Pengiran Indera Makhota

Pengiran Mohammad Salleh ibnu Pengiran Sharifuddin (1790s–1858) or commonly referred to by his title Pengiran Indera Mahkota, was a Bruneian nobleman and politician who was governor of Sarawak in 1827. He founded the city of Kuching in 1827 in what is now Sarawak.

Early life and education Pengiran Salleh was born around the late 1790s, and grew up in Sambas. His father was Pengiran Sharmayuda with ancestral links to Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin and his mother was Raden Kencana, daughter of Sultan Umar Aqamaddin II of Sambas. A mosque was erected with the money obtained from gold mining, to the right of Sultan Umara Aqamaddin II's palace, named Kamashaiaita Mosque. The Malay sultanates were subject of the conflict in the archipelago at that time were the Sultanates of Sambas and Brunei. This shaped Pengiran Salleh as he grew up in this environment. He is reported to have attended school in Batavia (Jakarta) while residing in Sambas and to have visited the Netherlands once. This demonstrates that he was a knowledgeable individual with extensive experience, an open mind, and a long-term perspective.

Personality Pengiran Salleh was cunning, as James Brooke admitted in his notebook. Moreover, James Brooke was also aware of his inventiveness and lofty thoughts. Spenser St. John, among other authors, describes his personality and method of thinking in his book The Life of Sir James Brooke as follows: "He was probably the most intelligent Malay whom we ever met in Borneo, frank and open in manner, but looked upon us the most cunning of the raja's advisers. He was much puzzled, as were indeed all the nobles, as to the true subject of Brooke's visit to Borneo." Like all the lords, he was quite perplexed about the real purpose of Brooke's trip to Borneo. While T. Pringle stated that he was "His education has been more attended to the than another of his own rank. He both reads and writes his own language, and is well acquainted with the government, laws and custom of Boreno" in his book Rajah and Rebels (1970). He was then given the title Pengiran Indera Mahkota by the Sultan, and gained the moniker Pengiran Indera Mahkota after it. Later in 1827, he was assigned the responsibility of serving as the Sultan of Brunei's representative as head of government or Governor of Sarawak. The locals rose up in rebellion against him in 1839, led by Datu Patinggi Ali, as a result of his tyrannical reign. Pengiran Muda Hashim, the son of Sultan Muhammad Kanzul Alam, was dispatched by Brunei to quell the uprising. James Brooke also went there, drawn by the region's wealth. Due to a long-standing grudge he held towards Pengiran Salleh, Pengiran Muda Hashim requested Brooke's help. Pengiran Muda Hashim had visited Kuching five years prior, but Pengiran he had not personally greeted him upon his arrival. Pengiran Salleh, who was serving as the Sultan of Brunei's ambassador in Sarawak and was living in Kuching, paid a nighttime visit to James Brooke's ship. James Brooke discovered him conversing in Dutch and English inside the ship called Royalist. He stayed and talked aboard the ship after dark till ten o'clock. He was compelled to appoint James Brooke as the ruler of Sarawak on that day. He took this action to stop violence in the nation. Pengiran Salleh was upset by the appointment since his position as Governor of Sarawak had not yet been terminated. He left Sarawak in light of this and traveled to Batang Lupar, then continued down the coast of Sarawak until landing at Mukah. He remained in Mukah for a while and didn't return to Brunei until 1845, when he was called back by Pengiran Anak Abdul Momin, the Sultan's son-in-law and personal assistant. He began writing Syair Rakis while en route to Brunei, and after spending some time there, he finished it. Both Pengiran Anak Abdul Momin and Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien II received copies of his book. There are conflicting sources on the story such as, claims that he was buried in Lubok Madung in Sambas, Nearly all writers from the west have indicated that his death in Limbang was brought on by his flings with Bisaya women.

Syair Rakis Pengiran Salleh's mother was of Sambas royalty. Many Chinese traveled in large numbers to Sambas to dig gold during her father's rule. Gold had also been discovered in some of Sambas's regions, including the Monteradu District, Lara, Lumar, and Simanis. The Sultanate of Sambas was in charge of all of those lands. The Chinese possessed knowledge and expertise in gold mining at that time in Southeast Asia. Therefore, it is not unexpected that Pengiran Salleh captures the following occurrence in stanzas 42 and 43 of his Syair Rakis. Syair Rakis by him has 175 total stanzas. Except for stanza 170, which has just two speech pieces, every stanza of the poem by Syair Rakis includes four speech sections.

Through the publication of his book, "Menyuruki Syair Rakis" (UBD, 2006), Prof. Associate Dr. Haji Hashim bin Haji Abdul Hamid makes the following assumptions on the composition date of this Syair Rakis: "This Syair Rakis was presented by Pengiran Shahbandar Mohammad Salleh ibnu Pengiran Sharmayuda to Sultan Abdul Momin as his hand after traveling for many years in the land of people. Actually, Pengiran Shahbandar Mohammad Salleh ibnu Pengiran Sharmayuda was the Sultan of Brunei's representative to become the ruler of Sarawak, but when James Brooke was appointed to replace him without his own knowledge, he migrated to Mukah. Before that there was opposition from him on James Brooke, unfortunately failed. And when Sultan Abdul Momin invited him back to Brunei, the poem was written on the return voyage, which was approximately in 1843 / 1844. This poem was not only read by the Sultan at that time, but also by the dignitaries of the country, and even copied by the public. Considering his excellence, he was given the title of Pengiran Shahbandar (previously he was titled Pengiran Indera Mahkota)." While Jamil Al-Sufri stated: "Pengiran Indera Mahkota composed Raks' poetry while traveling from Mukah to Brunei and was subsequently worshiped to Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien II (1828–1852)." It hasn't yet been established that Syair Rakis was indeed composed in 1843 or 1844 while traveling back from Mukah to Brunei.

Titles 1820 – 1852: Pengiran Indera Mahkota 1852 – 1858: Pengiran Shahbandar