Royal Brunei Navy (1368-1888)

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

For the current navy of Brunei Darussalam, see Royal Brunei Navy.
Royal Brunei Navy
Bruneian Sultan
TypeNavy
Size100 Boats (in 1521) and 50 Boats (in 1578)
Part of Royal Bruneian Land Forces
Garrison/HQKota Batu and later Kampong Ayer
EquipmentShips, Galley, Boats and Warships
Engagements
  • Bruneian Conquests

    • The Royal Brunei Navy (Malay: Tentera Laut Diraja Brunei - TLDB) also known as the Royal Bruneian Fleet,was the naval component of the Royal Bruneian Land Forces (RBLF), the official military of the Sultanate of Brunei between 1408 and 1888.

    History

    Origin (1408–1485)

    Following Brunei's declaration of independence from the Majapahit Empire, the Royal Brunei Navy (Tentera Laut Diraja Brunei) was initially established in 1408 as the maritime component of the Royal Bruneian Land Forces (RBLF). Positioned at Kota Batu, its primary mission was to safeguard the capital from piracy. The nascent Royal Bruneian Navy likely underwent training and staffing under Bajau officers, leveraging their pre-existing expertise in handling boats. The Bajau people continued to play a crucial role in the navy throughout the Sultanate's existence.

    Golden Age (1485–1578)

    During the Golden Age of Brunei, the Bruneian Royal Navy engaged in conflicts in Borneo and later regions of the Philippines.[1] Noteworthy advancements occurred within the navy during Sultan Bolkiah's reign. To enhance Brunei's naval capabilities, forty Javanese blacksmiths were paid, potentially paving the way for the introduction of cannon casting. Sultan Bolkiah is credited as the first Bruneian sultan to ever utilize gunpowder, raises the possibility that the Javanese played a role in introducing cannon technology to Brunei.[2]: 10–11  In 1521, Antonio Pigafetta documented that Brunei's navy had a fleet of over 100 boats, which was involved in a attack with a faction in the south.[3]

    Decline (1578–1888)

    See also: Castilian War and Bruneian Civil War

    Spanish armada comprising forty galleons[citation needed] appeared off the coast of Brunei in 1578, following the Sultan's rejection of a treaty with the Spaniards in 1573. They attacked the fifty Brunei warships
    encircling him as soon as he saw the Sultan would not accede to his demands.

    In 1673, Brunei claimed to never giving eastern Sabah to the Sulu Sultanate. As there is no written evidence of the transfer.[4] Despite this, this still traced the roots of the North Borneo dispute between Malaysia and the Philippines in the present-day.[5][6]

    The Sultanate was in a very bad state by the 1880s. Both Sarawak, under Rajah Brooke, and the British North Borneo business had taken more territory.[7] In 1888, The Sultanate of Brunei's navy was disbanded by the last sultan and later replaced by the Modern Royal Brunei Navy after independence in January 1st 1984.

    Structure

    It's currently unknown about the old Bruneian Sultanate navy structure, but what we have gathered is that, The chain of command of the Royal Bruneian Land Forces was placed under the Sultan in the capital and was commanded by Officers.

    Equipment

    Naval vehicles

    • Galley
    • Boats
    • Warship
    • Ships

    Uniforms

    Armor was only given to the Royal Guards and other higher ranks.[citation needed] So the average uniform of a Bruneian sailor would be using civilian clothing.

    See also

    References

    1. ISBN 978-0-521-11098-3
      – via Google Books.
    2. ^ Jalil, Ahmad Safwan (2012). Southeast Asian Cannon Making in Negara Brunei Darussalam (MA thesis). Flinders University.
    3. ISBN 978-1-000-56864-6
      – via Google Books.
    4. ^ Asbol, Awang. Persejarahan Brunei (in Malay).
    5. S2CID 154355668
      .
    6. ^ Marston, Geoffrey (1967). "International Law and the Sabah Dispute: A Postscript" (PDF). Australian International Law Journal. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 November 2017. Retrieved 14 May 2017.
    7. ^ Yunos, Rozan (17 October 2016). "Brunei in 1888 – the golden legacy". BruneiResources.blogspot.com. The Brunei Times. Retrieved 29 October 2023.
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