History: The Founding Of Brunei
Long ago in Garang, a place in the Temburong District, lived Awang Alak Betatar and his thirteen brothers. Awang Alak Betatar was chosen by his brothers as their leader because of his intelligence.

One day, Awang Alak Betatar called his brothers for a meeting. In the meeting they had, they decided to move to another place.A week later, Awang Alak Betatar's brothers, led by Pateh Berbai, began their search. They landed at a site called Butir on the Brunei River.Pateh Berbai and his brothers went back to tell Awang Alak Betatar the good news. A conference was then held and Awang Alak Betatar agreed to his brothers' suggestion.

Weeks later, Awang Alak Betatar and his brothers sailed together with their followers to establish the new settlement which was to become Brunei Town. When they arrived, they began clearing the bushes and cleaning the area.Each of Awang Alak Betatar's brothers set up his own house. Soon, more and more people came to settle there and Awang Alak Betatar became the first ruler of Brunei.

Sultan Sharif Ali

Sultan Sharif Ali (also known as Barkat ALi Ibnu Sharif Ajlan ibni Sharif Rumaithah) was the third sultan of Brunei. He was made Sultan after Sultan Ahmad died without leaving any male descendants, and as such, at the request of the people of Brunei themselves, he became eligible for the throne marrying Sultan Ahmad's daughter, Putri Ratna Kesuma.

Sharif Ali was a very pious ruler and was therefore nicknamed "Sultan Berkat" (Blessed Sultan). He was the first sultan to build mosque, and fortified the defense of Brunei by odering his people to build a stone fortress. Sharf Ali governed Brunei according to Islamic principles and his reign was popular and highly respected. After his death, Sharif Ali was succeeded by his son Sulaiman.

The royal symbol origin came from the world largest seed called "Coco de mer"

Sultan Sharif Ali was the direct-descendant of Muhammad, through his grandchild, Saidina Hassan r.a.
Sultan Sharif Ali was the ancestor of the Brunei & Sulu royal families.

~END~

Civil War Wrecks Chaos In The Country

Rozan YunosBANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, August 24, 2008

ONE of the interesting islands in Brunei Bay is a small island called Pulau Cermin (cermin means mirror in Malay). Pulau Cermin as many Brunei historians know, is the site of the temporary palace of Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin, the 13th Sultan of Brunei and is the site of the only civil war in Brunei History.Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin stayed there for a while, retreating from Brunei's capital in Kampong Ayer. Another Sultan, Sultan Muhyiddin, took up the throne in Brunei's capital while Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mumin stayed at Pulau Cermin. It was the only time that Brunei had two Sultans.How did the civil war come about? The civil war between the two Sultans was described vividly in a Brunei Malay novel entitled Mahkota Berdarah (The Bloodied Crown). It was in fact quite a bloody time in Brunei history.Yura Halim wrote the book in the mid-1960s and the book was quite popular during its hey days and is considered a classic today.The bloody episode was sparked off by a cock fight between the son of the Sultan, Pengiran Muda Alam, and the son of the Bendahara. The Bendahara was Abdul Hakkul Mubin.The Bendahara, in the old days, is always the Sultan's right hand man. He can be considered as the Deputy Sultan or in these days, the equivalent of the Prime Minister.For Brunei, the Bendahara was the most senior of all the viziers (wazir) until the appointment of the Perdana Wazir in 1970.During the cockfight, the cock belonging to the son of the Bendahara Abdul Hakkul Mubin won. It defeated the cock belonging to the son of the Sultan, Pengiran Muda Alam. Pengiran Muda Alam was so enraged by the loss that he took out his keris and plunged it into the chest of the son of the Bendahara. The son of the Bendahara died from the fatal stabbing.Bendahara Abdul Hakkul Mubin was said to have loved that son so much that he too was enraged when he was informed of his son's death. He marched to the palace to confront the Sultan. The Sultan at that time was Sultan Muhammad Ali. The Bendahara asked for his son's death to be avenged.According to some, he was denied by Sultan Muhammad Ali. Though in the book, Mahkota Berdarah, the Sultan allowed him to enter into the palace to search for Pengiran Muda Alam. By the time he went in, Pengiran Muda Alam had escaped from the palace.The Bendahara was so enraged when he could not find Pengiran Muda Alam. He lost his temper and went amok and started killing people inside the palace including the Sultan's family. The Sultan who waited in the hall was shocked to see the Bendahara on a killing spree. He tried to stop the Bendahara but the Bendahara will no longer listen to reason.The Bendahara and his men took the Sultan and killed him by garroting him to death. His body was left lying on the grass lawn and up to now he is known as 'Marhum Tumbang Dirumput'. This death was to have taken place in November 1661. The Bendahara took the throne for himself. He crowned himself the Sultan of Brunei as Sultan Hakkul Abdul Mubin, Brunei's 13th Sultan.As Sultan, Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin tried to foster peace between him and the followers of Sultan Muhammad Ali by installing the latter's grandson, Pengiran Muhyiddin, as the new Bendahara.At first there was peace in the country. But underneath the peace, there was still simmering hatred for Sultan Hakul Abdul Mubin. Many of Sultan Muhammad Ali's followers implored to Bendahara Muhyidin to rebel against Sultan Hakkul Abdul Mubin.