The Sultans of the Isles - A saga of the Lords of Brunei Darussalam

[Ariel]

Introduction and General Notes.

This is the story of one of my ‘filler’ games, the ones I’m playing in between the segments of the England game that is driving the ‘For God, the King and Saint George’ AAR, while I request and collect Privy Council feedback and so forth.

So there I was, having fall-but finished a big conquest game as Sweden (I might AAR it one day, I might not, depending on how I feel) and about to start a new one. Glancing down the list of nations on the startup screen, I spotted Brunei. “Where the hell is Brunei then?” I wondered, geography not being one of my strongest subjects. Starting a game, I discovered that it was actually an island Kingdom in Indonesia (I’d guessed a minor Middle Eastern or Indian nation so I wasn’t far off). The reason I’d not spotted it before was probably because in my Sweden game, by the time my I had explored out that far, Brunei was gone – swallowed up by Atjeh and Ayutthaya.

“Right then,” I thought, “that looks like a challenge…”

And so, I started to play.

Initially, my main aim was to survive as long as possible before being swallowed up by my larger and more aggressive neighbours, which I assumed was a likely outcome. I also wanted to play an AAR with the aim of maintaining as honourable a reputation as possible. Not something I’d done before. Ever.

I’ll let you read on to find out how long and how well both these objectives have lasted, but bear them in mind as you read, because they do remain the two over-riding motivational factors – survival and honour. I will say that I’m still playing the game, on and off, but I won’t tell you how far I’ve gotten. That would spoil the fun.

Before I begin, a little historical background on the Sultanate of Brunei, RL style. This from a website that I found which explains the origins of Brunei’s Islamic religion:

“Islam came to Brunei Darussalam much earlier than had been popurlarly believed because Chinese accounts indicated that Muslims were already influential in Brunei Darusslamin 977, and Jawi, which is derived from the Arabic scrip, had been used as the written language long before 1370. Chinese records of 1371 described Sultan Mohamad Shah, who was Awang Alak Betatar before he embraced Islam, as a Muslim ruler of Brunei. During his reign he fosted trade relations with the neighbouring kingdoms from Temasik (Singapore) to as far as Pegu in Burma. Islam spread rapidly when Sharif Ali from Taif, Saudi Arabia, who was a descendent of the Prophet's grandson, Saiyidina Hasan, became sultan (Seri Sultan Berkat), succeeding his father-in-law, Sultan Ahmad.

His orderly and just rule based on Islam made Brunei Darussalam a respected and powerful country. As a result with the neighbouring kingdoms in the Malay Archipelago, China and the Arabs flourished, and Brunei Darussalam entered an era of peace and tranquility. Thus the sultanate became known as Negara Brunei Darussalam (Brunei, the Abode of Peace).”

So there you have it – an actual historical basis for my game philosophy, which was nice to discover.

And now, a quick look at Brunei’s starting position in EUII:

Brunei is a nation of only two provinces; Brunei (pop 11,000) and Sabah (pop. 5,000), with, as it transpired, an annual census income of approximately 13d.

The Kingdom’s military forces consist of a mere 5,000 infantry and 100 cavalry (the nobles of the Kingdom) and a fleet of 5 galleys and five transports.

Domestic Policy Sliders:
Centralisation: +0
Innovation: +0
Mercantilism: -1
Offensive: +2
Land: -2
Quality: +2
Serfdom: +1

Stability starts at +2

Our various policies generate 2 settlers, 4.4 merchants, 3 diplomats and 1 missionary per year (not that we’ll be able to afford many missionary missions at 13d. per annum census tax… )

Brunei’s neighbours are the trade centre owning Malacca and Atjeh to the west, Makassar to the south east and Mataram, the only Hindu nation in the region, to the south. All other provinces in the region are controlled by local princelings or warlords, many of whom are violently hostile towards strangers and protect their territory fiercely - although there are one or two exceptions to the rule.

Brunei also has a permanent CB against Oman… not that they actually know where Oman is. Or perhaps they’ve just forgotten, explorations don’t extend as far as Vietnam, never mind Arabia… (“oh, it’s off to the west… somewhere…” – waves hand vaguely in direction of setting sun…) still, if we ever meet those pesky Omanis (Omanii? Omanians? Omanites?), then boy are they in for a good kicking…

Lastly, Brunei’s leader: the (ageing but still wise) Sultan Ahmad (5/3/3).

