Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Brunei
Brunei
Flag Crest
Demonym Bruneian
Government Islamic Absolute Monarchy
Formation
- Sultanate 14th century
- End of January 1, 1984
British protectorate
Area
- Total 5,765 km2 (172nd)
2,226 sq mi
- Water (%) 8.6
Population
- 2009 estimate 388,190[2] (175)
- 2001 census 332,844
- Density 67.3/km2 (134th)
174.4/sq mi
1
Also 080 from East Malaysia
Brunei (pronounced /bruːˈnaɪ/ in English), officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or theNation of
Brunei, the Abode of Peace (Malay: Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi: )بروني دارالسلم, is
a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia. Apart from its coastline
with the South China Sea it is completely surrounded by the state ofSarawak, Malaysia, and in fact it is
separated into two parts by Limbang, which is part of Sarawak. It is the only sovereign state
completely on the island of Borneo, with the remainder of the island belonging
to Malaysia and Indonesia.
Brunei can trace its beginnings to the 7th century, when it was a subject state of the Srivijayanempire
under the name Po-ni.[5] It later became a vassal state of Majapahit[citation needed]before embracing Islam in
the 15th century. At the peak of its empire, the sultanate had control that extended over the coastal
regions of modern-day Sarawak and Sabah, the Sulu archipelago, and the islands off the northwest tip
of Borneo. The thalassocracy was visited byFerdinand Magellan in 1521 and fought the Castille War in
1578 against Spain. Its empire began to decline with the forced ceding of Sarawak to James
Brooke and the ceding of Sabahto the British North Borneo Chartered Company. After the loss
of Limbang, Brunei finally became a British protectorate in 1888, receiving a resident in 1906. In
the post-occupation years, it formalised a constitution and fought an armed rebellion.[6] Brunei regained
its independence from the United Kingdom on 1 January 1984. Economic growth during the 1970s and
1990s, averaging 56% from 1999 to 2008, has transformed Brunei Darussalam into a newly
industrialised country.
Brunei has the second highest Human Development Index among the South East Asia nations,
after Singapore and is classified as a Developed Country.[7] According to the International Monetary
Fund (IMF), Brunei is ranked 4th in the world by gross domestic product per capita atpurchasing power
parity.[8]
Brunei Bay Brunei was founded by Awang Alak Betatar. His move from Garang [location required] to
the Brunei river estuary led to the discovery of Brunei. His first exclamation upon landing on the shore,
as the legend goes, was “Baru nah!” (Which in English translates to "great!", or "excellent!") and thus,
the name “Brunei” was derived from his words.[9]
It was renamed "Barunai" in the 14th Century, possibly influenced by the Sanskrit word varunai (वरण),
meaning "seafarers", later to become "Brunei". The word "Borneo" is of the same origin. In the
country's full name "Negara Brunei Darussalam"()بروني دارالسلم, "Darussalam" means "Abode of Peace"
in Arabic, while "Negara" means "Country" in Malay. "Negara" derives from the Sanskrit Nagara (नगर),
meaning "city".
Contents
[hide]
• 1 History
• 3 Foreign relations
• 4 International rankings
• 5 Subdivisions
• 6 Geography
o 6.1 Climate
• 7 Economy
• 8 Agriculture
• 9 Healthcare
• 10 Transport
• 11 Demographics
o 11.1 Ethnicity
o 11.2 Religion
• 12 Culture
• 13 See also
• 15 Bibliography
• 16 External links
[edit]History
The power of the Sultanate of Brunei was at its peak from the 14th to the 16th centuries.[10] The
Sultanate's suzerainty is thought to have extended over the coastal regions of modern-
day Sarawak and Sabah, the Sulu archipelago, and the islands off the northwest tip of Borneo.[citation
needed]
It has been debated when Islam first arrived in Brunei. A number of relics show that Islam may have
been practised in Brunei by the 12th century.[citation needed]
Amongst these relics are tombstones found in the various Islamic graveyards in Brunei, particularly the
tombstone at Rangas [location required] graveyard of a Chinese Muslim by the name of Pu Kung
Chih-mu. He was buried there in 1264. This is more than a hundred years before the conversion of
Awang Alak Betatar who became the Islamic Sultan Muhammad Shah, the first Sultan of Brunei.
