The sultan of Brunei is the monarchical
head of state
A head of state (or chief of state) is the public persona who officially embodies a state Foakes, pp. 110–11 " he head of statebeing an embodiment of the State itself or representatitve of its international persona." in its unity and l ...
of
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...
and
head of government
The head of government is the highest or the second-highest official in the executive branch of a sovereign state, a federated state, or a self-governing colony, autonomous region, or other government who often presides over a cabinet, a gro ...
in his capacity as prime minister of Brunei.
Since independence from the British in 1984, only one
sultan
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...
has reigned, though the royal institution dates back to the 14th century.
The sultan of Brunei can be thought of as synonymous with the ruling
House of Bolkiah
The House of Bolkiah is the ruling royal family of Brunei Darussalam. It is composed of the descendants of the 1st sultan Sultan Muhammad Shah and his family. The Sultan of Brunei is the head of state and absolute monarch of Brunei. He is al ...
, with generations being traced from the first sultan, temporarily interrupted by the 13th sultan,
Abdul Hakkul Mubin
Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin (also known as Abdul Mubin) was the thirteenth Sultan of Brunei. He was involved in the Brunei Civil War. He ruled from 1660 to 1673 after killing Sultan Muhammad Ali. He was later killed and succeeded by Sultan Mu ...
, who in turn was deposed by a member of the House of Bolkiah. The sultan's full title is His Majesty The Sultan and
Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.
Sultans
Uncertainties
The earliest historical record of the
Sultans of Brunei
The sultan of Brunei is the monarchical head of state of Brunei and head of government in his capacity as prime minister of Brunei. Since independence from the British in 1984, only one sultan has reigned, though the royal institution dates bac ...
is not clearly known due to the poor early documentation of Brunei history. In addition there has been an effort to ''Islamise'' the history, with the "official history" not matching up with verifiable foreign sources
The ''
Batu Tarsilah Batu may refer to:
Geography
*Batu, East Java, a city in Indonesia
*Batu Islands, an archipelago of Indonesia
* Batu, Iran, a village in Razavi Khorasan Province, Iran
*Batu, Kuala Lumpur, an area in Malaysia
*Batu (town), Ethiopia
*Batu Lintang c ...
'' - the genealogical record of the kings of Brunei - was not started until 1807. Therefore, much of the interpretation of history relied on earlier Chinese sources and legends. It seems that the early Sultanate of Brunei was dependent on Chinese support,
[ ] and perhaps early Sultans were of Chinese origin.
Furthermore, the earliest Sultans may have been practicing the Hindu or Buddhist religions, with early names indicating this origin.
See also
*
Line of succession to the Bruneian throne
Succession to the throne of Brunei is amongst the legitimate male descendants of Sultan Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin.
* '' Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III (1914–1986)''
** Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah (born 1946)
*** (1) Crown Prince Al-Muhtade ...
*
Malay styles and titles
The Malay language has a complex system of Style (manner of address), styles, titles and honorifics which are used extensively in Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the southern Philippines.
Brunei, Malaysia, Singapore and several Pro ...
References
{{Southeast Asian leaders
Sultans
Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...
Brunei
Brunei ( , ), formally Brunei Darussalam ( ms, Negara Brunei Darussalam, Jawi alphabet, Jawi: , ), is a country located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. Apart from its South China Sea coast, it is completely sur ...