Sir James Brooke

Sir James Brooke (1803-1868) was an English rajah (king) of Sarawak, born at Benares, educated in England. He entered the Indian army. He was wounded in the Burmese war, and returned in consequence to England. He conceived the idea of suppressing piracy and establishing civilisation in the Indian Archipelago. He sailed in a well-manned and well-equipped yacht from the Thames with that object arrived at Sarawak, in Borneo, now a Malaysian state of Sarawak. There, he assisted the governor in suppressing an insurrection, and was made rajah, the former rajah being deposed in his favour. He brought the province under good laws, swept the seas of pirates, for which he was rewarded by the English government. He was appointed governor of Labuan. He finally returned to England and died, being succeeded in Sarawak by a nephew.

Nearby pages
Sir James Clark, Sir James Emerson Tennent, Sir James Hope Grant, Sir James Inglis, Sir James Mackintosh, Sir James Outram