The tombstone of Pu Kung Chih-mu is not the only Chinese Muslim grave in Rangas graveyard.
Another grave nearby belonged to another Chinese Muslim by the name of Li Chia-tzu from Yung
Chun (Fukian) who died in 1876. Yung Chun is another city in China where Muslim travellers
frequently traded.
According to Chinese records, stated in the “Notes on the Malay Archipelago and Malacca Compiled
From Chinese Sources” written by WP Groeneveldt in 1880, one Chinese Islamic trader arrived in
Brunei in the 10th century. His name was P’u-lu-shieh. He was both a trader and a diplomat. P’u-lu-
shieh name is akin to Abu al-Layth.
The Brunei King at that time was named Hiang-ta (Bongto). The arrival of the diplomat-trader from
China was greeted with great ceremony. If this is so, Islam has actually arrived in Brunei in the year of
977.
One may discount the fact that the Muslim diplomat-trader did not do anything in Brunei but merely
brought greetings and therefore one should not read too much into this. However the interesting thing
was that the Brunei King’s delegation to China to return the Emperor’s greetings was headed by
another Muslim by the name of P’u A-li (Abu Ali).
Based on this fact alone, Abu Ali must have held an important position in the Brunei Government if he
was tasked to be Brunei’s Ambassador in those days and even if the King of Brunei then was not
himself a Muslim, some members of his royal court were Muslims.
A number of European historians claimed that Brunei was still not a Muslim nation until the 15th
century. However, the Ming Shih, Book 325, a Chinese reference book noted that the King of Brunei in
1370 was Ma-ho-mo-sa. Some say that this should be read as Mahmud Shah. But local Brunei
historians take this to refer to “Muhammad Shah” the first Islamic Sultan of Brunei, during his reign
Brunei was also visited byArab, Persian and Sindhi merchants.
Robert Nicholl, a former Brunei Museum Curator argued in another paper entitled “Notes on Some
Controversial Issues in Brunei History” in 1980 that the name Ma-ho-mo-sa could be pronounced as
Maha Moksha which means Great Eternity. Maha Mokhsa would make it a Buddhist name. Nicholl
goes on to argue that even the Brunei Sultan who died in Nanjing in 1408 was not a Muslim. Another
European Historian, Pelliot, Ma-na-jo-kia-nai-nai was reconstituted as Majarajah Gyana (nai). But the
closest title would have been Maharaja Karna. However Brunei historians have stated that the King
was Sultan Abdul Majid Hassan who would have been the second Sultan of Brunei.
Nicholl further argued that Sultan Muhammad Shah converted to Islam as late as the 16th century and
not during the 14th century as is widely known. However according to Brunei historians, Sultan
Muhammad Shah converted to Islam in 1376 and that he ruled until 1402. After which time, it was
Sultan Abdul Majid Hassan, who died in China who ascended the throne. That was when Sultan
Ahmad reigned in Brunei beginning 1406, during his reign Brunei was visited on various occasions by
the Chinese Muslim Admiral Zheng He.
Most likely there were two waves of Islamic teachings that came to Brunei. The first was brought by
traders from Arabia, Persia, India and China. The second wave was brought about by the conversion
of Sultan Muhammad Shah. With the coming of the second wave, Brunei’s Islamisation hastened.
The propagation of Islam in Brunei was led by a Syarif with the name of Syarif Ali who was a
descendant of The Prophet Muhammad through his grandsons Sayydinia Hassan or Sayydinia
Hussin.
