Rajah of Sarawak James

Born on 29 April 1803, James Brooke was a British soldier and traveler who is best known for founding the Raj of Sarawak in Borneo. After serving in the Bengal Army, he sailed east on his own schooner, the Royalist, and became involved in political struggles in Brunei and Sarawak.

In 1841, Brooke was granted control of Sarawak and went on to rule it as the first White Rajah until his death in 1868. He built a reputation in Britain as an adventurous empire-builder, though his career has also been debated because it was closely tied to colonial expansion and the violent suppression of piracy and local resistance.

Brooke died on 11 June 1868, but his name remained closely linked with Sarawak through the Brooke dynasty that followed him. His story still stands out for the unusual way one individual, acting with private wealth and political backing, established a personal realm far from home.