History of Brunei

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Part of a series on the

History of Brunei

Pre-Sultanate

Bruneian Empire 1368

to 1888

House of Bolkiah
(15th century – present)

Sultanate of Sulu 1405

to 1578
Rajahnate of Maynila 1500s
to 1571
Tondo 1500s
to 1571
Castilian War 1578
Civil War 1660–1673
Sarawak 15th century
to 1841
Labuan 15th century
to 1846
Sabah (North Borneo) 15th century
to 1865
British protectorate 1888–1984
Japanese occupation 1942–1945
Borneo campaign 1945
British Military Administration 1945–1946
Revolt 1962
  Timeline
 Sultans

 v
 t
 e

The Sultanate of Brunei ruled during the fourteenth to the nineteenth century. Its territory
allegedly covered the northern part of Borneoand the southern Philippines. European influence
gradually brought an end to this regional power. Later, there was a brief war with Spain, in which
Brunei was victorious. The decline of the Bruneian Empire culminated in the nineteenth century
when Brunei lost much of its territory to the White Rajahs of Sarawak, resulting in its current
small landmass and separation into two parts. Brunei was a Britishprotectorate from 1888 to
1984.

Contents
[hide]

 1Before the Sultanate

 2Chinese settlement and the Kinabatangan
 3The Nunuk Ragang Connection
 4Conversion to Islam and the "Golden Age"
 5Relations with Europeans
 6See also
 7Notes
 8References
o 8.1Primary source
o 8.2Secondary sources
 9External links

Before the Sultanate[edit]

A stone tortoise with a stele in memory of Ma-na-jih-chia-na in Nanjing

The history of Brunei before the arrival of Magellan's ships is based mostly on speculation and
the interpretation of Chinese sources and local legends. Historians believe that there was a
forerunner to the present day Brunei Sultanate. One possible predecessor state was called
Vijayapura, which possibly existed in northwest Borneo in the 7th century.[a] It was probably a
subject state of the powerful Srivijaya empire based in Sumatra. Another possible predecessor
state was called Po-ni (pinyin: Boni).[1] By the 10th century Po-ni had contacts with first
the Song dynasty and at some point even entered into a tributary relationship with China. By the
14th century Po-ni also fell under the influence of the Javanese Majapahit Empire. The book
of Nagarakretagama, canto 14, written by Prapanca in 1365 mentioned Berune as a vassal state
of Majahpahit.[2] as Bruneian Empire 1456