The Anglo-Bruneian War was a year long war fought between the United Kingdom against the Bruneian Empire and the Kingdom of Marudu It exposed Brunei's weakness and would eventually cause the fall of the Bruneian Sultanate.
Prelude
In July 1774, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien I had promised to the island of Labuan to Great Britain in exchange for protection against the Pirates. However, the offer came to nothing[2] instead Brunei fighting the Sulu Sultanate to weaken it via the Twenty Years' War.
The expansion of other western powers in the region caused Britain to realise the need for a permanent harbour in northwestern Borneo to prevent further foreign interference. The British worried that the Sultan might seek the assistance of other foreign powers who at that time were active in Southeast Asia, such as the Americans. Nevertheless, Labuan was considered a safe shelter and strategically situated to protect British interests in the region especially the China trade route. With the assistance of James Brooke, Britain now sought to take over Labuan.
War
in August 1845, Rear-Admiral Thomas Cochrane who previously arrived at Brunei in July, reappeared with a squadron of from six to eight ships to release two Lascar seamen who were believed to be hidden there.[3][4] Badruddin accused Yusof of being involved in the slave trade due to his close relations with a notable pirate leader Sharif Usman in Marudu Bay and the Sultanate of Sulu.[3] Denying the allegation, Yusof refused to attend a meeting with Cochrane, and escaped after being threatened with force by Cochrane before regaining his own force in Brunei's capital. Cochrane then sailed away to Marudu Bay in pursuit of Usman, while Yusof was defeated by Badruddin.[3][4] Hashim managed to establish a rightful position in Brunei Town to become the next sultan after successfully defeating the pirates led by Yusof who fled to Kimanis in northern Borneo, where he was executed.[5][6] Yusof was the favourite noble to the Sultan and with Hashim's victory, this upset the chances of the son of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II becoming the next leader.[6][7] Mahkota, after his capture in Sarawak in 1844 became the Sultan's adviser in Yusof's absence. He prevailed on the Sultan to order the execution of Hashim,[4] whose presence had become unwelcome to the royal family, especially due to his close ties with Brooke that were favourable to English policy.[8] Beside that, an adventurer named Haji Saman, who was connected to Yusof, played upon the Sultan's fear of Hashim taking his throne.[9]
Steamer Phlegethon and the boats of Thomas Cochrane repelling an attack from the forts of Borneo Proper on 8 July 1846
By the order of the Sultan, Hashim and his brother Badruddin together with their family were assassinated in 1846.[4][8][10] One of Badruddin's slaves, Japar, survived the attack and intercepted HMSHazard, which brought him to Sarawak to inform Brooke. Enraged by the news, Brooke organised an expedition to avenge Hashim's death with the aid of Cochrane from the Royal Navy with Phlegethon.[9] On 6 July 1846, Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II complained through a letter about the discourtesy of HMS Hazard and invited Cochrane to ascend the capital of Brunei with two boats.
HEICS Phlegethon, HMS Spiteful and HMS Royalist attack and capture Brunei 8 July 1846
HEICS Phlegethon, HMS Spiteful and HMSRoyalist then moved up to the river on 8 July where they were fired on from every position with slight damage.[9]Mahkota and the Sultan retreated upriver while most of the population fled upon their arrival at Brunei's capital, leaving the brother of the Sultan's son, Pengiran Muhammad, who was badly wounded and Pengiran Mumin, an opponent of the Sultan's son who despised the decision of his royal family to be involved in conflict with the British.[4][9] The British destroyed the town forts and invited the population to return with no harm to be done to them while the Sultan remained hiding in the jungle. Another expedition was sent to the interior but failed to find the Sultan. Brooke remained in Brunei with Captain Rodney Mundy and HMSIris along with the Phlegethon and HMS Hazard while the main expedition continued their mission to suppress piracy in northern Borneo.[9]
Boats of HMS Iris and HEICS Phlegethon and natives from Kimanis, Papar and Kallas attack Haji Saman's house and battery - 16 August 1846
Upon finding that Haji Saman was living in Membakut and that he was involved in the plotting that caused Hashim's death, HEICS Phlegethon and HMS Iris departed there destroyed Haji Saman's house and captured the town of Membakut although Saman managed to escape.[9] Brooke returned again to Brunei and finally managed to induce the Sultan to return to the capital where the Sultan wrote a letter of apology to Queen Victoria for the killings of Hashim, his brother and their family.[11] Through his confession, the Sultan recognised Brooke's authority over Sarawak and mining rights throughout the territory without requiring him to pay any tribute as well granting the island of Labuan to the British.[11] Brooke departed Brunei and left Mumin in charge together with Mundy to keep the Sultan in line until the British government made a final decision to acquire the island. Following the ratification agreement of the transfer of Labuan to the British, the Sultan also agreed to allow British forces to suppress all piracy along the coast of Borneo.[11]
The loss of Labuan was a big blow to Brunei, as Labuan was considered as its only gateway through the sea to the outside world. It was after the loss of Labuan that Brunei began to lose most of its territories, mainly to the Brooke Regime in Sarawak and British North Borneo Chartered Company in North Borneo. However thanks to the assassination of Muda Hashim by Pengiran Muhammad Yusof, it sabotaged any chances of the United Kingdom and James Brooke of putting a Pro-British sultan in the Bruneian throne as the Muda Hashim line was destroyed by the last ruling sultan, Sultan Hashim Jalilul.
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James Brooke 
Pengiran Muda Hashim † 
Captain Mundy 
Syarif Osman (WIA)
