Prince Hashim of Brunei

Not to be confused with Pengiran Muda Hashim.

In this Malay name, there is no surname or family name. The name Muhammad Kanzul Alam is a patronymic, and the person should be referred to by their given name, Hashim. The word "bin" or "binti"/"binte" means 'son of' or 'daughter of', respectively.

Prince Hashim of Brunei (died 1846) or commonly referred to by his title Pengiran Muda Hashim and Raja Muda Hashim, was a Bruneian prince who was the son of Sultan Muhammad Kanzul Alam, and uncle to Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II.^[1]

Hashim هشيم
Pengiran Bendahara
Born	Bruneian Sultanate
Died	1846
Names Hashim ibni Muhammad Kanzul Alam Regnal name Pengiran Bendahara Pengiran Muda Hashim ibni Sultan Muhammad Kanzul Alam
House	Bolkiah
Father	Sultan Muhammad Kanzul Alam
Mother	Pengiran Anak Salmah
Religion	Sunni Islam
Occupation	Politician

Sarawak

Pengiran Muda Hashim was dispatched to Sarawak by the Sultan in the early 1835s to bring about order.^[1] At the beginning of the 19th century, Brunei held jurisdiction over Sarawak, which was a region with slack governance. At that time, Pengiran Indera Mahkota, the Malay governor of Sarawak chosen by Brunei, was being overthrown by an anti-Brunei group of Malays and Bidayuhs commanded by Datu Patinggi Ali.^[2] According to some sources, Mahkota was a stern guy who had the natives in Sarawak labor as slaves to harvest antimony from the mines.^[3] Hence the revolt.^[4] Even yet, for a few years after Pengiran Muda Hashim's arrival in Sarawak, not much transpired and neither side made much headway. Additionally, it looks like him and Pengiran Indera Mahkota were at odds with one another, which led to some friction between them.^[5]

Arrival of James Brooke

James Brooke, an English explorer, learned that Hashim, the monarch of Sarawak, had demonstrated his friendliness toward Europeans when he arrived in Singapore on his expedition to the Far East.^[6] Some British sailors who had been shipwrecked in Sarawak's coastal waters before had been welcomed by him, who even sent them back to Singapore. James Brooke was interested in learning more about the rumored Borneo. In addition to George Bonham, the British Governor of Singapore requested that James send Pengiran Muda Hashim with a letter of appreciation and some gifts for his kind treatment of the seamen. James Brooke sailed his schooner "The Royalist" up the Sarawak River and moored off Kuching on 15 August 1839, and James was welcomed by him warmly.^[7]

Pengiran Muda Hashim's initial encounter was described by one author as follows: "His appearance was not imposing but his manners were a pattern of courtesy and he maintained a certain shabby dignity. He returned the Royalist's salute of 21 guns with a salute of 17 and received his visitor with some pomp in the palm-leaf shed which went by the name of audience hall". Overall, their interactions were cordial enough that Hashim did solicit his assistance in putting down the rebels, but James Brooke denied since he didn't want to become involved. He stayed just briefly before leaving.^[5]

Contract with James Brooke

After a year of island-hopping, James Brooke made the decision to head back to England. He believed he would return to Kuching first, though, before proceeding. He returned to Sarawak on 29 August 1840 and saw that the warfare had not stopped.^[8] He decided to help this time when Pengiran Muda Hashim requested.^[9] James was able to put an end to the Datu Patinggi Ali-led uprising with the help of his powerful cannons and skillful military strategies. As a return for his accomplishments, Hashim signed a contract on 24 September 1841, giving Brooke the position of Raj of Sarawak and land from the westernmost point of Sarawak, Tanjung Datu, to the Samarahan river.^[9] On 18 September 1842, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II made this appointment official. In exchange, Brooke agreed to keep Sarawak's traditions and religion intact, to give the Sultan an annual tribute of $2,500, and to refrain from separating Sarawak from Brunei without the Sultan's permission. The Sultan made a serious political error in appointing Brooke, but the Englishman had the support of the Royal Navy.^[5]

