Fascinating tale, having worked in Muslim Brunei for 3 1/2 years we would drive to Sarawak once a month where we could replenish our stocks of booze. We were allowed to import a set amount at no cost to tide us over until the next trip. I knew of some of the history but this is the first time that I have seen it so clearly and simply laid out. As always, very many thanks.
My Father served in Borneo during the 60's against the Indonesians and I served in Brunei during the 80's. The locals were great (but knowing that a throat tattoo meant they had taken someone else's head used to be a bit of a worry) I still use Iban words like Ulu even today.
In the television adaptation of the novel "The Tigers of Mompracem" by the Italian writer Emilio Salgari (1900), the sworn enemy of the protagonist, Sandokan, a dethroned prince of Borneo, is none other than James Brooke, the white rajah of Sarawak. All Italians of my generation (I'm 55) remember his name!
Chris, this was a fascinating story I will say you were right , it had all the elements of a Great British story like something Dickens would have composed. I really appreciated the work you did on it. It seems like the British have their hands in just about everything everywhere. I can just imagine this tale being one of those novels you would pick up in a Five and Dime Store back in the day. Well done, amigo y mil gracias. 👏
Fascinating story, yet another case of the British ridding the world of pirates & slavers, bringing civilisation & the rule of law to the native people of the far East. As I understand it these countries are now very successful & all because of the foundations of people like Brooke. Okay it obviously wasn't entirely selfless, altruism only go's so far, none the less as things turned out yet another hurrah for British courage & adventure. Great stuff very well presented as usual!
Even as an American, I know and appreciate everything that the British did. Yes, they had their not so proud moments, but that's how it is with every country on the planet. You Brits did great!
Great video. I hope you will be doing a series on British Malaya history soon on subjects like the Perak War, Pangkor Treaty, Selangor Civil War, Stamford Raffles and so many other intriguing history of the region.
Was the butter on the bread of my day Chris! Love the novel The White Raja and Flashman too, of course. Very nice one, but never saw anything bad on the channel. Thank you, much obliged. Ludwig
Not having a British public school education, i had to learn of Brooke through Flashman"s Lady. In fact, Fraser's series kindled my love for history. Now I'm retired and i devour all things history. Subscribed, 🙏 thank you!
You continue to astound with your excellent videos and tales, Chris. Stories and events completely new to me and each one more spell-binding than the last. Great stuff.
Great story. I knew of Brooke and Keppler from Flashman's Lady and found them very interesting. Will you ever do a story on Lola Montez? I know it's not military history, but she was mainly responcible for bringing down Ludwig II of Bavaria.
loved flashmans lady! brooke fraser says suffered a wound that destroyed his genitals! or as flashman delicately put it ....brooke shouted attack men think of your wives and children! a bit rich coming from our knackerless captain!
Sarawak is an exception in the history of British colonialisation in that the current local view of Brooke as Rajah remains very positive. I was impressed when I visited at the high regard in which his memory was held as an enlightened and just ruler. This may have much to do with Brooke's approach in that he took very egalitarian approach during his tenure, being available to meet anyone, regardless of social status or ethnicity, to hear grievances or requests for help. His rule was very different to that of most British colonial rulers. It needs to be remembered that while Sarawak is seen as a single entity, more than 40 ethnic groups are resident, so in the 19th century, the idea that everyone should live as one sultanate, province etc was by no means universal. It is worth noting that while Sarawak has been part of Malaysia for decades, it, along with Sabah further east, has special status in terms of autonomy. In 2024 the degree of autonomy is likely to increase significantly as both states have strong indigenous movements for self rule. Even 5 years ago, flying into Kuching from KL, on what you would think was a domestic flight, every passenger was required to go through immigration control just you would at the end of an international flight. A fascinating place with a unique history.
Perfect video, going to Kuching, Sarawak in December to pick up our visa to retire there. I guess in the future, they'll be a part of a foreign field that will always be England.
@@TheHistoryChap Thank you! There's certainly a great deal of history there plus a lot of British mixed with Sarawak/Dayak culture. English is spoken well by local people.
And he had a butterfly named after him!! Trogonoptera brookiana, Rajah Brooke's birdwing, is a birdwing butterfly from the rainforests of the Thai-Malay Peninsula. The butterfly was named by the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1855, after James Brooke, the Rajah of Sarawak
Always remember being on a ship in the China Sea. It is nototorius for pirate attacks on cargo ships and tankers. Crews not left alive or hostages. Moving through one of the Straits we saw lots of wreckage and bodies - being torn apart by sharksl. The pirates in multiple boats had attacked a cargo ship. Unfortunately for them, in the dark they didn't realise that it was a Russian Navy cargo ship. Heavily armed. The took no prisoners
Good old Gladstone... Keppel also played a prominent role in the River War, I think. I'm too lazy to go look it up. Care to speculate on the rumors surrounding the nature of Brookes' injury?
