Muhammad Shah of Brunei
Muhammad Shah محمد شاه | |||||||
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Sultan of Brunei | |||||||
Reign | 1363/68–1402[1] | ||||||
Successor | Abdul Majid Hassan | ||||||
Born | Awang Alak Betatar | ||||||
Died | c. 1402[1] | ||||||
Issue |
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Muhammad Shah ( Sultanate of Brunei and was its first sultan, possibly from 1363/68 to 1402. The genealogy of Muhammad Shah is unclear,[2][3] and is based on several historical sources and legends.
BiographyThe early life of Muhammad Shah is unknown.[ Muhammad Shah died in 1402, and was succeeded by Sultan Abdul Majid Hassan. It is unclear whom Muhammad Shah married, but it is reported either as the daughter of It was noted that Muhammad Shah founded the Sultanate. He sent a mission to China in 1371; the Ming Shih (Book 325), a contemporaneous Chinese reference book, noted that the King of Brunei in 1370 was Ma-ho-mo-sa. Local Brunei historians take this to refer to "Muhammad Shah" the first Islamic Sultan of Brunei, however others take it to read as "Mahmud Shah". His daughter, Princess Ratna Dewi, allegedly married a Chinese immigrant by the name of Ong Sum Ping also named Ong Sum Ping who started a trading station at Mumiang on the Kinabatangan River. For this he was conferred the nobility title of Pengiran Maharaja Lela and elected Chief of Kinabatangan.[4][5] There is evidence that there was an Islamic presence in the current area of Brunei before the current Sultanate - there is evidence that there was also a pre-existing Muslim dynasty in the area.[2][3] LegendsAccording to local Arab traders, Awang Alak Betatar devised a stratagem, instructing his 14 crew members to feign normalcy while he assumed the role of a village lord. However, it is said that his encounter took a significant turn when he noticed a captivating Muslim woman. Inspired by his feelings, Awang Alak Betatar decided to convert to Islam by a Sufi before eventually marrying her.
This conversion to Islam is believed to have played a pivotal role in Awang Alak Betatar's transformation. It is believed that he later established the Bruneian Sultanate, marking the formal beginning of Brunei's Sultanate, a significant historical and political entity in the region. As part of his transformation and the consolidation of his power, Awang Alak Betatar purportedly disbanded his pirate crew, signaling a shift from his earlier piratical pursuits to the establishment of a more legitimate and influential governance structure within Brunei. However, it's important to note that these accounts are largely based on local tradition and legends and should not be taken as actual history, contributing to the narrative's legendary aspects. See also
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