Assassination plot

James Brooke and Sir Edward Belcher, a British naval commander, followed Pengiran Muda Hashim when he traveled back to Brunei from Sarawak in 1844.^[10] He had fallen from grace at home while he was in Sarawak as a result of a palace coup in Brunei. In his absence, his rival Pengiran Muhammad Yusuf (Usop) has changed into Bendahara.^[11] During that visit, Hashim was re-installed as the new Bendahara by Brooke and the British Naval Forces. Additionally, he received official approval to succeed the current Sultan of Brunei. Pengiran Temenggong Pengiran Anak Hashim, the son of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II, was enraged by this, and he subsequently planned to assassinate Pengiran Muda Hashim.^[12]

Death

Pengiran Muda Hashim appeared to be the reliable person James Brooke needed in Brunei. The British also succeeded in convincing Brunei to agree to hand up Labuan to them as well as to demolish the protective forts on Pulau Cermin and along the Brunei River. The British fleet, led by Rear Admiral Thomas Cochrane, invaded Brunei town in 1846 after Pengiran Muda Hashim and his family had been killed by Pengiran Muhammad Yusuf's forces by the orders of the Sultan.^[11] Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II, was responsible for the assassination of Pengiran Muda Hashim, a close friend and ally of Brooke, in the early months of 1846. Brooke vowed to get even.^[13]

Personal life

Pengiran Muda Hashim had a child named, Pengiran Anak Chuchu Damit Muhammad Tajuddin.^[14]

Namesakes

• Jalan Muda Hashim, a road in Kuching.^[15]

References

1. Singh, D. S. Ranjit (26 November 2019). The Indonesia–Malaysia Dispute Concerning Sovereignty over Sipadan and Ligitan Islands: Historical Antecedents and the International Court of Justice Judgment. ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. p. 30. ISBN 978-981-4843-64-5.
2. Hussainmiya, Bachamiya Abdul (2006). Brunei: Revival of 1906 : a Popular History. Brunei Press. p. 6. ISBN 978-99917-32-15-2.
3. Chang, Pat Foh (1995). The Land of Freedom Fighters. Ministry of Social Development.
4. Chang, Pat Foh (1999). Legends & History of Sarawak. Chang Pat Foh. p. 30. ISBN 978-983-9475-06-7.
5. History, Borneo (29 December 2014). "Borneo History: Raja Muda Hashim". Borneo History. Retrieved 23 July 2023.
6. Gin, Ooi Keat (14 December 2015). Brunei – History, Islam, Society and Contemporary Issues. Routledge. ISBN 978-1-317-65997-6.
7. Singh, D. S. Ranjit (26 November 2019). The Indonesia-Malaysia Dispute Concerning Sovereignty over Sipadan and Ligitan Islands: Historical Antecedents and the International Court of Justice Judgment. ISEAS-Yusof Ishak Institute. p. 30. ISBN 978-981-4843-64-5.
8. Windt, Harry De (1 August 2022). On the Equator. DigiCat.
9. Prosiding Kolokium 35 Tahun Sarawak Bersama Malaysia Dan Esei Pilihan Yang Berlangsung Di Kota Samarahan, Sarawak 22 Ogos 1998. Fakulti Sains Sosial, Universiti Malaysia Sarawak. 1999. p. 27. ISBN 978-983-9151-06-0.
10. Vienne, Marie-Sybille de (9 March 2015). Brunei: From the Age of Commerce to the 21st Century. NUS Press. p. 79. ISBN 978-9971-69-818-8.
11. Sidhu, Jatswan S. (22 December 2009). Historical Dictionary of Brunei Darussalam. Scarecrow Press. p. 97. ISBN 978-0-8108-7078-9.
12. Brown, Donald Edward (1970). Brunei: The Structure and History of a Bornean Malay Sultanate. Brunei Museum. p. 54.
13. Hale, Christopher (21 March 2023). A Brief History of Singapore and Malaysia: Multiculturalism and Prosperity: The Shared History of Two Southeast Asian Tigers. Tuttle Publishing. ISBN 978-1-4629-2393-9.
14. Brunei, Muzium (1974). The Brunei Museum Journal. Brunei Museum. p. 159.
15. Sarawak (1963). The Sarawak Government Gazette. p. 151.