James Brooke (1803-1868), Charles Brooke (1829-1917)
James Brooke, the first “White Rajah” of Sarawak, ruled the English colony with a “firm hand” against pirates and headhunting tribes. He is the character portrayed by Adolfo Celi in the famous 1976 RAI adaptation of Sandokan. Upon his death, he was succeeded by his nephew Charles as the ruler of Sarawak.
This is the Kingdom of Sarawak, which owes its origin to an extraordinary man, a lover of adventure and full of initiative, Captain James Brooke, and which is now, under his nephew Sir Charles Brooke, the second European Rajah, boldly and with a true spirit of philanthropy, being led swiftly on the path of progress and towards civilization.
Odoardo Beccari, 1902
Charles Brooke, born Charles Anthoni Johnson, the second Rajah of Sarawak, succeeded his uncle James, from whom he adopted the surname. He ruled the kingdom promoting stability, trade, and territorial control, also thanks to the support of his wife Margaret, the White Ranee. Known as Tuan Muda, he was honored by Beccari, who named after him a plant species he himself had discovered and described, Rafflesia tuan-mudae.
Photos: Sir James Brooke, Natural History Museum of Florence, Botany Collections Sir Charles Brooke, A. Bassano, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
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