct descendant of Pengiran Anak Damit Kuntat @ Tajuddin bin Pengiran Muda Hashim. He was not Pengiran Muda, but Pengiran Anak. We humbly live in Brunei, not in Sabah. He was really close to the late SOAS III and the late sultan called my moyang as ‘bapa’ as SOAS III respect Pg Anak Damit a lot. (My family still keep their pics, also a pic of them with sultan hj hassanal bolkiah when he was a kid and other royal family). Pg Anak Damit and SOAS III built Istana Darussalam together. From what I heard from my grandfather (Pg Hj Tajuddin @ Pengiran Hj Tengah bin Pg Abdul Rahman bin Pg Anak Damit Kuntat @ Tajuddin bin Pg Muda Hashim), that SOAS III allowed my moyang to keluar masuk the istana without any permission. They loved to play chess, whenever Pg Anak Damit lost, he will flipped the table and SOAS III only laughed. Their relationship was like father and son. OMG, there’s a lot to tell!! But I’m going to end this here. Conclusion, I am the 7th descendant of Sultan Muhammad Kanzul Alam?

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    1. Assalamualaikum and hi, Im also told by my grandfather (very well known and well respected here) that our family lineage is from Sultan Kanzul Alam. There are not much information about him other than the infamous Pg Muda Hashim. If it’s possible to contact you personally or virtually, perhaps asking about a much more information about the same Sultan we’re from, on his personal story and his contribution to the country, as well as his personality. It would be great to hear from you or your father, do reach out to me, I am very curious.

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