ITB Berlin News #3

CULTURE
The Antithesis
of British colonial rule
Sarawak Raj was a very “different” kind of
leadership
Sir James
Brooke
The White Rajahs ruled Sarawak from
1841 to 1946. The first ruler, subject of the
new Hollywood feature film, was Sir James
Brooke. As a reward for helping the Sultan
of Brunei fight piracy and insurgency
among the indigenous peoples, he was
granted the province of Sarawak in 1841,
as an independent Kingdom.
DELVING INTO HISTORY
AT FORT MARGHERITA
In Kuching, the very
prominent Fort Margherita
on the riverfront was built
by the second Rajah,
Charles Brooke. Designed
in the style of an English
castle in 1879, it protected
Kuching from pirate
attacks, and was named
after Charles Brookes’ wife
Margaret Alice Lili de Windt.
In 2016, having previously
housed the Police Museum,
it was transformed into
the “Brooke Gallery” –
showcasing the Brooke
dynasty
Brooke pursued a policy
of paternalism, with
the goal of protecting
the indigenous peoples
– the Iban and other
Dayak tribes – from
capitalist exploitation.
He installed laws banning
slavery, headhunting and
piracy.
After James Brooke laid
much of the groundwork
for the expansion of
Sarawak, his nephew
Charles, the second
Rajah, was the “great
builder”. He constructed
public buildings, such as
a hospital, in addition to
forts, as well as extending
the borders of the state.
Vyner Brooke, the son
of Charles, instituted
significant political
reforms. He ended
the absolute rule of
the Rajah in 1941,
before the Japanese
invasion during World War
II, by granting new powers
to the parliament.
The Brooke family still
maintains strong ties to
the state and its people
and are represented
by the Brooke Trust, and
by Anthony Brooke’s
grandson Jason Desmond
Anthony Brooke, at
many state functions
and supporting heritage
projects.
The Brookes’ architectural
legacy can still be seen
throughout Sarawak
Fort Margherita (centre),
with the State Assembly (right)
ANOTHER REMINDER
OF THE BROOKE LEGACY:
FORT ALICE, SRI AMAN
Fort Alice, built in 1864
in the coastal town of Sri
Aman, around 200km
north of Kuching, was given
the second name of the
Rajah’s wife. After years of
loving restoration, it
was opened to the
public in 2015, and
won the gold award
for conservation in
Malaysia’s Institute
of Architects’ 2017
Awards. The gallery
inside shows the
history of the fort itself, the
small town of Sri Aman as
well as the tense contention
between the Iban people
and the British soldiers of
the Brooke era
Fort Alice,
Sri Aman
www.sarawaktourism.com
SMART GUIDE 9