Syarif Ali arrived from Taif. Not long after he arrived in Brunei, he was married to a daughter of Sultan
Ahmad. Syarif Ali built a mosque in Brunei. Syarif Ali was closely connected to a few other well known
Islam propogationists in the region such as Malik Ibrahim who went toJava, Syarif Zainal Abidin
in Malacca, Syarif Abu Bakar or Syariful Hashim in Sulu, and Syarif Kebungsuan in Mindanoa.
Syarif Ali ascended the throne as the third Sultan of Brunei when he took over from his father-in-law.
Because of his piousness, he was known as Sultan Berkat (Berkat means ‘blessed).
The mosque, especially the pulpit, was used by Sultan Syarif Ali himself. Sultan Syarif Ali himself
conducted the sermons during Friday prayers. So he was not only the Sultan but he was also the
Imam and brought the religion directly to the Brunei people.
According to Thomas Stamford Raffles in his book “The History of Java”, the Islamic activities of Sultan
Syarif Ali was not limited to Brunei. He was also known to have gone over to Java to propagate Islam
where he was known as Raja Chermin. He tried hard to convert the Majapahit King named Prabu
Angka Wijaya.
The efforts of the Brunei Sultans in spreading Islam helped to spread Islam not only in Borneo but also
as far north as to the southern Philippines islands. When Malacca fell to the Portuguese in 1511, it was
Brunei which played a major role in the spread of Islam in the region[11] (see also: Ottoman expedition
to Aceh).
By the 16th century, Brunei had built one of her biggest mosques. In 1578, Alonso Beltran, a Spanish
traveller described it as being five stories tall and built on the water. Most likely it had five layers of
roofs to represent the five pillars of Islam.
Islam was firmly rooted in Brunei by the 16th century. This mosque was destroyed by the Spanish in
June that same year.
European influence gradually brought an end to this regional power. Later, there was a brief war
with Spain, in which Brunei's capital was occupied. Eventually the sultanate was victorious but lost
territories to Spain.
The decline of the Bruneian Empire culminated in the 19th 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 British protectorate from 1888 to 1984, and occupied byJapan from 1941 to
1945 during World War II.
There was a small rebellion against the monarchy during the 1960s, which was suppressed with help
from the United Kingdom. This event became known as the Brunei Revolt and was partly responsible
for the failure to create the North Borneo Federation. The rebellion partially affected Brunei's decision
to opt out of the Malaysian Federation.
The Sultan's role is enshrined in the national ideology known as Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB),
orMalay Muslim Monarchy. The country has been under hypothetical martial law since Brunei Revolt of
1962.
The media are extremely pro-government and the Royal family retains a venerated status within the
country.
[edit]Press freedom
Brunei has been given "Not Free" status by Freedom House; press criticism of the government and
monarchy is rare.[12]. Nonetheless, the press is not overtly hostile towards other viewpoints and is not
restricted on only publishing articles regarding the government. The government allowed a printing and
publishing company, Brunei Press SDN BHD, to form in 1953. It continues to print the leading English
daily Borneo Bulletin. This paper began as a weekly community paper, became the country's daily
paper in 1990 and "remains the foremost source of information on local and foreign affairs."[13] Apart
from The Borneo Bulletin, there is also the Media Permata, the local Malay newspaper which is
circulated daily. The Brunei Times, another newspaper written in English is an independent newspaper
published in Brunei Darussalam. It is owned by the company, Brunei Times Sdn Bhd, which consist of
a group of prominent local businessmen.