I’m going to be writing this up as a textbook-style after-the-fact AAR. I won’t be inviting any roleplay-style interaction on this one, as I’ve already played through a chunk of it, and so I’ll be posting retrospectively (hence the textbook approach). I do welcome the usual comments and questions, of course, should anyone feel the urge to make or ask any…

The notes I have been making are quite detailed, but I’ll try to work them into an overview to keep the narrative moving, rather than giving annual income reports and so forth. I’ll try to post as often as I can, but my England AAR will take precedence, and my forthcoming participation in the Dual of the Doges will no doubt require some writing time as well…

So, without further ado (there’s been quit enough of that already, methinks), I give you the first installment in The Sultans of the Isles - A saga of the Lords of Brunei Darussalam…

[Ariel]

Sultan Ahmad (1408 – 1424)

Sultan Ahmad, the son of the first Sultan of Brunei, Muhammad Shah, is most commonly remembered as the first ruler of Brunei to actively pursue a policy of external expansion. Prior to the latter part of his rein (1419 – 1425) he seems content to allow Brunei to exist as a minor trading state, a small power in the region, but perhaps the growing population of the Kingdom (which had reached a combined total of some 16,000 by 1419) was putting pressure on already scarce resources. Or perhaps, as later generations were to claim, the Sultan really did receive a vision of the Prophet, extolling him to go forth and seek new territories in the region and convert the heathen tribes and princelings to Islam.

In any case, it is recorded that Brunei’s first colonial settlement was established on the island of Flores in September of 1419 [note to scholars and others: I am assuming that you are most familiar with the westernised calendar and so that is the one which I will use throughout for the convenience of all].

It would also appear that the Kingdom of Brunei was not the only power in the region to feel this expansionary drive, for the Kingdom of Atjeh was to establish a colony in the Jakarta region, at around the same time. And Makassar established, then lost to native violence, then re-established, a colony in Sumbawa – a pattern that was to repeat itself many times as the years wore on.

Sultan Ahmad was not blessed with any strong sons, but he did have many beautiful daughters, and in June of 1420 he arranged politically advantageous marriages for four of them. The eldest he married to the future ruler of the nation, Sharif Alibifakih, a prince of a far distant land who, it was said, had traveled to Brunei specifically to meet the Sultan and hear of his wisdom. He came to gain wisdom and in the end gained a royal bride into the bargain – he must have been a wise man already to win such a prize…

The other three princesses were married to lords of Malacca, Makassar and Atjeh, signaling Brunei’s peaceful and honourable intentions towards its neighbours.

The next few years saw a steady expansion of the Flores colony as two more expeditions made the perilous sea voyage to settle new lands for the Sultan. By the end of Ahmad’s rein, over 300 former citizens of Brunei were doing their best to co-exist peacefully with their native neighbours.

Despite the generally improving relations with its three Islamic neighbours, Brunei remained militarily unallied during this period. The Kingdom’s own military presence was not sufficiently impressive to encourage others to swear allegiance to the banner of Brunei, and neither was the Kingdom considered important enough to be invited to join any existing alliances. This was probably to the good, as Brunei was able to avoid the two wars that struck the region at the time.

In the first, the Hindu nation of Mataram declared war upon and then conquered the Islamic kingdom of Makassar to the north. The Sultan expressed his distress and anger at such a blatant act of aggression, but not too loudly – settlers from Brunei now had to pass through Matarami waters if they wished to reach Flores in safety.

The second war was fought between Malacca and an alliance of her northern neighbours; Pegu, Ayutthaya and Arakan. Yet despite their superior numbers, the northerners were unable to inflict a defeat on the valiant Malaccans, and an honourable peace was signed in October 1424, just a few weeks before Sultan Ahmad went to his rest and took his place in the presence of the Prophet.

[MrT]

This should be interesting. I don't recall reading an AAR for Brunei and I've been toying with the idea of playing one of those Indonesian island nations sometime soon.

Did you find any further information as to how such a large number of Sunni ended up so far from home? I'm always surprised when I get over there (as a European nation) to find them there...partucularly with so many Hindu and eastern religious sects in competition throughout the region.