I first read about the white Rajah maybe 60 years ago, when the story featured in the Daily Mail Book for Boys in the early 1960s. Can't remember which year, but they are all still up in the loft! And of course Flashman. He got around a bit, didn't he?
I saw a much more in depth story about this mans life. It seems many locals liked his rule. Upon his passing, it became folklore that his spirit traveled back to Sarawak to rest upon a mountaintop
Ah MAN, Chris old bean, this latest grand new update of ya's about the adventures/exploits in Borneo of Sir James Brooke, later on the first White Rajah of Sarawak, against its pirates, has given me all the more damn motivation and wanton desire need to FINALLY get seeing the 2021 released movie of 'Edge of the World', where Jonathan Rhys Meyers, best known and so familiar to me from the fantastic job he did in the four seasons show of 'The Tudors' as our six wives married English King figure of Henry VIII, plays James Brooke, and which also stars our LOTR Hobbit figure Meriadoc Brandybuck aka Merry/Dominic Monaghan too. Cos I've been meaning/wanting/intending to do so with said film for a LONG time, but still haven't bothered giving myself the time and chance in life to do so, but now, thanks to you and today's new video, I'm FINALLY gonna make that right. Seriously, how DO ya keep all this up, eh, Chris dear fella, continuously amazing and aweing us with ya one in a thousand million perfect British military history lesson giving videos? I wonder what's to come next week, guess we'll find out. There's STILL the Battle of Sedgemoor, ya know, the one I've been wanting since last year, haha, and ya also did love my suggestion proposal, back when we were about to celebrate D-Day's 80th anniversary in June, about Field Marshal Montgomery/Monty, hope we'll eventually have THAT too one day
Hi Max, It's lucky that I enjoy researching and telling stories from history isn't it? So want to cover Sedgemoor and some of the other battles on British soil. Just need to keep some of my modern viewers on side at the same time. Have a great weekend. Chris
sadly the film is awful. despite being funded by the malaysian government .halfway through it suddenly decides its apocalypse now! historically very inaccurate .the british navy are portrayed as seems common in films today as sneering overbearing idiots who specifically refuse to help brooke .he in turn is shown as a virtual moron ruthlessly exploiting the natives whilst curiously being almost alone on sarawak! the whole piracy thing is presented as a very small scale operation . its disappointing given it was a film i was dying to watch .rhys mayers gives an appalling performance as brooke.his chief acting attempt is standing gape mouthed looking horrified for most of it!
Brilliant account of British action in Sarawak. Despite the swashbuckling, Britain did good work their. Chris, would you please do a video on part of Britain's not-so-glorious recent past when she reneged on her commitments to the Jews in the Holy Land. The Balfour Declaration and San Remo Conference recognised Israeli land. A Palestinian state had been established in Jordan with the Hashemites (following WW1 and Lawrence's Arab Revolt). I had in mind the activities of General Grubb Pasha and also where spitfires flown by the RAF were knocked out by spitfires flown by Israeli pilots. All this under an anti-semitic Labour government.
Have you even read the Balfour Declaration? That said "His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country" Firstly what right did we have to say we would facilitate a national home for Jewish people on land that belonged to existing non Jewish communities? Secondly the Declaration said said nothing should be done to prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non Jewish communities in Palestine, something we failed to ensure and which Jewish terrorists and the Israeli state have totally disregarded. Thirdly you call the Labour government of the time anti-semitic but they were dealing with a particularly nasty and ruthless Jewish terrorists who had even carried out attacks on our forces during the war and stepped them up after the war. The assassination of the UN envoy Folke Bernadotte, the kidnapping and hanging of 2 British sergeants and bobby trapping their bodies and the massacre of Palestinian unarmed men, women and children in Deir Yassin which precipitated the exodus of the palestinian population shows just how nasty and ruthless the Jewish terrorists were.
Actually a tough one to research. Victorian sources are all at odds with the facts and some recent historians certainly take a different view, which is very interesting.