As for mass media, the Brunei government owns and operates six television channels with the
introduction of digital TV using DVB-T (RTB 1, RTB 2, RTB 3 (HD), RTB 4, RTB 5 and RTB New
Media (Game portal) and five radio stations (National FM, Pilihan FM, Nur Islam FM, Harmony FM and
Pelangi FM). A private company has made cable television available (Astro-Kristal) as well as one
private radio station, Kristal FM.[13]
[edit]Foreign relations
Main articles: Foreign policy of Brunei and Foreign relations of Brunei
With its traditional ties with the United Kingdom, it became the 49th member of
the Commonwealth immediately on the day of its independence on 1 January 1984.[14] As its first
initiatives towards improved regional relations, Brunei joined ASEAN on January 7, 1984, becoming
the sixth member.[15] It later joined the United Nations at the 39th Session of the United Nations
General Assembly and became a full member on 21 September 1984 as a means to achieve
recognition of its sovereignty and full independence from the world community.[16]As it is an islamic
country, Brunei Darussalam became a full member of the Organisation of Islamic Conference in
January 1984 at the FourthIslamic Summit held in Morocco.[17]
After its accession to the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation forum (APEC) in 1989, Brunei hosted the
APEC Economic Leaders' Meeting in November 2000 and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) in July
2002.[18] As for other economic ties, Brunei Darussalam became an original member of the World
Trade Organization (WTO) since it came into force in 1 January 1995[19], and is a major player
in BIMP-EAGA which was formed during the Inaugural Ministers’ Meeting in Davao, Philippines on
March 24, 1994.[20]
Brunei is recognized by every nation in the world. It shares a close relationship particularly with the
Philippines and other nations such asSingapore. In April 2009, Brunei and the Philippines signed
a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that seeks to strengthen the bilateral cooperation of the two
countries in the fields of agriculture and farm-related trade and investments.[21] Brunei also maintains
historical ties with Malaysia, the United Kingdom, as well as the United States.
[edit]International rankings
Political and economic rankings
Health rankings
Infant mortality – 30th least deaths, at 5.5 per 1000 live births
Death rate – 191st highest death rate, at 2.8 per 1000 people
[edit]Subdivisions
Districts of Brunei
Belait
Brunei and Muara
Temburong
Tutong
[edit]Geography
Main article: Geography of Brunei
Other major towns are the port town of Muara, the oil
producing town of Seria and its neighboring town, Kuala
Belait. In the Belait district, the Panaga area is home to
large numbers of expatriates due to Royal Dutch
Shelland British Army housing and recreational
facilities. Jerudong Park, a well known amusement park,
is located on the west of Bandar Seri Begawan.
[edit]Climate
[edit]Economy
[edit]Agriculture
To achieve its target for food self-sufficiency, Brunei
renamed its Brunei Darussalam Rice 1 to Laila Rice
during the launch of the "Padi Planting Towards
Achieving Self-Sufficiency of Rice Production in Brunei
Darussalam" ceremony at the Wasan padi fields in April
2009.[27]
[edit]Healthcare
[edit]Demographics
[edit]Ethnicity
Malay 66.3%,
Chinese 11.2%,
Indigenous 3.4%,
Other 19.1% (2004 est.)[34]
[edit]Religion
Religions of Brunei
Religion Percent
Islam 67%
Buddhism 13%
Christianity 11%
Freethinkers 7%
Indigenous 2%
[edit]Culture
[edit]Prohibition of alcohol
As a Sharia country, the sale and public consumption
of alcohol is banned.[36] Foreigners and non-Muslims are
allowed to bring in 12 cans of beer and two bottles of
other alcohol (e.g., wine or spirits; no distinction is made
for alcohol content). This limit used to apply to every
entry; in 2007, however, this was changed to one limit
every 48 hours. After the introduction of prohibition in the
early 1990s, all pubs and nightclubs were forced to
close.
[edit]Bruneian celebrities
[edit]See also
Main article: Outline of Brunei
Asia
portal
Retrieved 2009-12-30.
under http://www.ari.nus.edu.sg/article_view.asp?
id=172 (2006).
Collins.ISBN 0002112957.
April 2010.
30 March 2010.
2010-05-09.
Darussalam
25. ^ http://www.bruneiweather.com.bn/content/
summary3pix.php
Retrieved 2009-12-30.
Retrieved 2009-12-30.
Retrieved 2009-12-30.
12-30.
33. ^ http://www.bruneiair.com/
see http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2006/71334.ht
appointed)
[edit]Bibliography
[edit]External links
Find more about Brunei on Wikipedia's sister
projects:
Government
General information
Business
Travel