History of Sabah

The history of Sabah can be traced back to about 23–30,000 years ago when evidence suggests the
earliest human settlement in the region existed. The history is interwoven with the history of Brunei
and the history of Malaysia, which Sabah was previously part of and is currently part of respectively.
The earliest recorded history of Sabah being part of any organised civilisation began in the early 15th
century during the thriving era of the Sultanate of Brunei.[1] Prior to this, early inhabitants of the
land lived in predominantly tribal societies, although such tribal societies had continued to exist until
the 1900s.[2] The eastern part of Sabah was ceded to the Sultan of Sulu by the Sultan of Brunei in
1658 for the former helping a victory over Brunei enemies, but many sources stated it had not been
ceded at all.[3] By the late 19th century, both territories previously owned by Sultan of Brunei and
Sultan of Sulu was granted to British syndicate and later emerged as British North Borneo under the
management of the North Borneo Chartered Company.[4] Sabah became a protectorate of the
United Kingdom in 1888 and subsequently became a Crown colony from 1946 until 1963, during
which time it was known as Crown Colony of North Borneo. On 16 September 1963, Sabah merged
with Malaya, Sarawak and Singapore (left in 1965) to form Malaysia.

During the Last Glacial Maximum about 20,000 years ago, Sabah and the rest of Borneo island was
connected to mainland Asia in a landmass known as the Sundaland. Subsequent deglaciation, which
caused global sea level to rise, resulted in the Sundaland being submerged, separating Borneo from
the rest of Asia.[5] Earliest human settlement in the region is believed to have dated back about
20,000–30,000 years ago. These early humans are believed to be Australoid or Negrito people, but
the reason for their sudden disappearance is unknown.[6] Stone tools and artefacts have been found
in Madai and Baturong caves and in the archaeological site in Lake Tingkayu near the district of
Kunak which were estimated to date back from 28,000–17,000 years ago. The tools found there
were considered advanced for its period.[7] There was evidence of human cave-dwellings around
15,000–6,000 years ago. An ongoing 2012 study by Universiti Sains Malaysia and Sabah State
Museum revealed the discovery of stone tools in Mansuli Valley near Lahad Datu believed to be
235,000 years old,[8] and in another site in Kampung Lipasu, Bingkor believed to be at least 200,000
years old.[9][10] These recent findings suggests that human settlement in Sabah and Malaysia have
existed much earlier than previously thought, which is about 40,000 years ago in Niah Caves,
Sarawak.

The earliest ascertained wave of human migration, believed to be Austronesian Mongoloids,

occurred around 5,000 years ago.[6] This wave of migration is believed to represent the time when
the indigenous hill people of present-day Sabah had first arrived, namely the Kadazan-Dusun, Murut
and Orang Sungai,[6] while Brunei Malays settlement appeared somewhat later.[11] It is believed
that some Australoid or Negrito people have interbred with later Mongoloid migrants and remained
in Borneo,[7] while others have migrated to other places such as Melanesia, the Lesser Sunda Islands
and Australia continent.[7] Some anthropologists such as S.G. Tan and Thomas R. Williams believe
that the Mongoloids are said to originate from South China and Northern Vietnam, and are more
closely related to a number of indigenous groups in the Philippines and Formosa (Taiwan) than to
the indigenous peoples of neighbouring Sarawak and Kalimantan,[12] These claims were also
supported by the findings of Charles Hose and William McDougall in their account of the "Pagan
Tribes of Borneo".[13]