Fascinating story, but imagine how incredible was the technological progress Keep saw in his career, from classical man-o-war propelled by sails to massive pre-dreadnaught battleships. Brooke in Salgari 's books is the "bad guy", when in reality he pacified the area, and was well remembered as a more decent ruler than the local ones that he replaced
James Brooke is the rather obvious archetype for the James Brooke of Italian author Emilio Salgari's "Sandokan, Pirate of Malaysia" popular book series. Later a movie, TV series, and animated series. Salgari's portrayal is the polar opposite of the British view. Brooke is the villain, while Sandokan is the popular hero. Fun series to read and watch if you are willing to disregard history. Of course, Salgari was a 19th century Italian nationalist.
Great video. In an italian adventure novel written by Emilio Salgari , Brooke was the bad guy and the pirates were the good guys😂 It was fiction of course but the novel was great and the tv series from the 1970s was also good,especially the soundtrack 😊
besides the Brooke family, another significant but largely ignored player on the borneo island will be the north borneo chartered company. it will be interesting to explore this company and also examine the london convention of 1891, which divided the borneo island into the british and dutch spheres of influence
Excellent video Malaysia 🇲🇾 is a brilliant place to go on holiday. After a while you realise it is in disguise a part of the old British Empire in disguise 🥸. As the British vacated the seat 💺, the Malay people took over. Why not, it’s their country.
Wow! A real life Ripping Yarn. I thought maybe this had played itself into literature, but to my knowledge -- admittedly incomplete -- It is original and unique. Flashman's adventure was in Madagascar, a different sea. Conrad's ''Heart of Darkness'' was originally about Africa, [Francis Ford Coppola notwithstanding]. ''Lord Jim'' has a tarnished hero, unlike the virtuous James Brooke, White Sultan of Sarawak, but is closest in geography and demographics.
This really was a fascinating story in British Imperial History. They did a film of Brooke in 2021 called edge of the world, but it is not very good. Brooke is portrayed as an anti-Imperialist who’s gone native and is reluctant to receive the navy’s help, the British Navy are also not portrayed positively as they constantly refuse to help Brooke. It’s not a good film, but the one good thing I can gleam from this is that it helped me research the man. And that has to count for something
lord jim by conrad although set later and at the start based on the patna affair used brooke as jims model.the movie which had to invent a lot of how jim became lord of the islands omitted by conrad used an awful lot of the brooke story.
I am a Sarawakian. It would be interesting if the Brooke family have not pass Sarawak to Britsin after Japanese invasion and WW Ii. Then we will still have the white Rajah as our king among other Asian countries.
@dacorum8053 you have a point but you cannot judge the Jewish nation by the Sternist terrorists, or the murderous bombing of the King David hotel; any more that to judge all England by Mosley's BUF. The Jews have always recognised and honoured the British principle of freedom of religion except where a religion demands a set of laws based on the hatred of Jews and Christians. I refer to the Sharia law. I was in Israel recently and saw for myself Muslims who did not demand adherence to this law and lived more peaceable in Israel than any Muslim land. Also it is worth mentioning that the Muslim Palestinians DID get their own land, Jordan which was just as much Palestine as the Holy Land and they have shifted from the days of Grubb Pasha to wanting no Palestinians of the culture of Gazan or West Bank Islam. (They still have enough of their own) primarily if it was a land issue but it's not. It is the exclusive ideology of Islam where the conflict is berthed. Hatred of Jews and of Christianity has more to do with man's rejection of God. You can see this best in the aspirations of woke and the progressive left. Each item of philosophy from abortion to homosexuality and climate issues are expressions of man's rejection of God and His moral codes. Who better to vent this on than the Jews or Christians, especially if they do something good or prosper politically, militarily or financially?
The is so much in this video that is incorrect, it is difficult to know where to begin, but I shall try. The Borneo people whom Brooke attacked on the Saribas (1843) and Skrang (1844) and at Batang Marau (1849) were not pirates, but headhunters. James claimed that they were pirates to secure British Naval assistance in attacking them. The bounties that the RN officers claimed after the Battle of Batang Marau under the provision of the Piracy Acts was offered the destruction of pirates, not slavers. Their boats were not called prahus but bangkongs. (And prahu is not pronounced 'prar who' but is one syllable rhyming with 'how'.) The portrait you use to illustrate these (Iban) enemies is a Muslim Iranian from Sulu in the southern Philippines, not an animist Iban. As Rajah, James did not attempt to abolish either headhunting or slavery. He sought to deploy headhunting to his own strategic advantage and slavery was not abolished until the late nineteenth century,. Far from being an evangelical Christian, Rajah James was certainly a free thinker and, possibly, an atheist. He also, almost certainly, pretended to have converted to Islam in order to marry Rajah Mudah Hashim's niece, Pengeran Anak Fatima. The portrait that you present as being of Rajah Muda Hassim is actually of Pengiran Indera Makhota Salleh, who was James's predecessor as Governor of Sarawak. Any of your viewers wanting to acquire a more accurate account Rajah James's career and of the nature of Brooke rule might search out my book, JH Walker, "Power and Prowess: The Origins of Brooke Kingship in Sarawak" (2002, 2020), or my other publications that can be found at: independent.academia.edu/JohnWalker360
The videos are brilliant but the mic software you're using sucks. A lot of content creators are using the same stuff and it's gated but not sensitive enough. The beginnings of almost every sentence are getting cut off and it's super irritating to listen to. This is not a criticism of you. I'm whining about the crappy software. I am really pleased to be watching the James Brooke video you promised. In my last comment I had quoted Flashman as saying he thought Brooke was so eager to get at the Pirates. He was theorizing that he had a DSO from a previous brush with them. Nobody responded, I'm guessing somebody was being polite thinking I didn't know distinguished service orders weren't instituted for another 20 or 30 years after this. Well, I wasn't talking about distinguished service orders. It's an old Army joke. 😂
Brits themselves were pirates to began from... after looting, snatching, converting, etc and in that they aced in ship wars. It made laws for others (that they never followed) and destroyed other civilizations all around the world.