Looking forward to seeing how well you're able to restrain yourself from getting too expansionist.

[Ariel]

According to my cursory reading of a few Brunei History sites that came up after an initial Google search, Muslim traders were active in the region from the tenth centruy onwards, and a small 'trading kingdom' is recorded as having existed in the area by the Chinese at around the same time.

Then, later on, Islamic Settlers put down roots at the mouth of the Brunei river, and eventually the local King was persuaded to convert to Islam and became the first Sultan, the father of Ahmad, from whom all the Sultans have descended (either directly or by marriage) right up to the present day, apparently.

The thing that most people probably don't realise, and that the history books probably tend to overlook, is that the Chinese had a massive trade network that stretched well into Arabia, and the Arabs in return were well travelled throughout the middle east, Indi, Africa and the Far East as well. And where the Arabic traders went, there went Islam. Which is why I find it even more bizarre that Brunei should have a CB on Oman in the game but not know where the capital of Oman is, even if they don't have detailed navigational knowledge (i.e. fog of exploration still in place). Perhaps all the maps were bought by a passing Chinese merchant..?

Anyway, it's amazing what you can find out when you go looking, and all fascinating stuff.

And as for whether and how I manage to remain peaceful... that'll have to be a case of 'wait and see...'

Oh, and before folks start asking, I'll try to get some screenshots up as soon as I can...

[Misha]

Good start. This looks to be an interesting AAR. I can't recall anyone taking on the task on Brunei before & living to tell the tale...

As always with such nations, your major challenges will be money & technology. If you can solve the one, you can eventually solve the other. Luckily you don't have to worry about the Europeans showing up in force for some time. I'll be interested to see when you sight the first European exploration vessel...

[Timmy]

Ah, something a little bit different, this'll be interesting. I'm not really very familiar with this region...Portugal having colonised most of it years before I even discover it.

Good luck young Ariel, and nice start.

[Lord Durham]

A most fascinating choice of country. I echo Misha's comments, and beware the tall ships and their cargo of stinky white men

[Ariel]

I love a bit of FB-FB, me...

Misha - Money and technology - you don't say . It's not the sort of detail I'll be specifically including in the next installment, but I don't mind telling you that it wasn't until March 1429 and April 1430 (respectively) that I acheived the dizzy heights of Naval and land Tech #1 apiece... so, now you know that I managed to survive that long at least...

Timmy - "Young" Ariel is it? Haven't been called that since I was twenty-eight. Which was... um... last year... in any case, I'll try to keep the interest levels up.

Lord D - Stinky white men will be putting in an appearance... at some point. With their strange, foul-smelling European cheeses, and their odd-tasting "rum" (some kind of clear tea, I believe), and their oh, so charming syphillis... Oh, wait, we've got that last one already, or so the traders tell me...

[Deaghaidh]

I've tried a few games of Brunei myself- mainly just colonize, colonize, colonize, trade, trade, trade. Looking forward to yours!

[Rath Jones]

and their oh, so charming syphillis... Oh, wait, we've got that last one already, or so the traders tell me...

Hmmm, sounds like you on your way to a modern civilization then , seriously though, looking forward to reading this.

RJ

[Sorcerer]

Me, too. Especially since these Sunni provinces give me a headache when I want to 'assimilate' them into my realm...
Too bad oil isn't a trade good in EU2, but that would have made the game probably too easy.

[Ariel]

Sultan Sharif Ali’ Puteriratnakesuma (1425 – 1432)

Sultan Ahmad’s son-in-law became the new ruler of Brunei once the correct period of mourning had been observed. Although Sharif Ali only reigned for seven years, his tenure as Sultan was a memorable one, for it marked the first time that Brunei sent merchant venturers to establish a foothold in the rich markets of Malacca. He was also the first Sultan to add the epithet ‘Darussalam’, meaning ‘Abode of Peace’ to the name of the Sultanate.

