Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin (1825 – 10 May 1906) was the 25th Sultan of Brunei from 1885 until his death in 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 way, which was indeed consistent with the idea that Brunei was a decaying monarchy at the time.
Sultan Hashim requested British help in the late 19th century to stop Rajah Charles Brooke's territorial expansions, which resulted in the 1888 Protectorate Agreement. Aware of Brunei's request for assistance from the Ottoman Empire, the British sent Malcolm McArthur to handle matters related to governance, which resulted in the 1905–1906 Supplementary Agreement. This arrangement put Brunei's government under British control by allowing a British resident to advise the Sultan on most issues, with the exception of those pertaining to Islam and Malay customs.
Early life He was born in 1825 to Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II, not to a royal consort spouse, YM Puan Zaidah.
Betrayal of Pengiran Muda Hashim
Pengiran Muda Hashim, who was the uncle of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II through his mother Raja Isteri Noralam, engaged in a power struggle with Pengiran Anak Hashim and his faction over the Wazir title of Pengiran Bendahara, necessary for ascending to the Brunei throne. Initially aligning with James Brooke, Pengiran Muda Hashim later sought Brooke's support to bolster his claim to the Brunei throne, further escalating tensions upon his return to Brunei and sparking conspiracies against Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II. By siding with Brooke, Pengiran Muda Hashim and his brothers inadvertently facilitated Brooke's access to Brunei's wealth, underestimating the complexities of Brunei's dynastic politics. These tensions within the royal family dated back to 1824, when Pengiran Muda Hashim's brother, Sultan Muhammad Alam, was assassinated. Despite the legitimacy of Pengiran Muda Hashim's claim, Brooke's involvement exacerbated the situation for his faction.
Pengiran Anak Hashim's actions in the events of 1845–1846, including the execution of Pengiran Muda Hashim and his family, led to lasting animosity within Brunei's royal circles. Despite the controversy, Pengiran Anak Hashim faced severe criticism from the British, particularly from Admiral Thomas Cochrane, who disparaged him as having a "worthless character" and linked him to piracy. This condemnation prompted direct British intervention in Brunei in 1846. However, Pengiran Anak Hashim also had supporters among British officials like Sir Spenser St. John, who viewed him as a capable and intelligent leader despite his contentious actions.
Rise to power and annexations With Sir James Brooke's backing, Pengiran Anak Hashim's rise to prominence as Pengiran Temenggong in 1855 signalled a major rise of his authority inside the Brunei court. In an effort to repair relations with former opponents, he set up a calculated marital alliance by having his daughter wed Pengiran Anak Besar, the son of Pengiran Tajuddin, who had been killed in the massacre of 1845–1846, in 1846. The foundation for his future claim to the throne following Sultan Abdul Momin's rule was laid by this marriage, which enhanced his political status and maintained a balance of power within Brunei's royal hierarchy.
Charles Lee Moses became the first American consul general in Brunei in 1864. Moses's assurances of economic advantages and American protection won Sultan Abdul Momin over, and he consented to have a consulate built for him. Moses was able to persuade the Sultan to grant a ten-year lease to practically all of North Borneo, including its twenty-one districts and territories, in exchange for $4,500 a year in payments to the Sultan, plus an additional $4,000 from Pengiran Temenggong Pengiran Anak Hashim.
In response to Brooke's attempts to conquer Brunei holdings, the British government backed the British North Borneo Company (BNBC) in its efforts to take further territory from Brunei. Peter Leys, the British Consul General, put diplomatic demands on Sultan Abdul Momin in 1882 to give Sarawak ownership of Baram. Conceding that more fight would be ineffective, the Sultan gave up, causing Brunei to lose Suai, Niah, Sibuti, and Bakong in exchange for a yearly salary of $3,000 and cession payments of $2,000 to Pengiran Temenggong Anak Hashim and two other Pengirans.
The BNBC was actively pursuing new regions not included in the original lease, putting Brunei in danger of going extinct. Pengiran Temenggong Anak Hashim rashly gave Sarawak Trusan and Limbang without the Sultan's consent in 1884, when the company leased the Padas area for $3,000 a year. This made the leases worthless officially. The Sultan realised that immediate action was required to protect Brunei since he was extremely concerned about its existence.
To stop Brunei's land from becoming further alienated, Sultan Abdul Momin called a gathering of his leaders in 1885. Aware of his advanced age and abiding by his religious obligation, he gave the chiefs his parting counsel (nasihat) and required them to swear an oath (Amanat or Umanat) to keep no more Brunei regions from coming under foreign control.
Reign Accession After 33 years as Brunei's ruler, Abdul Momin died on 15 September 1885. On the following evening, his brother-in-law, Pengiran Temenggong Pengiran Anak Hashim, was sworn in as Sultan Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin during his funeral. Abdul Momin's coffin was taken from the palace to the Lapau, a ceremonial hall, and set in front of the throne. Pengiran Bendahara invited Pengiran Temenggong to stand next to his father's body, and the accession ceremony got underway right away. He was given the royal dagger, Keris Si Naga, and a seven-time tribute rite was conducted as the nobat was played. Subsequently, the Pengiran Bendahara declared Hashim as the new sultan.