Fascinating tale, having worked in Muslim Brunei for 3 1/2 years we would drive to Sarawak once a month where we could replenish our stocks of booze. We were allowed to import a set amount at no cost to tide us over until the next trip.
I knew of some of the history but this is the first time that I have seen it so clearly and simply laid out. As always, very many thanks.
That great , you lived there ...
@@simonnoble7589 Worked there for 3 1/2 years.
Ahaha I was born in Brunei but grew up in Miri, Sarawak. I do vividly remember the booze excursions made 😂
Wow - did someone put extra strong caffeine into Chris's tea? - he is cranking out so many videos and at so high quality as well - very well done THC
Very kind of you. I think I must be flicking between coffee and wine (ha ha). I hope that you are enjoying them.
Ssssshhttt… 🤐 Let him… 😉
My Father served in Borneo during the 60's against the Indonesians and I served in Brunei during the 80's. The locals were great (but knowing that a throat tattoo meant they had taken someone else's head used to be a bit of a worry) I still use Iban words like Ulu even today.
You mean you use "ulu" to refer to the Scottish highlanders, just to confuse the Scots?
@@RUHappyATM no, ulu is out in the jungle….i know you are kidding but if you ever met an Iban, you wouldn’t lol
Thanks for watching my video & your interesting feedback.
In the television adaptation of the novel "The Tigers of Mompracem" by the Italian writer Emilio Salgari (1900), the sworn enemy of the protagonist, Sandokan, a dethroned prince of Borneo, is none other than James Brooke, the white rajah of Sarawak. All Italians of my generation (I'm 55) remember his name!
Not only Italians, i used to love Sandokan in my childhood.
Chris, this was a fascinating story I will say you were right , it had all the elements of a Great British story like something Dickens would have composed. I really appreciated the work you did on it. It seems like the British have their hands in just about everything everywhere. I can just imagine this tale being one of those novels you would pick up in a Five and Dime Store back in the day. Well done, amigo y mil gracias. 👏
Fascinating history. Thanks for another outstanding presentation!
Fascinating story, yet another case of the British ridding the world of pirates & slavers, bringing civilisation & the rule of law to the native people of the far East. As I understand it these countries are now very successful & all because of the foundations of people like Brooke. Okay it obviously wasn't entirely selfless, altruism only go's so far, none the less as things turned out yet another hurrah for British courage & adventure. Great stuff very well presented as usual!
Oh dear.
Even as an American, I know and appreciate everything that the British did. Yes, they had their not so proud moments, but that's how it is with every country on the planet.
You Brits did great!
@@thesmallerhalf1968 yeah... :(
Settle down there Rudyard Kipling!
God save Britain
Great video. I hope you will be doing a series on British Malaya history soon on subjects like the Perak War, Pangkor Treaty, Selangor Civil War, Stamford Raffles and so many other intriguing history of the region.
I only knew the story from Flashman. It was well worth revisiting. Thanks Chris.
Was the butter on the bread of my day Chris! Love the novel The White Raja and Flashman too, of course. Very nice one, but never saw anything bad on the channel. Thank you, much obliged. Ludwig
I love this guy. Rajah Brooks was a real one of a kind, even among 19 century adventurers.
Not having a British public school education, i had to learn of Brooke through Flashman"s Lady. In fact, Fraser's series kindled my love for history. Now I'm retired and i devour all things history. Subscribed, 🙏 thank you!
Thanks for your support and for your feedback.
