List of sultans of Brunei facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Sultan of Brunei Darussalam
Sultan dan Yang Di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam
Arms of His Majesty the Sultan of Brunei Darussalam
Incumbent
Hassanal Bolkiah since 5 October 1967
Details
Style	His Majesty
Heir apparent	The Crown Prince Al-Muhtadee Billah
First monarch	Sultan Muhammad Shah
Formation	1368; 657 years ago (1368)
Residence	Istana Nurul Iman, Bandar Seri Begawan

The Sultan of Brunei is the ruler of Brunei. He is both the head of state and the head of government. This means he leads the country and also acts as its prime minister.

Brunei became independent from the British in 1984. Since then, only one sultan has ruled. However, the role of Sultan goes back to the 14th century. The Sultan of Brunei is part of the House of Bolkiah, which is the royal family. This family's history goes back to the first sultan, Muhammad Shah. The full title of the Sultan is His Majesty The Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam.

Who are the Sultans of Brunei?

Sultans of Brunei since 1368

No.	Portrait	Name	Reign start	Reign end	Key Facts
1		Muhammad Shah / Awang Alak Betatar	1363/1368	1402	He is seen as the founder of modern Brunei. He became a Muslim and built a new capital. Brunei grew stronger and took land from other empires. He also made friends with Ming China.
2		Abdul Majid Hassan / Maharaja Karna	1402	1408	He visited China in 1408 to meet the Yongle Emperor. He was the first foreign king to visit the Chinese court. He died in China and was buried there.
3		Ahmad / Awang Pateh Berbai	1408	1425	He continued to build strong ties with Ming China. He sent gifts and showed loyalty to the Chinese Emperor. This helped Brunei's standing with China.
4		Sharif Ali / Sultan Barkat (Blessed Sultan)	1425	1432	He was a religious scholar from Mecca. He married the previous sultan's daughter. He was chosen because he knew a lot about Islam.
5		Sulaiman	1432	1485	He helped Islam spread in Brunei. He also built the city of Kota Batu. He was fair and punished even royal family members who broke Islamic laws. He gave up his throne to his son in 1485.
6		Bolkiah / Nakhoda Ragam (The Singing Captain)	1485	1524	His time as Sultan was Brunei's "golden age." He made the empire much bigger. Brunei gained control over areas like Sarawak, Sabah, Manila, and the Sulu Archipelago. He met European explorers, including those from the Magellan expedition.
7		Abdul Kahar	1524	1530	He started trading with the Portuguese. He also sent ships to expand Brunei's lands. He introduced a new currency called pitis. He gave up his throne in 1530.
8		Saiful Rijal	1530	1581	During his rule, Brunei fought the Castilian War with Spain. The Spanish attacked Brunei's capital in 1578. He moved the capital and made Brunei's army stronger.
9		Shah Brunei	1581	1582	He was the oldest son of Sultan Saiful Rijal.
10		Muhammad Hasan	1582	1598	He improved Brunei's buildings and government. He defended Sunni Islam and led military actions. He also created new laws for daily life.
11		Abdul Jalilul Akbar	1598	1659	He made ties with the Spanish Empire stronger. He also welcomed Dutch and English traders. During his reign, the Dutch started setting up trading posts in Borneo.
12		Abdul Jalilul Jabbar	1659	1660	He became Sultan after a conflict with his older brother. He kept his father's Islamic laws in place. His short rule ended quickly.
13		Muhammad Ali	1660	1661	He used the Brunei Legal Code. His refusal to punish his son led to his own death. This event started the Bruneian Civil War.
14		Abdul Hakkul Mubin	1661	1673	He became Sultan after Muhammad Ali's death. This led to a civil war against Muhammad Ali's nephew. He was defeated and killed, ending the war.
15		Muhyiddin	1673	1690	After the civil war, he worked to bring stability back to Brunei. He also focused on improving Brunei's relationships with other countries.
16		Nasruddin	1690	1710	He kept up trade with Manila. He also strengthened ties with the Pagaruyung Kingdom. He appointed a trusted advisor from Pagaruyung.
17		Husin Kamaluddin	1710	1730	He continued using Brunei's pitis currency. He also introduced new gold coins. He gave up his throne to his son in 1730.
18		Muhammad Alauddin	1730	1737	He ordered the writing of the Salsilah Raja-Raja Berunai. This book recorded the family history of the Sultans of Brunei.
(17)		Husin Kamaluddin	1737	1740	He returned to the throne because he wanted to ensure the royal family line continued. He later passed the throne to a successor from that line.
19		Omar Ali Saifuddin I	1740	1778	He tried to take back Manila in 1769. He also sought British help against attacks from Sulu. He gave up his throne to his son in 1778.
20		Muhammad Tajuddin	1778	1804	He ordered the creation of the Batu Tarsilah, a stone tablet. This tablet recorded important historical information.
21		Muhammad Jamalul Alam I	1804	1804
(20)		Muhammad Tajuddin	1894	1807
22		Muhammad Kanzul Alam	1807	1826	He served as a regent before becoming Sultan. His rule faced many challenges. These included power struggles and unhappiness among local leaders.
23		Muhammad Alam	1826	1828	He declared himself Sultan. Brunei kept its territory during his rule. However, many people disliked him, leading to another civil war.
24	Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II	Omar Ali Saifuddin II	1828	1852	He asked for British help to stop uprisings. This led to James Brooke becoming Governor of Sarawak. Brunei lost much land and power to Brooke. He signed a treaty with Britain, giving them control over trade.
25	Sultan Abdul Momin	Abdul Momin	1852	1885	During his rule, Brunei lost more land to foreign powers. This caused economic problems for the country. He tried to stop more land losses, but Brunei's army was not strong enough.
26	Sultan Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin	Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin	1885	1906	Brunei continued to lose territory. He signed a Protectorate Agreement with the British government in 1888. This agreement gave Britain control over Brunei's foreign affairs.
27	Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam II	Muhammad Jamalul Alam II	1906	1924	He was the first Sultan who could speak English. He introduced Islamic law to Brunei. He also became the first monarch to visit Singapore. He died from malaria.
28	Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin	Ahmad Tajuddin	1924	1950	Oil was found in Brunei early in his reign in 1929. He saw the Japanese occupation of Brunei from 1941 to 1945. He celebrated 25 years as Sultan in 1949.
29	Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III	Omar Ali Saifuddien III	1950	1967	Brunei changed a lot under his rule. He created the Melayu Islam Beraja (MIB) idea, which guides the nation. He also made reforms in education and the economy. He signed the Constitution of Brunei in 1959. He gave up his throne to his son, Hassanal Bolkiah, in 1967.
30	Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah	Hassanal Bolkiah	1967	Incumbent	He has been the Sultan and prime minister since Brunei became independent in 1984. He is one of the few absolute monarchs in the world. He is known as one of the richest people on Earth. He is also the longest-serving head of state and king. He celebrated 50 years as Sultan in 2017.

