Ahmad Tajuddin
Ahmad Tajuddin Akhazul Khairi Waddien was the 27th Sultan of Brunei from 1924 until his death in 1950. He was succeeded by his younger brother Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III.
Ahmad Tajuddin has been disregarded by Malcolm MacDonald and frequently ignored and mishandled by others like his Gerard MacBryan. He advocated for the Sultanate to have more financial and political autonomy in a way that was innovative for his day. This, along with his support for a new political confederation governed by the Sultanate over northern Borneo, foreshadowed much of the political process that started in the late 1950s and culminated in January 1984 with the official declaration of Brunei's independence from Britain.
Early life and education
Ahmad Tajuddin was born on 22 August 1912 at Istana Pekan in Brunei Town during the reign of his father, Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam II. He was his father's eldest son through his royal consort, Raja Isteri Pengiran Anak Siti Fatimah. Ahmad Tajuddin's older brother, Pengiran Muda Bongsu had died in 1910. His younger brother, Pengiran Muda Omar Ali Saifuddien succeeded him after his death. Before becoming the sultan, he was known as Pengiran Muda Besar Ahmad Tajuddin.He received his early education in the palace prior attending formal school. One of the teachers who had been assigned to teach him was Cikgu Salleh Haji Masri. Salleh Haji Masri was one of the famous freedom fighters with anti-colonial sentiments. Ahmad Tajuddin sailed for England, United Kingdom in 1932. According to reports, his mother obstructed the efforts of British Resident Eric Ernest Falk Pretty to transfer him to Malaya or England for his education; nonetheless, he started receiving English instruction from a specially assigned British instructor at the age of fourteen. He had learned English from Mr. H.F. Stalley. He was in England for a year to learn the English language and a description of the western civilisation. He was the first sultan in history to explore the western world more than his father, who had only sailed to Singapore and Labuan.
Reign
Early reign
Ahmad Tajuddin was eleven years old when he ascended to the throne as Yang di-Pertuan on 11 September 1924, following the untimely death of his father at the age of 35. Although his father's official cause of death was listed as malaria, there was no formal inquiry held, and there were strong rumours that he had been poisoned by a close relative. An important historical point is that Brunei began exploring for oil during the rule of Ahmad Tajuddin, and in April 1929, an oil well in Seria was found, providing the country with income. This was acknowledged by the British Government, which resulted in the settling down of British Residents into Brunei.Due to his young age of 11, the reign was temporarily held by a Council of Regency which consisted of Pengiran Bendahara Pengiran Anak Abdul Rahman and Pengiran Pemancha Pengiran Anak Haji Muhammad Yasin from 11 September 1924 to 19 September 1931, they served as joint Regents during his seven-year minority and were said to have had a negative influence on him along with his mother. He was supposedly given a concubine at the age of thirteen, and while he was taking English lessons from a British tutor, his mother reportedly blocked efforts to send him overseas for school. It was also said that he periodically cooked his own food in soda water out of fear of poisoning.
A lavish celebration was thrown in Brunei upon his return from England. Attendees included people from nearby Sabah and Sarawak, who continued to view him as their sultan. A traditional boat racing on the Brunei River, fireworks from Japan, and a large number of guests from other areas filled the town's residences. Large fires were built on the nearby hills, and buildings were adorned with lanterns and multicoloured lights at night, illuminating the entire town and fostering a lively, celebratory atmosphere.
Relations with the British Residency
Unlike his father, who had fiercely opposed the resident's 1909 Land Code, which affected the Kedayan minority, Ahmad Tajuddin's timidity helped to strengthen the British Resident's authority and prevented serious crises during his regency and early reign. However, his resistance was subdued by threats of deposition. Both Ahmad Tajuddin and his grandfather, Sultan Hashim, depended on foreigners to handle their business rather than his residents: Hashim relied on an independent Englishman, and Tajuddin on a Malayan private secretary and Gerard MacBryan.Between 1931 and 1950, Ahmad Tajuddin expressed his discontent with Brunei's political system by frequently abstaining from State Council meetings, ostensibly opposing the resident's authority. Additionally, he appointed Inche Mohamad Hassan bin Kulop Mohamad from Selangor or Perak as his personal assistant, described by an Englishwoman as highly capable and fluent in English, thus enabling the Sultan to rely on him to carry out his wishes effectively. In October 1931, he undertook a three-week trip to Malaya, followed by an extended stay in Britain from July 1932 to August 1933, ostensibly to improve his English language skills. Ahmad Tajuddin was characterised as a tiny, bespectacled guy with long hair who drove in a luxurious Lincoln automobile and was carried in a gold and scarlet litter during formal rituals during a 1935 visit by Sir Shenton Thomas.
