Sultanate of Sulu

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For the province, see Sulu

The Sultanate of Sulu was a Muslim state that ruled over much of the islands of the Sulu Sea, in the southern Philippines. The sultanate was founded in the 1457 (other sources claim earlier) and is believed by Muslim historians to have existed with sovereignty for at least 442 years, although most sources mention that the sultanate was conquered by the Spanish in the 17th century. The Philippines was later annexed by the United States, in 1898, as a result of the Spanish-American War. Only North Borneo went to the British, and later became part of Malaysia as Sabah in 1963.

At its peak, it stretched over the islands that bordered the western peninsula of Mindanao in the east, to North Borneo, currently known as Sabah, in the west and south, and to Palawan in the north. Today significant number of Tausug have been living in Sabah. During the MNLF and Philippines war in the early 1970s, the number increased.

Contents

1 History

1.1 Establishment
1.2 British Acquisition of North Borneo
1.3 Decline

2 See also
3 External link

History

Establishment

During the 1450s, Shari'ful Hashem Syed Abu Bakr, an Arab born in Johore, arrived in Sulu from Malacca. In, 1457, he founded the Sultanate of Sulu ; he then renamed himself Paduka Maulana Mahasari Sharif Sultan Hashem Abu Bakr.

In 1703 (other sources say 1658), the Sultanate of Sulu received North Borneo from the Sultan of Brunei, after Sulu sent aid against a rebellion in Brunei. In the same year, Sulu gave Palawan to Qudarat, Sultan of Maguindanao, who married a Sulu princess, and formed an alliance with Sulu. Sultan Qudarat eventually ceded Palawan to the Spanish in 1705.

British Acquisition of North Borneo

In 1865, the United States Consul to Brunei, Claude Lee Moses obtained a 10-year lease for the territory of North Borneo from the Brunei. However, post-Civil War United States wanted nothing to do with Asian colonies, so Moses sold his rights to the Hong Kong-based American Trading Company. Besieged with financial difficulties, the company had to its right on North Borneo Consul of the Austro-Hungarian Empire in Hong Kong, Baron Von Overbeck. Von Overbeck managed to get a 10-year renewal of the lease from the Temenggong of Brunei, and a similar treaty from the Sultan of Sulu on January 22, 1878.

To finance his plans for North Borneo, Overbeck found financial backing from the Dent brothers - Alfred and Edward Dent. However, he was unable to interest his government in the territory. Von Overbeck withdrew in 1880, leaving Alfred Dent in control. Dent was supported by Sir Rutherford Alcock, and Admiral Sir Harry Keppel.

In July 1881, Alfred Dent and his brother formed the British North Borneo Provisional Association Ltd and obtained an official Royal Charter November 1 the same year. In May 1882, the British North Borneo Chartered Company replaced the Provisional Association. Sir Rutherford Alcock became the first president, and Alfred Dent became managing director.

In spite of some diplomatic protests by the Dutch, Spanish and Sarawak governments, the British North Borneo Company proceeded to organize settlement and administration of the territory. The company subsequently acquired further sovereign and territorial rights from the sultan of Brunei, expanding the territory under control to the, Putatan river in May 1884, the Padas district in November 1884, the Kawang river in February 1885, the Mantanani islands in April 1885 and additional minor Padas territories in March 1898.

In 1888, North Borneo became a protectorate of Great Britain. Its administration however remained entirely in the hands of the British North Borneo Company, with the crown reserving only control of foreign relations.

Decline

Sultan Jamal ul-Kiram I, the last sovereign sultan, died in 1899. Sulu became part of the Philippines.

External link

[Timeline of the Sultanate of Sulu by Josiah C. Ang]