Another great video Chris. Very fascinating-
Glad you enjoyed it Logan.
You continue to astound with your excellent videos and tales, Chris. Stories and events completely new to me and each one more spell-binding than the last. Great stuff.
Been based in Sarawak now 5th year. Good to see some history here being shared…
Hi Chris , whot a great story , thank you so much . Cheers Simon
Thank you for this post, very interesting.
Thanks for watching, glad you enjoyed it.
Great story. I knew of Brooke and Keppler from Flashman's Lady and found them very interesting. Will you ever do a story on Lola Montez? I know it's not military history, but she was mainly responcible for bringing down Ludwig II of Bavaria.
loved flashmans lady! brooke fraser says suffered a wound that destroyed his genitals! or as flashman delicately put it ....brooke shouted attack men think of your wives and children! a bit rich coming from our knackerless captain!
Thank you for this fascinating video, Chris.
Glad you enjoyed it!
Wonderful tale, thank you!
Thank you too!
Brilliant story and another great video, well done and stay well.
Thank you for your support. Nearly the weekend!
Great again. Fascinating and so informative on how modern Malaysia was formed
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching my video.
Bravo Zulu (Well Done) Chris, another fine video. I just finished a book I saw on your bookshelf, Ian Knight's, Warriors in Scarlet. A very good read.
Loving your videos keep them coming
Thanks so much Chris
My pleasure. Hope you enjoyed it.
People were built different back then....and you know theres going to be fighting whenever you hear "Farquar arrived" 😂 best name ever
I’m chuckling at your comment
Brilliant stuff!
Glad you enjoyed it
Such fascinating history. Thank you for presenting this great history to us
Glad you enjoyed it.
That was an excellent story thanks for that
Super interesting topic and video.
Glad you enjoyed it.
Sarawak is an exception in the history of British colonialisation in that the current local view of Brooke as Rajah remains very positive. I was impressed when I visited at the high regard in which his memory was held as an enlightened and just ruler. This may have much to do with Brooke's approach in that he took very egalitarian approach during his tenure, being available to meet anyone, regardless of social status or ethnicity, to hear grievances or requests for help. His rule was very different to that of most British colonial rulers. It needs to be remembered that while Sarawak is seen as a single entity, more than 40 ethnic groups are resident, so in the 19th century, the idea that everyone should live as one sultanate, province etc was by no means universal. It is worth noting that while Sarawak has been part of Malaysia for decades, it, along with Sabah further east, has special status in terms of autonomy. In 2024 the degree of autonomy is likely to increase significantly as both states have strong indigenous movements for self rule. Even 5 years ago, flying into Kuching from KL, on what you would think was a domestic flight, every passenger was required to go through immigration control just you would at the end of an international flight. A fascinating place with a unique history.
Great stuff. Great Content. People underestimate the courage, sense of adventure and risks of the Men that made the British Empire.
There is a movie, “Edge of the World,” about this. Don’t know how historically accurate it is. Thanks for a great talk on a fascinating subject!
Another ripping story from the dark east, expertly brought into the light of day! Thanks again for this!
My pleasure. Thanks for watching
Perfect video, going to Kuching, Sarawak in December to pick up our visa to retire there. I guess in the future, they'll be a part of a foreign field that will always be England.
Thanks for watching my video & for your feedback. Best wishe.
@@TheHistoryChap Thank you! There's certainly a great deal of history there plus a lot of British mixed with Sarawak/Dayak culture. English is spoken well by local people.
I remember our ship being ready for action against modern day pirates here
Riveting stuff; thanks again, Chris.
👍i am sarawakian
And he had a butterfly named after him!! Trogonoptera brookiana, Rajah Brooke's birdwing, is a birdwing butterfly from the rainforests of the Thai-Malay Peninsula. The butterfly was named by the naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace in 1855, after James Brooke, the Rajah of Sarawak
He does indeed. Thanks for adding.
can you do one about william farquhar
Always remember being on a ship in the China Sea.
It is nototorius for pirate attacks on cargo ships and tankers. Crews not left alive or hostages.
Moving through one of the Straits we saw lots of wreckage and bodies - being torn apart by sharksl.
The pirates in multiple boats had attacked a cargo ship.
Unfortunately for them, in the dark they didn't realise that it was a Russian Navy cargo ship.
Heavily armed.
The took no prisoners
Little time to write right now, but many thanks for another fascinating video.
Also thx to George MacDonald Fraser.😊
Glad you enjoyed it.
Good old Gladstone... Keppel also played a prominent role in the River War, I think. I'm too lazy to go look it up. Care to speculate on the rumors surrounding the nature of Brookes' injury?