The Sultan's Private Aircraft

The Sultan has his own private fleet of planes and helicopters. This fleet has been in use since 1979. It includes large planes like a Boeing 747-8, a Boeing 767-200, and a Boeing 787-8. He also has helicopters such as the Sikorsky S70 and S76. These aircraft are not part of Brunei's Air Force. Some of the planes have the same colors as Royal Brunei Airlines.

Uncertainties in Brunei's Early History

The early history of the Sultans of Brunei is not fully clear. This is because there are not many old records. Also, some history was changed to focus more on Islam. The Batu Tarsilah, which is a record of the kings, was not started until 1807. So, historians often rely on old Chinese writings and local stories.

Some early Sultans might have been from China. It is also thought that the very first Sultans might have followed Hindu or Buddhist religions. Their old names suggest this.

In recent years, historians have looked at Brunei's history again. This is because the official dates for the sultans do not always match other historical facts. An old account from a trader in the 1500s tried to record Brunei's history. This trader said that the Bruneians were invaders who took over from local people. He also suggested that the Bruneians moved from the Mekong Delta in the late 1600s.

Another important person was Datuk Imam Ya'akub, who wrote in the late 1600s. He put together a Silsilah (family tree). However, parts of his writings do not match each other. This makes it hard to be sure about some early sultans.

A European explorer named Sir Hugh Low was very interested in Brunei's history. In 1880, he made an important attempt to record it. He used some old records but could not find exact dates. He thought that Islam came to Brunei around 1403, but it might have been earlier.

It is still hard to know the exact start date for Sultan Muhammad Shah. This is because there are different ideas about how many sultans were before him. There are also few records from 1690 to 1790. In 1970, Donald Brown gathered many historical views in his study. He suggested that Muhammad Shah's rule might have started as early as the 1300s.

In 1979, an old writing was found. It suggested that Abdul Majid Hassan, Muhammad Shah's son, died in 1048. This would have made Brunei the first Muslim kingdom in Southeast Asia. However, experts later said this was not correct.

The Brunei History Centre was set up in 1984 to study Brunei's past. In 1987, a new history curriculum was made for schools. This led to more questions about the history of Muhammad Shah and other early sultans. These questions are still being discussed today.

See also

In Spanish: Anexo:Sultanes de Brunéi para niños

• Line of succession to the Bruneian throne
• Malay styles and titles