It wasn't until he turned eighteen on 19 September 1931, that he attained full sovereignty. Ahmad Tajuddin traveled to Peninsular Malaya from 1 to 21 October 1931, and then, in July 1932, he became the first sultan of Brunei to travel to England, where he spent around ten months, to observe the changes that had taken place there. He didn't return to Brunei until August 1933, after a protracted visit. As an honorary aide-de-camp, Pengiran Mohammad bin Pengiran Abdul Rahman Piut accompanied him on both occasions. Pengiran Anak Besar Bagol, his brother, was then named ADC.
Ahmad Tajuddin was known for his hospitality and respect towards guests, including high-ranking visitors such as Rajah Charles Vyner Brooke, whom he hosted at his own residence, Istana Mahkota, in 1934. He treated his friends and peers with generosity and equality, often giving gifts and maintaining an informal demeanour during social events, though he would subtly distance himself from those who sought to take advantage of his kindness. Despite this, he and his family began to feel uneasy with the out distribution of Brunei's wealth from oil exports and for that reason, he encouraged the British government to ease financial regulations for the people of Brunei. In an attempt to suppress the sultan, his living allowance was raised from $1,000 to $1,500 in 1934, and again was again given an increase of $500 a month in 1938. The Government of the United Kingdom gifted him a car in 1939.
Following the royal conventions of both Brunei and Selangor, he married Tengku Raihani, the daughter of Sultan of Selangor, Alauddin Sulaiman Shah, in a ceremony performed in Istana Mahkota Puri, Klang, on 30 April 1934. Masjid Jami'ah Al-Rahmah in Klang hosted his akad nikah. He was escorted by his mother, brother, public officials, and a royal guard. He visited Klang once more in October, having returned to Brunei in July. Tengku Raihani accompanied him when he returned to Brunei in November 1934, and they were greeted with great fanfare. This marriage improved relations between the Bruneian and Selangor royal dynasties. She would later be crowned on 15 October 1935, and carried the name Tengku Ampuan Raihani.
Early in August 1935, 23-year-old Ahmad Tajuddin was spotted by Thomas, the newly appointed Commissioner for the Federated Malay States, on his visit to Brunei. Thomas spoke about the sultan's stately entry in a sumptuous red and gold litter carried by thirty men, as well as the reception hall's simple design that used cheap items like Brunei cigarettes and German carpets. He had to deal with his wife's defying Bruneian conventions and perhaps dangerous journey to Klang for the birth of their child at a period of intense pressure from his brother-in-law, Tengku Kelana Jaya Petra. The British Resident of Selangor offered Thomas advice and assistance, but the Selangor family persisted, and on 15 October 1935, Ahmad Tajuddin and his party flew to Klang, where their daughter Princess Nor Ehsani was born.
By 1936, there had been several arguments between Ahmad Tajuddin and his resident as their relationship was failing. Acting High Commissioner A. S. Small observed that as the sultan became older and more self-assured, he became more and more problematic. After previous Resident Pretty was dispatched to Brunei to resolve these difficulties and defuse tensions, the Colonial Office decided to designate more senior officers as Residents going forward. He was greeted cordially by the people of Kuala Belait on his official visit there after attending the Sultan of Selangor's golden jubilee in 1937. Later in August, once again he and his family went to Selangor to attend the golden jubilee celebration of Sultan Alauddin. On his return in December, he went for an official visit to Kuala Belait and to formally declare open a newly built Recreation Club. The visit was received with great joy by the people and the inhabitants there even people from the interior came to town to join in the celebration and to have a look at their sultan.
The relationship between Ahmad Tajuddin and the British soured when John Graham Black was appointed as the British Resident in 1937. The resident attempted to postpone and sabotage his coronation ceremony and this infuriated the sultan. This caused the resident to be replaced by Ernest Edgar Pengilley on 1 January 1940. Due to the frustration that Black had caused, he was not given a farewell ceremony by the sultan as he usually did for other residents. In early 1940, Thomas wrote to MacDonald that although Tajuddin's early behaviour had been difficult and necessitated strong warnings, he had demonstrated progress in the previous five years and had no vices. While recognising the sultan's difficult childhood, Thomas also emphasised his commitment, which was exemplified in 1939 by a sizeable payment for Imperial defence. As a result, he suggested that Ahmad Tajuddin be awarded the Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George during his coronation, since he was the only Malay ruler at the time who had not yet received a British honour. Robert Irvine, the private secretary, attended the coronation and provided a report.