Enjoyed many a boat-ride along the Brunei River, past the official residence of the Sultan, admiring the macaques, crocodiles, herons and the unique lifestyle of the people in Kampong Ayer, water village, the old and the new sections.
My interest in political history took me to a number of the preserved tombs of the sultans from the 13th century, some well preserved, and each with an interesting story of the leadership from that era.
The Golden Age of Brunei (1485-1524) 5th sultan – Sultan Bolkiah, died in Kota Batu (archaeological site just outside Bandar Seri Begawan). Superpower of the Malay Archipelago. Some sources say the family had its beginnings in the Hadhramaut in Yeman.
(Muhammad Shah became the first Sultan of Brunei. This gave birth to a 600-year-old Malay dynasty which saw Brunei grow into an Empire and then lose most of it to colonial powers. (Direct cut from Culture Trip website)).
Taken from Factsanddetails, – The following is the list of Sultans of Brunei since 1363 (Name, Reign, Remarks, From, Until): 1) Muhammad Shah, 1363, 1402; Abdul Majid Hassan (Maharaja Karna), 1402, 1408, Died in Nanjing, China; 2) Ahmad, 1408, 1425; 3) Sharif Ali, 1425, 1432; 4) Sulaiman, 1432, 1485; 5) Bolkiah, 1485, 1524; 6) Abdul Kahar, 1524, 1530; 7) Saiful Rijal, 1533, 1581, Castille War broke out between Brunei and Spain; 8) Shah Berunai, 1581, 1582; 9) Muhammad Hassan, 1582, 1598; 10) Abdul Jalilul Akbar, 1598, 1659; 11) Abdul Jalilul Jabbar, 1659, 1660; 12) Muhammad Ali, 1660, 1661; 12) Abdul Hakkul Mubin, 1660, 1673; 13) Muhyiddin, 1673, 1690; 14) Nassaruddin, 1690, 1710; 15) Hussin Kamaluddin, 1710, 1730, First reign; 16) Muhammad Alauddin, 1730, 1737; 17) Hussin Kamaluddin, 1737, 1740, Second reign; 18) Omar Ali Saifuddin I, 1740, 1795; 19) Muhammad Tajuddin, 1795, 1807; 20) Muhammad Jamalul Alam I, 1804, 1804; 21) Muhammad Kanzul Alam, 1807, 1826; 22) Muhammad Alam, 1826, 1828; 23) Omar Ali Saifuddin II, 1828, 1852, Brunei ceded Sarawak to James Brooke; 24) Abdul Momin, 1852, 30 May 1885, Brunei ceded North Borneo (later known as Sabah); 25) Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin, 30 May 1885, 10 May 1906, United Kingdom established protectorate over Brunei in 1888; 26) Muhammad Jamalul Alam II, 10 May 1906, 11 September 1924; 27) Ahmad Tajuddin, 11 September 1924, 4 June 1950; 28) Omar Ali Saifuddien III, 4 June 1950, 4 October 1967, Abdicated; died on 7 September 1986; 29) Hassanal Bolkiah, 4 October 1967, Present, Brunei regained independence from the United Kingdom in 1984.
Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien Mosque (named after the 28th Sultan of Brunei)
5th October 2017 – celebrated 50 years of the reign of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (Golden Jubilee).
A reference Travel Blog.
Brunei Museum and Royal Regalia Museum
(Piracy and rebellions plagued Brunei in the 19th century when most residents lived in Kampong Ayer, a stilted-metropolis above the Brunei River that still exists today. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II ceded parts of Sarawak to James Brooke in return for providing military support. Brooke became the First White Rajah and his descendants ruled Sarawak for more than a century. The next Sultan, Abdul Momin, gave most of the modern day Sabah to the British. Within the space of a few dozen years, the Bruneian Empire changed forever. (Taken directly from Culture Trip)).
5th October 2017 – celebrated 50 years of the reign of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (Golden Jubilee).
Ecosystem Hotspots 