BROOKE, SIR JAMES (1803-1868), English soldier, trav eller and rajah of Sarawak, was born at Secrore, near Benares.
He entered the service of the East India Company, and was sent out to India about 1825. On the outbreak of the Burmese War he was despatched with his regiment to the valley of the Brahma putra ; he was dangerously wounded in an engagement near Rung pore and was compelled to return home (1826). In 1830 he made a voyage to China, and during his passage among the islands of the Indian archipelago he conceived the great design of rescuing them from barbarism. On the death of his father he succeeded to a large property and bought and equipped the "Royalist," sailing in 1838 on his great adventure. On reaching Borneo he found the rajah Muda Hassim, uncle of the reigning sultan, engaged in war in the province of Sarawak with several of the Dyak tribes, who had revolted against the sultan. He offered his aid to the rajah, and the insurgents were defeated. For his services the title of rajah of Sarawak was conferred on him by Muda Hassim, but it was not until 1841 that the sultan of Borneo confirmed his title. For the next few years Brooke devoted himself to preparing a code of laws and developing commerce, at the same time stamping out the piracy which made all shipping unsafe among the islands. In his various expeditions against the raiders he was assisted by Sir Harry Keppel and other com manders of British ships of war. The capital of the sultan of Borneo was stormed and the sultan routed with his army. In 1847 Brooke returned to England and the Corporation of London con ferred on him the freedom of the City. He was appointed gov ernor and commander-in-chief of the island of Labuan with its dependencies (made a British colony after purchase from the sultan of Borneo). He was also made consul-general of Borneo. In 1849 he led an expedition against the Seribas and Sakuran Dyaks, who still persisted in piracy. He visited twice the capital of the sultan of Sala and concluded a treaty with him, which had for one of its objects the expulsion of the sea-gipsies and other tribes from his dominions. In 1851 grave charges with respect to the operations in Borneo were brought against Sir James Brooke in the House of Commons by Joseph Hume and other members, especially as to the "head-money" received. To meet these accu sations and to vindicate his proceedings, he went to England. The evidence adduced was so conflicting that the matter was at length referred to a royal commission, which sat at Singapore. As the result of its investigation the charges were declared to be "not proven." Sir James, however, was soon after deprived of the governorship of Labuan and the head-money was abolished. In 1857 his house in Sarawak was attacked and burnt by Chinese pirates and he had to fly from the capital, Kuching. With a small force he attacked the Chinese and recovered the town. In the following year he returned to England, and remained there for three years. During that time he was attacked by paralysis, a pub lic subscription was raised, and an estate in Devonshire was bought and presented to him. He made two more visits to Sara wak, and on each occasion had a rebellion to suppress. He spent his last days on his estate at Burrator in Devonshire, and on his death was succeeded, as rajah of Sarawak, by his. nephew. Sir James Brooke was a man of the highest personal character, and he displayed unusual courage both in his conflicts in the East and under the charges advanced against him in England.
His Private Letters (1838 to 1853) were published in i853. Por tions of his Journal were edited by Captains Munday and Keppel (see also SARAWAK) .