But perhaos he is best remembered as the Sultan who first set down the Decree of Honour, which stated that the Sultans of Brunei Darussalam should strive above all to conduct their affairs in a manner befitting the maintenance of the honourable name of the Sultanate, in their dealings with their neighbours and internally with their own subjects. The Decree of Honour was to become the yardstick by which the actions of all subsequent rulers were to be measured, and to deviate from the Decree was to bring shame on the name of the ruler, unless, of course, extreme mitigating circumstances dictated otherwise…

The practical element of Ali’ Puteriratnakesuma’s reign did not begin quite so well though. In his over-enthusiasm, he introduced a series of poor government policies, which actually undid much of the good work put in place by Ahmad in his latter years, and before the damage could be halted, much research into infrastructure improvement and trade practice had been lost.

The Sultan recovered well though, allowing stability to return to the nation and the treasury to accumulate before sending another colonial party to Flores. Alas, though, it was an ill-starred expedition and the ships carrying the hundred or so eager settlers failed to arrive. Perhaps a storm in the Makassan straits was their undoing, or Hindu pirates out of Mataram were to blame? The Sultan certainly suspected the latter and talked briefly of punishing the offenders, although his advisors were able, it is recorded, to talk him out of such a rash course of action.

And so to the event for which Ali’ Puteriratnakesuma is rightly remembered as a ruler of foresight and dynamic action. It was in August 1428 that the first groups of merchant venturers were assembled – at significant cost to the treasury and following a period of intense research - in preparation for later missions to Malacca. Further research into trade practices was commissioned, although at this stage, it was deemed unlikely that the establishment of trade posts in the region would become a reality before 1473 at the earliest. It was also at this time that a treasury surplus was levied on monthly income – the equivalent of some 0.5d per month being deemed necessary to boost Brunei’s somewhat flaccid economic reserve.

The first two trade missions to Malacca set sail in January and February of 1429. In each case, two parties were sent (for a total of four), one to work on ousting an incumbent from a position of influence in the busy Centre of Trade, the other to establish a foothold for Brunei. By March of that year, Brunei had indeed established a healthy foothold – one that accounted for some 10% of the total Malacca trade – with an estimated income of some 13.09d per year. And as a result of the knowledge that the Sultanate’s traders were able to glean from their competitors, the estimated date for the development of improvements necessary to allow trade posts to be established was revised to 1467.

The final positive act of Sharif Ali’s reign was another colonial mission to Flores in May 1431. This time the colonists arrived safely and the colony grew to over 430 loyal Bruneians. Alas, though, before his reign was cruelly cut short by a hunting accident, an incident among Brunei’s artisans resulted in a series of public executions of those troublemakers involved, and a resulting loss in productivity and research into infrastructure improvement. Thus, Sharif Ali’s reign ended as it began – in confusion and disappointment, but in the interim, he had laid the foundations for the strengthening of Brunei’s economic and mercantile position in the region, and for that he should be remembered with honour.

[Rictus]

Good start Ariel, and an interesting choice of country.

Watch out for Malacca, those little island-hoppers are maniacs, dontchaknow. If they get a good start, they're usually top economy-wise.

[MrT]

Darrusalem? I suppose I should get off my lazy ass and do a web search but...real word? Or a modified version of Jerusalem? Has a nice ring to it though.

Sharif Ali certainly had an eventful reign. Colonists, merchants...I wonder where he found the time.

[Peter Ebbesen]

...And so it begins...

[Faeelin]

Darislam is real. If I'm not mistaken (but I probably am) Dar means world. Therefore, Dar islam is the islamic world.

[Bismarck]

Yeah, I almost did a Malacca GC... but I switched to a European very-minor instead, so I will be reading this intently as well.

M

[Ariel]

Actually, 'Brunei Darussalam' is the full name of the country even to this day, and really does mean 'abode of peace'. All historical fact there, kiddies, as per this website.

Just call me "research boy"...

[MrT]

Originally posted by Ariel
Actually, 'Brunei Darussalam' is the full name of the country even to this day, and really does mean 'abode of peace'. All historical fact there, kiddies, as per this website.

Just call me "research boy"...

Thanks, Research Boy. That's a much better site than the one you referenced/linked earlier in your intro. It almost reads like an AAR itself.

Looking forward to your next instalment...*hint*

[Ariel]

Patience, padawan .

This is my 'filler' AAR, I've got a chunk of FGTK&SG to do next, then I wil return to this one... later in the week, with any luck.