The Military of the Bruneian Sultanate () was the land force of the Bruneian Sultanate from 1368 to 1906.History Page 1 Royal Brunei Land Force
History
Early history (1363–1408) The first battle between Brunei and foreign armies was the Sarawakian Igan Valley. The Igan River flowed through this valley and was located in the traditional lands of the Melanau-speaking people. There are two accounts of the fight: the first, more legendary, tells of a nine-month struggle between three Brunei heroes and Bilanapura, a genie that Jerambak finally defeated using a miraculous fish skin he stole from an ogre. According to the second, Awang Jerambak's Brunei men came up against Basiung and his nine thousand-strong allied armies from Sambas, Matu, Sadung, and Sarikei. The Brunei army, aided by the Iban, overpowered Basiung's warriors despite their superior numbers; as a result, Igan was destroyed and war spoils were taken. Following this, Jerambak made Igan accept Awang Alak Betatar's dominance.
The Bruneian soldiers persisted in their conquests, subduing Igan's allies, such as Sarikei, Rajang, Sadung, Sarawak, Tanjung Datu, and Lingga, and stealing and capturing the traditionally Melanau regions of Oya, Matu, and Mukah. They penetrated all the way to Sambas, where they took control of Pontianak, Sanggau, and Sambas itself. They also expanded their dominion over Borneo to the south and southwest. They overcame Banjar (now Banjarmasin) on the east coast and took over parts of northern Borneo, albeit the latter took longer because of the dispersed towns. Awang Alak Betatar expanded the newly established Brunei territory by advancing his frontiers from the Tutong River to the Rejang river delta.
According to Chinese historical accounts, including "Nan Hai Zhi, Volume 7," Brunei ruled over nine regions in the 13th and 14th centuries, which is consistent with the . It describes how Awang Alak Betatar expanded his domain to include Sungai Igan and then took five more provinces from Johor on Borneo's west coast: Sarawak, Samarahan, Sadong, Mukah, and Kalaka. With the acquisition, Brunei's colonial territories became a total of fourteen, in line with reports that date back to the 10th century. Due to the influence of the Srivijaya, these provinces had slipped out of Brunei's authority, but in the middle of the 14th century, Awang Alak Betatar regained them, solidifying Brunei's historical geographical reach.
Brunei was still ruled by the Javanese, but according to "Ming Tai Zu Shi Lu, Volume 67," it confirmed its authority over 14 states. This figure is consistent with Brunei's oral traditions and corresponds with the country's 10th century geographical dominance, as documented in "Zhu Fan Zhi" (977). The myth, passed down orally, tells of a prince who, while searching for a missing spear, got married in each of the fourteen states he went to, bearing sons who were subsequently made rulers of these communities. The Chinese accounts verify Brunei's historical authority over fourteen territories, even with their mythological components.
Golden age of Brunei (1408–1770)
In 1408, Brunei de jure broke away from the empire of Majapahit under the reign of Sultan Sulaiman, the father of Bolkiah, who would start Brunei's golden age or "Pax Bruneiana".
After his father's abdication, Bolkiah succeeded him, during his early reign in the 15th century, a junk ship, which sailed from the Ming dynasty, was shipwrecked on Bruneian shores, the ship itself contained hand cannons.
In 1521, Antonio Pigafetta recorded that Brunei's navy had a fleet of more than one hundred boats, and which were involved in an attack on a faction in the south which alludes to modern day Indonesia, Kalimantan.
In 1578, the Spanish invaded Brunei in the Castilian War, for their proselytization of Islam in the Philippines, attacking the capital of Brunei at the time, Kota Batu, after the Spanish captured it in the aftermath of the battle of Kota Batu, Saiful Rijal moved Brunei's capital to Saragua, temporarily, later they regained their strength after the Spanish force occupying the capital greatly weakened by an outbreak of cholera and dysentery.
During Muhammad Hasan's reign, Muhammad Hasan commanded the attack on the Melanau in Sarawak, to be carried out by Pehin Orang Kaya Di-Gadong Seri Lela. After the Bruneian troops put an end to the uprising, the Melanau returned to Brunei and submitted.
It has been suggested that the insurrection of the Lun Bawangs and Chinese had led to the Sultan of Brunei requesting assistance from the Sulu to suppress the rebellion in 1658, which resulted in the Brunei Sultan ceding his territory of Kimanis until Tapean Durian to the Sultan of Sulu as a sign of gratitude. However it was likely taken back after the Apostate War.
In 1660, the Bruneian Civil War would start and split into two forces: Abdul Hakkul Mubin and Muhyiddin. During the course of the war, Muhyiddin was concerned that the civil war was dragging on for too long and asked the help of the Sultan of Sulu to send for his forces. He reportedly promised the land of eastern Sabah as a reward for the latter's assistance. During the civil war, Abdul Hakkul Mubin fled to Kinarut (in present-day Papar, Sabah, Malaysia) where, he stayed there for ten years, repelling repeated attacks by Sultan Muhyiddin. They returned to Brunei after a final attack by Muhyiddin's forces in which they failed to defeat Abdul Hakkul Mubin. Eventually, Muhyiddin finally defeated Abdul Hakkul Mubin in Cermin Island, after the purchasing of gunpowder, which came from Jambi.
