Ahmad Tajuddin

Ahmad Tajuddin Akhazul Khairi Waddien KBE CMG (Jawi: ; 22 August 1913 – 4 June 1950) 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 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 1913 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 Tengah 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.

Early reign
Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin ascended the throne on 11 September 1924, after the death of his father, Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam II. 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 Mohammad Yassin (also known as "the two wicked uncles") 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. 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 residents into Brunei.

Ahmad Tajuddin traveled to Peninsular Malaya from 1 to 21 October 1931, and then, in July 1932, he became the first Brunei Ruler 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 (ADC), Pengiran Mohammad bin Pengiran Abdul Rahman Piut accompanied him on both occasions. Pengiran Anak Besar Bagol, his brother, was then named ADC.

In August, 1937, once again Ahmad Tajuddin and his family went to Selangor to attend the Golden Jubilee Celebration of Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah, Sultan of Selangor which was held in August, 1937. On his return from Selangor, in December 1937, 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.

Relations with the British Residency
Ahmad Tajuddin's somewhat reserved nature resulted in the British Resident's authority being reinforced. Moreover, during his regency and the first ten years of his reign, there were no significant crises of the kind that his father. Significantly, Sultan Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin, his grandfather, had chosen to use an outsider—in this case, an independent Englishman managing a foreign-owned cutch (mangrove bark) company—rather than rely on his resident, much like Ahmad Tajuddin had done with his Malayan private secretary and then with the former Sarawak government officer, 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, the Sultan 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 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.

Coronation
The relationship between the Sultan and the British soured when John Graham Black was appointed as the British Resident in 1937. The resident attempted to postpone and sabotage Ahmad Tajuddin's coronation ceremony and this infuriated the Sultan. This caused the resident to be replaced by Ernest Edgar Pengilly on 1 January 1940. Due to the frustration that Graham Black had caused, he was not given a farewell ceremony by the Sultan as he usually did for other residents.

Before that, he recited the Qur'an at the Istana Mahkota on 9 November 1939. The opening ceremony for the coronation ceremony commenced at the Lapau on Monday, 26 February 1940, signaling the beginning of the event forty days ahead of the actual coronation ceremony. Throughout the period, Royal embellishments adorned the procession route, accompanied by continuous music and nightly entertainment at the Lapau. The coronation ceremony itself took place successfully on 17 March 1940, adhering to Brunei's royal tradition, with attendees paying obeisance as the crown was placed on him and a procession followed through Brunei Town.

Sir Shenton Thomas suggested that he be given a Knight Commander of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (KCMG) at the time of his coronation. After all, the Sultan was the only Malay king who had not received any kind of recognition from the British Crown.

The coronation ceremony was attended by representatives of the British High Commissioner, Charles Vyner Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak and the Government of North Borneo. In conjunction with his coronation ceremony, King George VI bestowed on him the Companion of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG). Since the 1940s, the Sultan has not attended the State Assembly as a sign of protest against the British resident. He urged the British to accept Bruneians into higher positions of the Brunei Administrative Service (BAS) in order to train and give experiences to local population. For the first time ever in 1941, 25 locals were appointed to serve in the government bureaucracy.

Second World War
With the likelihood of war with the Empire of Japan increasing, in 1941, the British began to encourage the establishment of local defence forces in Brunei, and neighbouring Sarawak and Borneo. Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin approved the establishment of the Brunei Volunteer Force and Special Police Force to assist the British in stopping the Japanese invasion of Brunei. An estimated 200 Bruneians initially volunteered, but by the time of the invasion few remained and no Allied troops were stationed in Brunei. The Sultan was appointed an Honorary Colonel of the force. little about Ahmad Tajuddin's involvement after the surrender to the Japanese Kawaguchi Detachment on 22 December 1941 was known, but he was forced to hand over his powers to the Imperial Japanese Army. With the approval of Ahmad Tajuddin, the Japanese gave Ibrahim bin Mohammad Jahfar, the former Secretary to the British Resident, control of Brunei while permanent Japanese employees were being brought in. The Japanese strategy was to maintain the support of their people by allowing the Malay rulers of Malaya and Borneo to remain in position, while denying them any actual authority. Ahmad Tajuddin was kept on the throne, while the Wazir (high-ranking nobles) and Cheteria (noblemen officials) continued in their pre–war administrative roles, but doubtless under the command of Japanese military personnel. During an early 1942 visit to Brunei, Maeda Yoshinori was pictured with his top officers, the Sultan, his brother, and Pengiran Pemancha Pengiran Anak Haji Mohammad Yassin. The Japanese continued to recognise the Sultan as the head of the Islamic religion and the Royal Customs so long as he co-operated with them. He was advised by the Japanese to retire and offered a monthly pension together with medals of honour from the Emperor of Japan.