I first read about the white Rajah maybe 60 years ago, when the story featured in the Daily Mail Book for Boys in the early 1960s. Can't remember which year, but they are all still up in the loft! And of course Flashman. He got around a bit, didn't he?
Another story of British history I had never heard of.
good one
I saw a much more in depth story about this mans life. It seems many locals liked his rule. Upon his passing, it became folklore that his spirit traveled back to Sarawak to rest upon a mountaintop
Ah MAN, Chris old bean, this latest grand new update of ya's about the adventures/exploits in Borneo of Sir James Brooke, later on the first White Rajah of Sarawak, against its pirates, has given me all the more damn motivation and wanton desire need to FINALLY get seeing the 2021 released movie of 'Edge of the World', where Jonathan Rhys Meyers, best known and so familiar to me from the fantastic job he did in the four seasons show of 'The Tudors' as our six wives married English King figure of Henry VIII, plays James Brooke, and which also stars our LOTR Hobbit figure Meriadoc Brandybuck aka Merry/Dominic Monaghan too. Cos I've been meaning/wanting/intending to do so with said film for a LONG time, but still haven't bothered giving myself the time and chance in life to do so, but now, thanks to you and today's new video, I'm FINALLY gonna make that right.
Seriously, how DO ya keep all this up, eh, Chris dear fella, continuously amazing and aweing us with ya one in a thousand million perfect British military history lesson giving videos? I wonder what's to come next week, guess we'll find out. There's STILL the Battle of Sedgemoor, ya know, the one I've been wanting since last year, haha, and ya also did love my suggestion proposal, back when we were about to celebrate D-Day's 80th anniversary in June, about Field Marshal Montgomery/Monty, hope we'll eventually have THAT too one day
Hi Max, It's lucky that I enjoy researching and telling stories from history isn't it?
So want to cover Sedgemoor and some of the other battles on British soil.
Just need to keep some of my modern viewers on side at the same time.
Have a great weekend.
Chris
sadly the film is awful. despite being funded by the malaysian government .halfway through it suddenly decides its apocalypse now! historically very inaccurate .the british navy are portrayed as seems common in films today as sneering overbearing idiots who specifically refuse to help brooke .he in turn is shown as a virtual moron ruthlessly exploiting the natives whilst curiously being almost alone on sarawak! the whole piracy thing is presented as a very small scale operation . its disappointing given it was a film i was dying to watch .rhys mayers gives an appalling performance as brooke.his chief acting attempt is standing gape mouthed looking horrified for most of it!
Great Stuff
Glad you enjoyed it.
There should be a movie about him!😎🤓👍👍
Thanks for watching my video.
Brilliant account of British action in Sarawak. Despite the swashbuckling, Britain did good work their. Chris, would you please do a video on part of Britain's not-so-glorious recent past when she reneged on her commitments to the Jews in the Holy Land. The Balfour Declaration and San Remo Conference recognised Israeli land. A Palestinian state had been established in Jordan with the Hashemites (following WW1 and Lawrence's Arab Revolt). I had in mind the activities of General Grubb Pasha and also where spitfires flown by the RAF were knocked out by spitfires flown by Israeli pilots. All this under an anti-semitic Labour government.
Have you even read the Balfour Declaration? That said "His Majesty's Government view with favour the establishment in Palestine of a national home for the Jewish people, and will use their best endeavours to facilitate the achievement of this object, it being clearly understood that nothing shall be done which may prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non-Jewish communities in Palestine, or the rights and political status enjoyed by Jews in any other country"
Firstly what right did we have to say we would facilitate a national home for Jewish people on land that belonged to existing non Jewish communities? Secondly the Declaration said said nothing should be done to prejudice the civil and religious rights of existing non Jewish communities in Palestine, something we failed to ensure and which Jewish terrorists and the Israeli state have totally disregarded. Thirdly you call the Labour government of the time anti-semitic but they were dealing with a particularly nasty and ruthless Jewish terrorists who had even carried out attacks on our forces during the war and stepped them up after the war. The assassination of the UN envoy Folke Bernadotte, the kidnapping and hanging of 2 British sergeants and bobby trapping their bodies and the massacre of Palestinian unarmed men, women and children in Deir Yassin which precipitated the exodus of the palestinian population shows just how nasty and ruthless the Jewish terrorists were.
Flash man’s Lady is a great tale!
Great subject and content. Thank you.
Actually a tough one to research. Victorian sources are all at odds with the facts and some recent historians certainly take a different view, which is very interesting.
