ITB Berlin News 2021 - Day 2 Edition
Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
CULTURE<br />
The Antithesis<br />
of British colonial rule<br />
Sarawak Raj was a very “different” kind of<br />
leadership<br />
Sir James<br />
Brooke<br />
The White Rajahs ruled Sarawak from<br />
1841 to 1946. The first ruler, subject of the<br />
new Hollywood feature film, was Sir James<br />
Brooke. As a reward for helping the Sultan<br />
of Brunei fight piracy and insurgency<br />
among the indigenous peoples, he was<br />
granted the province of Sarawak in 1841,<br />
as an independent Kingdom.<br />
DELVING INTO HISTORY<br />
AT FORT MARGHERITA<br />
In Kuching, the very<br />
prominent Fort Margherita<br />
on the riverfront was built<br />
by the second Rajah,<br />
Charles Brooke. Designed<br />
in the style of an English<br />
castle in 1879, it protected<br />
Kuching from pirate<br />
attacks, and was named<br />
after Charles Brookes’ wife<br />
Margaret Alice Lili de Windt.<br />
In 2016, having previously<br />
housed the Police Museum,<br />
it was transformed into<br />
the “Brooke Gallery” –<br />
showcasing the Brooke<br />
dynasty<br />
Brooke pursued a policy<br />
of paternalism, with<br />
the goal of protecting<br />
the indigenous peoples<br />
– the Iban and other<br />
<strong>Day</strong>ak tribes – from<br />
capitalist exploitation.<br />
He installed laws banning<br />
slavery, headhunting and<br />
piracy.<br />
After James Brooke laid<br />
much of the groundwork<br />
for the expansion of<br />
Sarawak, his nephew<br />
Charles, the second<br />
Rajah, was the “great<br />
builder”. He constructed<br />
public buildings, such as<br />
a hospital, in addition to<br />
forts, as well as extending<br />
the borders of the state.<br />
Vyner Brooke, the son<br />
of Charles, instituted<br />
significant political<br />
reforms. He ended<br />
the absolute rule of<br />
the Rajah in 1941,<br />
before the Japanese<br />
invasion during World War<br />
II, by granting new powers<br />
to the parliament.<br />
The Brooke family still<br />
maintains strong ties to<br />
the state and its people<br />
and are represented<br />
by the Brooke Trust, and<br />
by Anthony Brooke’s<br />
grandson Jason Desmond<br />
Anthony Brooke, at<br />
many state functions<br />
and supporting heritage<br />
projects.<br />
The Brookes’ architectural<br />
legacy can still be seen<br />
throughout Sarawak<br />
Fort Margherita (centre),<br />
with the State Assembly (right)<br />
ANOTHER REMINDER<br />
OF THE BROOKE LEGACY:<br />
FORT ALICE, SRI AMAN<br />
Fort Alice, built in 1864<br />
in the coastal town of Sri<br />
Aman, around 200km<br />
north of Kuching, was given<br />
the second name of the<br />
Rajah’s wife. After years of<br />
loving restoration, it<br />
was opened to the<br />
public in 2015, and<br />
won the gold award<br />
for conservation in<br />
Malaysia’s Institute<br />
of Architects’ 2017<br />
Awards. The gallery<br />
inside shows the<br />
history of the fort itself, the<br />
small town of Sri Aman as<br />
well as the tense contention<br />
between the Iban people<br />
and the British soldiers of<br />
the Brooke era<br />
Fort Alice,<br />
Sri Aman<br />
www.sarawaktourism.com<br />
SMART GUIDE 9