The Nobat Ibrahim was performed during the procession that took Abdul Momin's casket to the royal cemetery for burial after his ascension. Various dignitaries attended religious readings and recitations at the palace in the days after the latter's passing. Hashim was installed before to the burial, and the rites followed customary procedures as described in ancient documents. Following 40 days of mourning, the celebrations concluded with a feast, when Hashim received further regalia to better cement his status as the new sultan. The entire procedure followed accepted practices, demonstrating the importance of the enthronement and funeral ceremonies in Brunei's royal customs.
Coronation According to the Kitab Risalat Al-Marhum Fi-Adati L-Marhum, the ceremonial customs set up during the previous coronation of Sultan Muhammad Hasan were carefully adhered to during the coronation of Sultan Hashim. He sat on the tanglung on the pataratna (the throne), at the Lapau, where the ceremony was held. With him wearing a crown and accompanied by dignitaries such as the Pehin Orang Kaya Di-Gadong, Pengiran Bendahara, and Pengiran Pemancha, the ceremony got underway. The awarding of several traditional titles to ministers was a noteworthy feature of the coronation, particularly the resuscitation of the Pengiran Pemancha Sahibul Rae Wal-Mashuarah, which highlighted the Wazir's significance in the court. He received seven acts of tribute (sembah) at the ritual, expressing allegiance to and reverence for the monarch.
The coronation's framework was identical to that of Muhammad Hasan's, including similar customs like the nobat's ceremonial music and the drawing of swords (menghunus). Pehin Orang Kaya Di-Gadong symbolised the solemnity and severity of the ceremony by stomping his foot on the Lapau's floor during the tribute. All things considered, the coronation demonstrated the continuity and importance of Brunei's traditions, not only commemorating Hashim's succession but also reaffirming the country's rich cultural legacy and ceremonial customs.
Limbang dispute Upon his ascension to the throne, he decided not to appoint a replacement for his previous position in office of Pengiran Temenggong which left three other Wazirs, thus improving his income and finances. The Amanat was of great assistance to Sultan Hashim Jalilul Alam, who, in spite of his prior violations, took action to protect Brunei's surviving areas upon his coronation in 1885. To maintain the state against formidable foreign and internal obstacles, he used Brunei's age-old tactic of pushing opponents on one another.
He faced a challenge from the British North Borneo Company (BNBC) and the Brooke government (White Rajahs) in Sarawak who wanted more land from Brunei and it was not strong enough to stop the land grabs. In the hopes of improving the relations between the Sultan and the White Rajahs to settle the conflict in Limbang, he leased the settlement of Punang Terusan to Sarawak in 1885. Unfortunately in November of that same year, tensions would rise again in Limbang after the murders of multiple Bruneian Malays. The two alleged culprits were offered to be handed over to the Sultan but later declined as they were not the guilty parties. Due to his decision, the people of Limbang protested and refused to pay their taxes in which was taken advantage of by both the British Consul General Peter Leys and Rajah Charles Brooke. The Sultan eventually agreed to lease Limbang for 6,000 Sarawak dollars per year.
The British government agreed to the White Rajahs' persuasive thesis in that same year, thus Limbang came into Sarawak's rule after arguing that the Sultan no longer has the ability to govern the colony. In November 1886, Wazirs and people of Brunei Town demanded that Limbang to be returned to Brunei with the slogan of "Brunei is the spirit of Limbang and Limbang is the (physical) body of Brunei". The demand was motivated by Abdul Momin's Amanat. In 1887, he wrote to the British Crown with the intention of requesting a British Resident to be put in place. That same year, Padas-Damit was also among the areas annexed. Sultan Hashim made a minor change in Brunei's coinage with the introduction of the copper one cent in 1887.
Protectorate Agreement of 1888
Britain's worries about the German Empire and the United States, among other Western countries, remained three decades later. In an effort to establish a more stable sphere of influence, Britain looked for further protections encompassing North Borneo, Sarawak, and Brunei. In 1887, Sultan Hashim was given assurances of security by Lord Salisbury. As a result, on 17 September 1888, Brunei, Sarawak, and North Borneo signed a Protectorate Agreement with the British government, which marked yet another important turning point in Brunei's history.
Sultan Hashim signed the Treaty of Protection with Sir Hugh Low of Great Britain to prevent further loss of Bruneian territories. The treaty handed the country's foreign affairs over to Great Britain. The agreement prevented Brunei from engaging in direct negotiations with Sarawak and North Borneo, which were once dependent countries but now needed to be mediated via Brunei government. Second, the British government was to make the ultimate decisions to settle any disagreements.
Just two years after the Agreement was made, in March 1890, Brooke seized Limbang, which turned this arrangement into a significant defeat for Brunei. The British Foreign Office (FO) approved the annexation despite Brunei's protests and its geographical and economic concerns, creating a pattern that was hard to reverse. Brunei's sovereignty was seriously undermined and essentially divided the country into two separate enclaves.