Fascinating story, but imagine how incredible was the technological progress Keep saw in his career, from classical man-o-war propelled by sails to massive pre-dreadnaught battleships. Brooke in Salgari 's books is the "bad guy", when in reality he pacified the area, and was well remembered as a more decent ruler than the local ones that he replaced
Thanks for watching my video & your interesting feedback.
Another unknown to me a great story,and true, what happened to the family after ?
There's a Brooke's Point in the southern tip of Palawan, Philippines, named after the British hero of this video.
G'day Chris I'm going to have to press you again for a synopsis on the Flashman papers.from Mick.D.
Good narration even though some local words were inaccurately pronounced. Understood and accepted. I'm a Sarawakian.
Thanks for watching my video & your comment.
James Brooke is the rather obvious archetype for the James Brooke of Italian author Emilio Salgari's "Sandokan, Pirate of Malaysia" popular book series. Later a movie, TV series, and animated series. Salgari's portrayal is the polar opposite of the British view. Brooke is the villain, while Sandokan is the popular hero. Fun series to read and watch if you are willing to disregard history. Of course, Salgari was a 19th century Italian nationalist.
Hello, Chris. Alas, it's not a video about the Zulu or Ghurka but I enjoyed it nevertheless. Thank you!
Is there any information whether Brooke went to Addiscombe or was directly commissioned in the EIC?
Great video. In an italian adventure novel written by Emilio Salgari , Brooke was the bad guy and the pirates were the good guys😂
It was fiction of course but the novel was great and the tv series from the 1970s was also good,especially the soundtrack 😊
Thanks for watching my video & your feedback.
The moral of this story is, " Never mess with the Royal Navy" not at that time anyway was it Zanzibar next
Zanzibar was later. Still had to get past Crimean War
I came just to comment "Flashman's Lady" lol
besides the Brooke family, another significant but largely ignored player on the borneo island will be the north borneo chartered company. it will be interesting to explore this company and also examine the london convention of 1891, which divided the borneo island into the british and dutch spheres of influence
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You forgot about the friendship with Angela Burdett Coutts.
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Excellent video
Malaysia 🇲🇾 is a brilliant place to go on holiday.
After a while you realise it is in disguise a part of the old British Empire in disguise 🥸.
As the British vacated the seat 💺, the Malay people took over.
Why not, it’s their country.
Wow the british went to save 2 laskars? Facinating since I come from many of my ancestors were laskars on British ships.
A pretty amazing life.Not one someone could emulate today.
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There is a road in Bintulu town named after Henry Keppel. Jalan Keppel or Keppel road.
Thanks for sharing.
Wow! A real life Ripping Yarn. I thought maybe this had played itself into literature, but to my knowledge -- admittedly incomplete -- It is original and unique. Flashman's adventure was in Madagascar, a different sea. Conrad's ''Heart of Darkness'' was originally about Africa, [Francis Ford Coppola notwithstanding]. ''Lord Jim'' has a tarnished hero, unlike the virtuous James Brooke, White Sultan of Sarawak, but is closest in geography and demographics.
This really was a fascinating story in British Imperial History. They did a film of Brooke in 2021 called edge of the world, but it is not very good. Brooke is portrayed as an anti-Imperialist who’s gone native and is reluctant to receive the navy’s help, the British Navy are also not portrayed positively as they constantly refuse to help Brooke. It’s not a good film, but the one good thing I can gleam from this is that it helped me research the man. And that has to count for something
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Crickey thought Lord hardthrasher had invaded for a moment
Ha ha
Excellent and no muzak.
Glad you enjoyed it, thanks for watching my video
She will never be my Queen, she is Queen Consort in my eyes.
Fair enough. Still related to Admiral Keppel though.
@@TheHistoryChap i agree but.as a divorcee she cannot be a queen only a Consort
So what zzz
@@MichaelCampin Our King is also a divorcee! So don't be so old fashioned - its life!
You prefer your queen to be the mistress to a Muslim?
👍👍👍
Thanks for watching. Only just released it -:)
Prahu rhymes with plough
10:23 Nemesis, as in the iron ship from the Opium war, i presume.
Indeed it was.
👌
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A bit coy with the wounded in Burma- his great grand-niece said he was shot in the Jolly Bachelor, so to speak, though others say the lung.
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Er, Chris, I hate to say it, but in the 1800's someone in their 30's wasn't young. The best you could say is middle aged and getting on a bit!
Fair point 😀
lord jim by conrad although set later and at the start based on the patna affair used brooke as jims model.the movie which had to invent a lot of how jim became lord of the islands omitted by conrad used an awful lot of the brooke story.
