Muhammad Shah (born Awang Alak Betatar)
established the
Sultanate of Brunei and was its first
sultan, possibly from 1363 to 1402. The genealogy of Muhammad Shah is unclear,
and is based on several historical sources and legends.
Biography
The early life of Muhammad Shah is unknown. The current Sultanate of Brunei was formed by Muhammad Shah, with the help of his brothers
Awang Pateh Berbai (also known as
Ahmad of Brunei, the second Sultan of Brunei) and Awang Semaun. He ruled from 1368
to his death in 1402.
He ruled as
Raja
''Raja'' (; from , IAST ') is a royal title used for South Asian monarchs. The title is equivalent to king or princely ruler in South Asia and Southeast Asia.
The title has a long history in South Asia and Southeast Asia, being attested f ...
Awang Alak Betatar until the early 1360s,
at which point he converted to
Islam to marry the daughter of the King of
Temasik (Old Singapore, known as that time in Brunei as
Johor
Johor (; ), also spelled as Johore, is a state of Malaysia in the south of the Malay Peninsula. Johor has land borders with the Malaysian states of Pahang to the north and Malacca and Negeri Sembilan to the northwest. Johor shares maritime ...
).
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
Iskandar Shah
Iskandar, Iskander, Askander, Eskinder, or Scandar ( ar, إسكندر ( fa, اسکندر ''Eskandar'' or سکندر ''Skandar''), is a variant of the given name Alexander in cultures such as Iran (Persia), Arabia and others throughout the Middle Ea ...
, or the daughter of
Sang Nila Utama
Sang Nila Utama was a Srivijayan prince from Palembang and is the founder of the Kingdom of Singapura in 1299. His official title adopted upon his coronation was Sri Tri Buana (), which can be translated as "Lord of Three Worlds"; the "Three Worl ...
, both of the House of
Sang Sapurba Sri Maharaja Sang Sapurba Paduka Sri Trimurti Tri Buana, (1245–1316) also known as Sri Nila Pahlawan, is a figure in the Malay Annals, highly revered as the legendary great ancestor of some of the major dynasties of the Malay world: Singapura, Ma ...
.
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".
Another viewpoint is that Ma-ho-mo-sa could be pronounced as "Maha Moksha", which means Great Eternity, a
Buddhist
Buddhism ( , ), also known as Buddha Dharma and Dharmavinaya (), is an Indian religion or philosophical tradition based on teachings attributed to the Buddha. It originated in northern India as a -movement in the 5th century BCE, and ...
name; this is in keeping by the Chinese record of his successor also having a Buddhist name.
His daughter, Princess Ratna Dewi, allegedly married a Chinese immigrant by the name of
Ong Sum Ping Ong Sum Ping () is a legendary figure. Identified as Pengiran Maharaja Lela of Brunei. The Hokkien name implies that Ong Sum Ping was a native of Fujian, China.
Career and personal life
According to Wen Xiongfei 温雄飞 in the 《南洋华侨史 ...
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.
[Muhammad Jamil Al-Sufri.(1990). Tarsilah Brunei- Sejarah Awal dan Perkembangan Islam. Bandar Seri Begawan: Jabatan Pusat Sejarah]
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.
See also
*
List of 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 ba ...
References
External links
Sultan - Sultan Brunei
{{Sultans of Brunei
Sultans of Brunei
1402 deaths