| James Brooke | |
|---|---|
 Portrait by Herbert Watkins, 1858 | |
| Rajah of Sarawak | |
| Reign | 18 August 1842 – 11 June 1868 |
| Installation | 18 August 1842 |
| Predecessor | Sultan Tengah (as Sultan of Sarawak) Pengiran Indera Mahkota Mohammad Salleh (as Governor of Sarawak) |
| Successor | Charles Brooke |
| Born | 29 April 1803 Bandel, Hooghly, British India |
| Died | 11 June 1868 (aged 65) Burrator, United Kingdom |
| Burial | |
| Issue | Reuben George Walker (Brooke) |
| House | Brooke dynasty |
| Father | Thomas Brooke |
| Mother | Anna Maria Brooke |
| Religion | Christianity (Church of England) |
| Occupation | Soldier, trader, independent gentleman, Governor |
| 1st Governor of Labuan | |
| In office 1848–1853 | |
| Monarch | Queen Victoria |
| Lieutenant | William Napier (1848–1850) John Scott (1850–1856) |
| Preceded by | Newly Created |
| Succeeded by | George Warren Edwardes |
| 1st Consul General to the Sultan and Independent Chiefs of Borneo | |
| In office 1847–1853 | |
| Succeeded by | Spenser St. John |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  British Empire |
| Branch/service | Bengal Army, British East India Company |
| Years of service | 1819–1830 |
| Rank | Lieutenant[1] |
| Unit | 6th Regiment Native Infantry[2] |
| Battles/wars | (1824–1825) |
Sir James Brooke, Rajah[note] of Sarawak KCB (29 April 1803[3] – 11 June 1868), was a British soldier and adventurer who founded the Raj of Sarawak in Borneo. He ruled as the first White Rajah of Sarawak from 1841 until his death in 1868.
Brooke was born and raised in India during the rule of the British East India Company. After a few years of education in England, he served in the Bengal Army, was wounded, and resigned his commission. He then bought a ship and sailed to the Malay Archipelago where, in gratitude for helping to crush a rebellion, he was rewarded with the position of governor of Sarawak. He then vigorously suppressed piracy in the region and, in the ensuing turmoil, restored the Sultan of Brunei to his throne, for which the Sultan made Brooke the Rajah of Sarawak. He ruled until his death.
Brooke was not without detractors and was criticised in the British Parliament and officially investigated in Singapore for his anti-piracy measures. He was, however, honoured and feted in London for his activities in Southeast Asia. The naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace was one of many visitors whose published work spoke of his hospitality and achievements.
- ^ Brown, G.H.; Clark, F. (1829). East-India Register and Directory for 1829. Secretary's Office, East-India House.
- ^ Brown, G.H.; Clark, F. (1829). East-India Register and Directory for 1829. Secretary's Office, East-India House.
- ^ Calcutta Monthly Journal Archived 8 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine, May 1803, p. 158, "Bengal Births. … At Bandel, on the 29th ultimo, the Lady of T. Brooke, Esq. of a Son"