🧐🤔👍👊😉
I am a Sarawakian. It would be interesting if the Brooke family have not pass Sarawak to Britsin after Japanese invasion and WW Ii. Then we will still have the white Rajah as our king among other Asian countries.
Yes, that would have been interesting. Thanks for watching my video.
I’m related to James Brooke. I’m sure everyone is very impressed… Ok, I’ll shut up now.
Thank God for England and the English!
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Nemesis sh7owed up in Ta Pan and appalled Dirk Straun......pus gutted steamer!
@dacorum8053 you have a point but you cannot judge the Jewish nation by the Sternist terrorists, or the murderous bombing of the King David hotel; any more that to judge all England by Mosley's BUF. The Jews have always recognised and honoured the British principle of freedom of religion except where a religion demands a set of laws based on the hatred of Jews and Christians. I refer to the Sharia law. I was in Israel recently and saw for myself Muslims who did not demand adherence to this law and lived more peaceable in Israel than any Muslim land. Also it is worth mentioning that the Muslim Palestinians DID get their own land, Jordan which was just as much Palestine as the Holy Land and they have shifted from the days of Grubb Pasha to wanting no Palestinians of the culture of Gazan or West Bank Islam. (They still have enough of their own) primarily if it was a land issue but it's not. It is the exclusive ideology of Islam where the conflict is berthed. Hatred of Jews and of Christianity has more to do with man's rejection of God. You can see this best in the aspirations of woke and the progressive left. Each item of philosophy from abortion to homosexuality and climate issues are expressions of man's rejection of God and His moral codes. Who better to vent this on than the Jews or Christians, especially if they do something good or prosper politically, militarily or financially?
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It would be interesting and slightly comical if any orangutans were involved in this.
Interesting indeed 🤣
The is so much in this video that is incorrect, it is difficult to know where to begin, but I shall try.
The Borneo people whom Brooke attacked on the Saribas (1843) and Skrang (1844) and at Batang Marau (1849) were not pirates, but headhunters. James claimed that they were pirates to secure British Naval assistance in attacking them. The bounties that the RN officers claimed after the Battle of Batang Marau under the provision of the Piracy Acts was offered the destruction of pirates, not slavers. Their boats were not called prahus but bangkongs. (And prahu is not pronounced 'prar who' but is one syllable rhyming with 'how'.)
The portrait you use to illustrate these (Iban) enemies is a Muslim Iranian from Sulu in the southern Philippines, not an animist Iban.
As Rajah, James did not attempt to abolish either headhunting or slavery. He sought to deploy headhunting to his own strategic advantage and slavery was not abolished until the late nineteenth century,. Far from being an evangelical Christian, Rajah James was certainly a free thinker and, possibly, an atheist. He also, almost certainly, pretended to have converted to Islam in order to marry Rajah Mudah Hashim's niece, Pengeran Anak Fatima.
The portrait that you present as being of Rajah Muda Hassim is actually of Pengiran Indera Makhota Salleh, who was James's predecessor as Governor of Sarawak.
Any of your viewers wanting to acquire a more accurate account Rajah James's career and of the nature of Brooke rule might search out my book, JH Walker, "Power and Prowess: The Origins of Brooke Kingship in Sarawak" (2002, 2020), or my other publications that can be found at:
independent.academia.edu/JohnWalker360
I apologise for the tyranny of auto-correct, "a Muslim Iranian" should read "a Muslim Iranun".
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@@TheHistoryChap You are very welcome.
If anyone subscribed to this channel hasn't read Flashman...do it now.
The videos are brilliant but the mic software you're using sucks. A lot of content creators are using the same stuff and it's gated but not sensitive enough. The beginnings of almost every sentence are getting cut off and it's super irritating to listen to. This is not a criticism of you. I'm whining about the crappy software.
I am really pleased to be watching the James Brooke video you promised. In my last comment I had quoted Flashman as saying he thought Brooke was so eager to get at the Pirates. He was theorizing that he had a DSO from a previous brush with them. Nobody responded, I'm guessing somebody was being polite thinking I didn't know distinguished service orders weren't instituted for another 20 or 30 years after this. Well, I wasn't talking about distinguished service orders. It's an old Army joke. 😂
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Brits themselves were pirates to began from... after looting, snatching, converting, etc and in that they aced in ship wars. It made laws for others (that they never followed) and destroyed other civilizations all around the world.
Rivetting tales of gin-tonic fuelled adventures...
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First case of radical lawfare in support of international crime.
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The way I see.... It was a white pirate against Borneo natives...
As some people even thought at the time.
Sandokan defeated him.😂
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