Ancient Chinese records in 518, 523, and 616 A.D. note visits by Chinese envoys to a country named "Pol-ni, Polli and Bun-lai," which could have been the Chinese pronounciation of the name "Brunei."

Without doubt, Brunei is one of the most ancient kingdoms in Asia; records show that it was first settled in the 8th century. Brunei was a kingdom of the Buddhist Srivijaya Empire of Sumatra that collapsed with the ascendance of the great Hindu Empire of Majapahit in Java in the 15th century. The sultans of Borneo became independent rulers, and Islam came to Brunei via the Sultanate of Tumasek (the ancient name of Singapore), although recent discoveries suggest that this could have been as early as the 13th century. Between the 14th and 15th centuries, Brunei was a powerful Islamic kingdom with authority over the island of Borneo, its influence reaching to Manila.

Trade with outside countries gradually increased, and by the early 1800s, the English began to show an interest in Brunei. In 1838, James Brooke, the Victorian explorer arrived in Borneo at a time when piracy was rife. Brooke fought against piracy and successfully quelled rebellion. In return, the ruling sultan ceded him an area known as Sarawak and made Brooke the Rajah. Since that time, the Sultanate came under increasing pressure from the Brooke regime in the south and speculators in Sabah to the east to cede more territory.

In 1847, the Sultan entered into a treaty with Great Britain to further commercial relations and suppress piracy; and in 1888, by a further treaty, the state was placed under Great Britain's protection. In 1906, Brunei accepted the first British resident, who was to advise the government on all matters except those concerned with indigenous customs and religion.

The discovery of oil in 1929 significantly changed Brunei. Oil and natural gas production has subsequently become the principal source of development, generating one of the highest per capita incomes in the world. During World War II, the Japanese occupied Brunei for 3 1/2 years. After the war, social and economic development slowly returned to normal.

On the death of his brother in 1950, Sir Omar Ali Saifuddin ascended to the throne. During his reign, a new constitution was written in 1959 declaring Brunei a self-governing state, while its foreign affairs, security, and defense remained the responsibility of the United Kingdom. In December 1962, the government put down a rebellion organized by the opposition, Partai Rakyat Brunei, with the help of British forces dispatched from nearby Singapore. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, the government also resisted pressures for reunification with Sarawak and the newly formed Malaysia. The Sultan then decided that Brunei should remain an in-dependent state.

In 1967, Sir Omar abdicated in favor of his eldest son who became the 29th ruler in succession. The coronation took place on August 1, 1968. On October 4, 1970, the state capital, Brunei Town, was renamed Bandar Seri Begawan to honor the Seri Begawan Sultan, Sir Omar, the present Sultans father.

On January 4, 1979, the Sultan and the British Minister of State signed a new treaty of friendship and cooperation. Under the terms of the treaty, Brunei was to resume full independence at the end of 1983, and on January 1, 1984, it became the fully independent state of Brunei Darussalam.

Political Conditions

Brunei is a hereditary Sultanate in which all major decisions are made by His Majesty and Yang Di-Pertuan, Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah. The constitution provides the sultan with supreme executive authority in the state. After independence, six persons, including three members of the royal family, were named to a cabinet, which assists in the administration of the country.

The legal system in Brunei is in most respects derived from the British system. The courts consist of the Supreme Court, comprised of the Court of Appeals and the High Court, and the Subordinate Courts, made up of the Magistrates Courts. Lacking a senior judiciary of its own, the Brunei High Court is presided over by a British judge seconded from Hong Kong. Matters related to the Islamic faith are dealt with by Islamic courts.

The royal family, which has been in power for 29 generations, ensures continuing support for an autocratic form of government by providing economic benefits such as subsidized food, fuel, housing, free education and medical care, and low-interest loans for citizen government employees to purchase various consumer goods.

Source: U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Public Affairs, December 1987.