The Sulu army was supposed to help Muhyiddin forces in Cermin Island, but when they arrived the Sulu army in their ships arrived just to watch Muhyiddin forces fight Abdul Hakkul Mubin forces instead of helping the Muhyiddin forces, they landed after the battle to take war booty and to enslaved prisoners. This would infuriated Muhyiddin, who ordered the Sulu army to leave without giving eastern Sabah to them. Brunei denied giving eastern Sabah to the Sulu Sultanate claiming there was no written evidence of the transfer, the civil war ended in 1673.
Struggle for Survival (1770–1870) Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin learned about the situation in Manila of the Philippines, due to it being Bruneian territory, he was not pleased. As a result, he gave command to attack Sultan Alimuddin in Manila with his forces under the command of Pehin Orang Kaya Di-Gadong Seri Lela Awang Aliwaddin in 1769. The mission didn't arrive in Manila until 1769 because the expedition's preparations took so long. Sultan Alimuddin had already departed Manila for Sulu, therefore Manila was under Spanish rule when the siege began. The siege would go on to be a success as Manila was captured by the Brunei sultanate.
The conflict over North Borneo, also known as Sabah, began after which a promise made by Sultan Muhyiddin to the Sultan of Sulu after Sulu helped him win the civil war that went in his favor. Sulu attacked Brunei in 1771 after he had become severely weakened. Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin signed a deal with the British Empire in June 1774 to secure outside support. The British were looking for a storehouse along the way to Canton and received exclusive rights to the pepper trade in exchange for their military assistance. When Sulu despatch a force under the command of Datu Teting to attack Balambangan in 1775, its leaders sought safety in Labuan after the British quickly established a presence in Brunei. When the two forces clashed, Datu Teting surrendered and his troops fled back to Sulu after learning that the warriors of Brunei, led by Pengiran Temenggong Ampa, were far too strong for them to defeat. Thomas Forrest visited Brunei in February 1776. Despite Labuan's offer, the British left Brunei in 1777 due to the financial collapse of Balambangan, losing the entire East India Company.
In 1788, a Sulu army attacked Kampong Sembulan as an attempt to invade Brunei. They were defeated by Embo Amir who later became the caretaker of Kampong Sembulan.In 1826, the Bruneian Civil War would start all over again into two forces: Omar Ali Saifuddin II and Muhammad Alam. With Omar setting his capital in Kampong Burong Pingai and Muhammad Alam setting his at Chermin Island. The civil war would end in 1828 when Muhammad Alam was assassinated by assassins sent by Raja Isteri Nooralam, the mother of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien II and the half-sister of Muhammad Alam.
In 1828, around the Brunei Bay and its surrounding area, the Bruneian navy and local flotillas attempted to intercept a major slave raiding party mostly succeeded as the Iranun fled to not risk high casualties.
The power of the army was weakening due to many factors such as Moro pirates constantly raiding the Bornean coast and the Sea Dayak raids on the river made it difficult for Brunei to properly centralise the empire.
The army was heavily weakened due to pirates, rebellion and constant infighting between Bruneian nobles and culminating in the upcoming uprising in Sarawak.Keppel, Henry (1846). The Expedition to Borneo of H.M.S. Dido Worsening this was the Sultan making a great political error in appointing Brooke as Rajah of Sarawak in 1841.
At first James stayed loyal to the agreement, he fought piratesBaring-Gould & Bampfylde, p. 103 and stabilised Sarawak however Brooke declared independence from Brunei in 1843, starting the Anglo-Bruneian War which was a British tactical victory however the Sultan succeeded in the long run as he eliminated dangerous political figures such as Pengiran Muda Hashim, Badruddin and Datu Patinggi Ali whose deaths made their power decline.
Fall (1870–1906)
In 1884, the tulin region of Limbang rebelled against Pengiran Temenggong Hashim.Ruciman, Steven (2009), The White Rajah: A History of Sarawak from 1841 to 1946 The rebellion was the response of decades of Bruneian oppression, which started when the government imposed heavy taxes to the indigenous residents of Limbang in the 1850s, starting a series of revolts between the 1850s to 1860s.Veronica Chang-Schmid
The 1884 rebellion start when the Bisaya and Muruts refused to pay the high taxes collected by agents of Pengiran Temenggung Hashim.Ismail (2006), Kertas Kerja: Perjanjian 1888: Suatu Harapan dan Kekecewaan. The first violence occurred when the residents killed two of the Sultan's tax agents in the Limbang district.
In retaliation, on 3 September 1884, the Bruneian army led by Hashim and Laksamana Tarip to battle the rebels, however the battle ended in a retreating defeat for Brunei, forcing them to flee, the rebels, chasing them out of Limbang.With attacks on villages near the capital, Brunei Town. In October 1884, the nation was placed under high alert. Even Sultan Abdul Momin himself borrowed firearms from Labuan to strengthen his palace's security.
However, William Hood Treacher eventually helped to make a treaty between Brunei and the Limbang rebels, albeit with ulterior motives on behalf of the British North Borneo Company to prevent Charles from taking Limbang from them.
The shrinking territories led to Abdul Momin, realising his nation would become extinct if they kept ceding territories, declared the "Amanat" which was an oath between the Sultan, Wazirs, Manteris, and holders of Tulin rights not to cede or lease any remaining territories to the foreign powers and which was signed on 20 February 1885. However this oath was immediately broken by Pengiran Temenggong Hashim when he carelessly ceded Terusan and Limbang.
In 1888, another war started in Padas Damit between the said British North Borneo Company and Pengiran Shabandhar Bessar Mohd Salleh Panglima Hassan alongside other rebels such as Dang Insum and et cetera.