BRUNEI attained its golden age under the reign of its fifth
ruler, Sultan Bolkiah, known as Nakhoda Ragam. During his reign, the Brunei
Empire spread not just over the whole island of Borneo but as far as Sulu and
Saludang (Luzon) in present-day Philippines. He not only increased Brunei's
trade but was also able to help spread Islam.
Brunei's Golden Age continued even after the death of Sultan
Bolkiah in 1524. Sultan Abdul Kahar was also able to increased Brunei's
territories which included the whole of Borneo, Palawan, Sulu, Balayan,
Mindoro, Bonbon, Balabak, Balambangan, Bangi, Mantanai and Luzon. With the
Brunei traders, Islam spread far including to the southern Philippines islands
and Brunei was recognised as a centre of Islamic propagation.
This was so widely acknowledged that the Governor of Manila,
a Spaniard by the name of Francisco de Sande, wrote to the son of Sultan Abdul
Kahar, Sultan Saiful Rijal, imploring him not to send any more Muslim preachers
to the Philippines islands. In 1578, one Joan Ochoa Ttabudo wrote in his report
that Islam had spread to Balayan, Manila, Mindoro and Bonbon.
In the 16th century, Spain and Portugal expanded their
territories in Asia. Malacca fell to the Portuguese in 1511 and by 1526, the
Portuguese had succeeded in securing a treaty of friendship and trade with
Sultan Abdul Kahar. Brunei exported a number of items to Malacca. Brunei
seaways also became part of the shipping route for Portugese vessels.
The Spaniards came to the Philippines in 1565 and captured
Manila by 1571. Manila was used by the Spaniards also as a trade centre but
also to spread Christianity. However with the strong influence of Sultan Abdul
Kahar and later Sultan Abdul Rijal, Islam remained strong in the southern
Philippines.
Brunei was seen as a big threat to Christianity. The
destruction of Brunei became the Spaniards' primary objective in the mid-16th
century.
In 1573, a Spanish delegation was sent to Brunei to seek an
audience with Sultan Saiful Rijal. The Spaniards offered Brunei a treaty with
the intention that Brunei be placed under Spanish protection. The Spaniards
also wanted the Sultan to receive Christian missionaries so that they could
spread Christianity in Brunei! Sultan Saiful Rijal did not accept the treaty
and angrily rejected the suggestions.
Five years later the Spaniards returned. This time they took
advantage of a brewing civil war in Brunei. Two of Brunei's lords who had
quarreled with the Sultan, went to the Spanish government in Manila and
promised to help the Spaniards when they arrived.
The Spaniards' Armada with 40 warships was headed by the
flagship Santiago. The Armada left in March 1578 and by April of the same year
had arrived off Brunei. The Spaniards sent a letter to the Sultan demanding —
among other things — a carte blanche for "preachers of the holy Gospel,
who may preach the law of the Christians in your lands in all security",
that Brunei "send no preachers of the sect of Mohama to any part of these
islands" and that Brunei must "forbid its people from asking tribute
in these islands".
Sultan Saiful Rijal tore the Spaniards' letter and rejected
the demands outright. De Sande, on learning that the Sultan would not agree to
his demands, immediately attacked the 50 Brunei warships surrounding him. The
Bruneians were caught by surprise and, outgunned by the Spaniards, were not
able to defend Brunei.
By April 16th, the Spaniards had ransacked the palace and,
on their way to the mosque in the city centre, also plundered many valuable
items. By April 20th, they had ransacked and plundered the Sultan's palaces and
the nobles' homes. De Sande occupied one of the Sultan's palaces while his men
went to build defensive forts and other needed stores.
The Sultan went to Baram River with most of his people while
the Spaniards were in possession of the city. Sultan Abdul Kahar died in Baram
in August the same year.
Surprisingly the Spaniards did not stay long. This is where
the stories differ. According to Brunei legends, the Spaniards were attacked by
the Bruneians led by Pengiran Bendahara Sakam. A number of them also fell ill.
According to the Spaniards, it was the water. Whatever it is, the Spaniards
left on June 26.
Before leaving, however, the Spaniards destroyed one of
Brunei's finest buildings, the Jame' mosque, which de Sande ordered his men to
burn down out of anger and spite for losing the battle to stay on in Brunei.
The great mosque was described by Alonso Beltran, a Spanish
traveler, as five-storeyed on the water but that may be a slightly wrong
description as the technology to build five storeyed buildings in the 15th
century on water was not yet available in Brunei. Most likely, it had five
roofs to represent the five pillars of Islam. It must have been very big and
impressive and it blazed throughout the night; by morning there was nothing
left.
Why did the Spaniards leave? According to Brunei legends,
the Spaniards kept facing attacks organised by Pengiran Bendahara Sakam. The
latter is seen as one of Brunei's past folk heroes. He attacked the Spaniards
with 1,000 men and defeated them. However, Western historians do not accept
this version and deny that Bendahara Sakam even existed, preferring the version
that the Spaniards left because of dysentery. According to the Spanish records,
only 17 died of dysentery in Brunei and another six on the return to Manila,
although a number of Filipinos also died.
Some historians took the middle road. Perhaps there was no
big battle, they said, but there certainly was guerilla fighting and the
possibility that the water had been poisoned by the oppressed Bruneians.
Perhaps there was indeed divine intervention. Whatever it is, the Castillian
War had entered into Brunei's consciousness. The war indeed is still remembered
today as a heroic episode of Brunei's past.
Francisco de Sande had hoped to deal a blow at the
propagation of Islam by invading Brunei. His defeat proved otherwise.
In 1586, the Manila Council condemned the 1578 attack as
unjust and unprovoked. All galleys and artillery pieces looted by the Spaniards
were ordered to be returned and it was decreed compensation should be paid.
Posted by Rozan Yunos at Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Source : bruneisource
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