The history of Brunei concerns the settlements and societies located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, which has been under the influence of Indianised kingdoms and empires for much of its history. Local scholars assume that the Islamisation of Brunei started in the fifteenth century with the formation of the Bruneian Empire, a thalassocracy that covered the northern part of Borneo and Sulu. At the end of the 17th century, Brunei subsequently entered a period of decline brought on by the Brunei Civil War, piracy, and European colonial expansion. Later, there was a brief war with Spain, in which Brunei evacuated its capital for a brief period until the Spanish withdrew. The empire lost much of its territory with the arrival of the Western powers, such as the Spanish in Luzon and Visayas and the British in Labuan, Sarawak, and North Borneo. The decline of the Bruneian Empire accelerated in the nineteenth century when Brunei gave much of its territory to the White Rajahs of Sarawak, resulting in its current small landmass and separation into two parts. Sultan Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin later appealed to the British to stop further annexation in 1888. In the same year, the British signed a "Treaty of Protection" and made Brunei a British protectorate until 1984 when it gained independence and prospered due to the discovery of oil.
Omar Ali Saifuddien Sa'adul Khairi Waddien was the 28th Sultan of Brunei, reigning from 1950 until his abdication in 1967 to his oldest son, Hassanal Bolkiah.
Omar Ali Saifuddin I ibni Muhammad Alauddin, also known as Al-Marhum Makam Besar, was the 18th Sultan of Brunei and the second son of Sultan Muhammad Alauddin. He was regarded as one of the longest-serving sultans and was renowned for his wise leadership and just rule, merely following his father-in-law, Sultan Hussin Kamaluddin. In fact, he received helpful knowledge, counsel, and experience from his father-in-law when he was still alive during his reigning period.
Ahmad Tajuddin Akhazul Khairi Waddien was the 27th Sultan of Brunei from 1924 until his death in 1950. He was succeeded by his younger brother Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III.
Muhammad Jamalul Alam II was the 26th Sultan of Brunei from 1906 until his death in 1924. He was succeeded by his eldest son Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin.
Bendahara was an administrative position within classical Malay kingdoms comparable to a vizier before the intervention of European powers during the 19th century. A bendahara was appointed by a sultan and was a hereditary post. The bendahara and the sultan shared the same lineage.
Abdul Momin ibni Abdul Wahab was the 24th Sultan of Brunei from 1852 until his death in 1885.
Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin was the 25th Sultan of Brunei from 1885 to 1906. Pengiran Anak Hashim or Hashim Jalilul was a prominent and controversial figure in Bruneian history. Many Western visitors' narrative painted him and his surroundings in a bad light, which was consistent with the idea that Brunei was a decaying monarchy at the time.
The Raj of Sarawak, Kingdom of Sarawak or State of Sarawak, was a kingdom founded in 1841 in northwestern Borneo and was in a treaty of protection with the United Kingdom from 1888. It was formed from a series of land concessions acquired by the Englishman James Brooke from the Sultan of Brunei. Sarawak was recognised as a sovereign state by the United States in 1850, and by the United Kingdom in 1864. Since the formation of Malaysia on 16 September 1963, The Raj has been a constitutent state of Malaysia as the state of Sarawak.
Abdul Jalilul Akbar ibnu Muhammad Hasan, posthumously known as Marhum Tua, was the sultan of Brunei. His verified reign of 61 years, make the longest of any Bruneian sovereign.
The Royal Mausoleum in Batu Satu, Bandar Seri Begawan, is a significant historical and cultural landmark in Brunei. Located along the Brunei River, it lies beyond Kampong Ayer and on the route from Bandar Seri Begawan to the Istana Nurul Iman. This site serves as the final resting place for several Bruneian sultans and members of the royal family, with Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin I, who died in 1795, being the first monarch interred here.
Muhammad Alam ibnu Muhammad Kanzul Alam was the self-proclaimed 22nd Sultan of Brunei. Due to his tough and strict attitude, he was given the Malay nicknames Raja Api and Sultan Marak Berapi. Despite being perceived as a fragile and progressively protective kingdom, Brunei managed to hold onto its lands under his rule, which stretched from Tanjong Datu in Sarawak to Kimanis in Sabah.
Pengiran Anak Damit was the Queen of Brunei as the wife of the 28th Sultan of Brunei, Omar Ali Saifuddien III.
Pengiran Muda Hashim was a Bruneian nobleman and politician who held several significant positions, including membership in the Privy Council, Legislative Council, and the Brunei Islamic Religious Council. As a member of the Bruneian royal family, he was the husband to Pengiran Anak Puteri (Princess) Besar, the daughter of Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam II. He was named Wazir in 1952 and served on the executive committee for the coronation ceremony of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, acting as Sultan during the late Sultan's foreign tours.
Pengiran Mohammad Salleh ibnu Pengiran Sharifuddin (1790s–1858) or commonly referred to by his title Pengiran Indera Mahkota, was a Bruneian nobleman and politician who was governor of Sarawak in 1827. He founded the city of Kuching in 1827 in what is now Sarawak.
Pengiran Muda Hashim or sometimes referred to by Raja Muda Hashim, was a Bruneian prince who was the son of Sultan Muhammad Kanzul Alam, and uncle to Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II.
Datu Patinggi Abang Ali bin Abang Amir was a key figure in the Sarawak Malays' resistance to the Brunei Empire, which they waged throughout Pengiran Indera Mahkota and Raja Muda Hashim's reign in the 1830s. He became one of the first supporters of the Brooke Raj and was hailed as Sarawak's first national hero. He played an important role in the 1830s uprising against Bruneian authority. In an endeavor to oppose Brunei's attempts to subjugate Sarawak through local leaders, he was known to be a fearless and resolute leader. Brooke then took Ali as an aide-de-camp after the Sarawak dispute ended.
Muhammad Kanzul Alam ibni Omar Ali Saifuddin I was the sultan of Brunei from 1807 until his death in 1826.
Muhammad Tajuddin ibni Omar Ali Saifuddien I was the sultan of Brunei from 1778 to 1804 and again from 1804 to 1807. He succeeded his father, Omar Ali Saifuddin I, to the throne in 1778, and served until 1804 before abdicating in favor of his son, Muhammad Jamalul Alam I. However, after his son died later that year, Tajuddin regained the throne and served until his death in 1807.