By mid-1945, the Japanese were facing defeat and their forces in Brunei were becoming more violent in their actions toward the populace. Locals were threatened by food shortage during the occupation. A plan was made to save the Sultan and the royal family from the increasing Japanese war crimes. The Sultan and his closest relatives, together with loyal palace officials, were hidden by Pehin Dato Amar Setia Diraja Haji Kassim bin Tamin, the village headman of Kampong Tentaya, Limbang, in the early months of 1945 due to the intensified Allied bombing of oil installations at Miri and Lutong, as well as the machine-gunning of the Istana Mahkota itself. During the Sultan's absence, a large portion of the Istana's contents, including pieces of the royal regalia, were looted. Istana Tantaya had been built in Kampong Tantaya and the Sultan lived there for about three months until Brunei was liberated by the Australian Army. When the Australian 9th Division liberators returned to Brunei Town on 17 June 1945, the Sultan greeted them with open arms. As soon as the Australian military commander arranged for him to be received with a guard of honour and brought to the Bubungan Dua Belas for tea, he made speedy use of medical help for his asthma and was put back in the Istana Mahkota "in protective custody." After the Japanese surrender, the Sultan and the royal family returned to Brunei Town from Kampong Tantaya on Thursday at about 3:00 am. He was immediately taken to the British Army Headquarters at Bubungan Dua Belas. From here, he went to Istana Parit.

Silver Jubilee
Following the liberation of Brunei, Ahmad Tajuddin relocated to a small home in Brunei Town together with his spouse, their kids, and attendants. The Istana Mahkota at Tumasek Point during the catastrophic Allied bombing of Brunei Town early April 1945. The Sultan physically protested in mid-1949 by moving to Kuching after his repeated requests that the British administration construct him a new Istana and give him Straits $64,630 compensation for war damage were met with indifference. Officially, British opposition to his objectives was justified by the fact that the hospital and the residency were higher priority in the post-war reconstruction effort. Ahmad Tajuddin then refused to celebrate his Silver Jubilee as a sign of protest against the residency after William John Peel refused to build a new palace.

Due to the ever-rising tension between the Sultan and the British Resident, high commissioner's secretary Eric Ernest Falk Pretty was sent to defuse the situation. In August 1948, Pretty was reappointed as a resident in an attempt to repair the relationship with the Malay states including Brunei. He recommended that the Sultan write a letter to the Secretary of State in hopes of the British government paying more attention to hardship and difficulties faced by Brunei. Pretty also made an effort to build the Sultan a new palace after the previous was destroyed in the war. Reluctantly persuaded by Malcolm MacDonald, his friend Datu Bandar Abang Haji Mustapha and Sarawak's Chief Secretary R.G. Aikman, the Sultan attended his own Silver Jubilee celebrations in Brunei on 22 September 1949. Despite checking himself into a hospital in Kuching two weeks prior due to severe illness, likely from advanced alcohol poisoning, he was upset by having to use some of his allowance to cover the festivities. However, upon returning to Brunei, he decided—or was convinced—to remain in the country, likely influenced by the commencement of construction on his new Istana.

Later reign
The suggestion of Malcolm MacDonald, that the Sultanate should not be associated with the governments in North Borneo or Sarawak, was heeded by Secretary of State for Colonies Arthur Creech Jones as the deadline of 1 July 1946, for the restoration of civilian government in Brunei drew near. Until the Sultan was informed that fresh constitutional amendments were under discussion and that a new treaty will be brought to his attention in due course, the pre-war arrangements would have to do.

A welcoming arch was built in Brunei Town upon Malcolm MacDonald's visit there in late 1946. It included the words "Restorer of Peace and Justice" under the Union Jack and the phrase "Sole Right of the Sultan and His Subjects" beneath the Brunei flag. The arch was meant to send a message to the British government that they had to respect the Sultan's and his subjects' rights if they were to establish peace and security to Brunei. The previous slogan was to be removed, per British orders, but Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin stepped in to support the local teenagers and said he liked their "national spirit" for keeping both slogans.

A year after Rajah Vyner Brooke had made public his intention to hand over Sarawak to the British Crown, in February 1947, the Sultan protested to Singaporean newspapers that his traditional rights over Sarawak had been disregarded and that if anyone was going to receive Sarawak, it should be him. It was during the reign of Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin that saw Brunei Darussalam have its own national anthem "Allah Peliharakan Sultan", which is similar to "God Save the King" in England. In 1947, the national anthem was composed by Haji Besar bin Sagap and lyrics written by Pengiran Setia Negara Pengiran Haji Mohammad Yusuf bin Pengiran Haji Abdul Rahim.

Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin gave his approval to fly the red and white flag of the Youth Front, natively known as the Barisan Pemuda (BARIP), on 12 April 1947, the day of the political party's first yearly anniversary of foundation. It conveyed to the British government that the Sultan was secretly endorsing the BARIP, an organisation that was allegedly disseminating revolutionary ideas in the vein of Indonesia. That same year on 15 July, he bestowed the title Pengiran Bendahara Seri Maharaja Permaisuara on his brother, Pengiran Muda Omar Ali Saifuddien.

By the beginning of 1950, Gerard Truman Magill MacBryan had succeeded in persuading Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin to designate him as his political advisor on international matters and to support him in his efforts to defend the Sultan's financial and constitutional rights in London. Additionally, MacBryan was given instructions by Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin to notify the authorities that "my daughter has equal rights with the daughter of the King of England to succeed to a throne" and to report to the United States of America about the injustices that Brunei had experienced as a result of "enforced treaties" with Britain.

Illness
In 1949, after moving to Kuching, the Sultan secluded himself in his bedroom for 10 days, refusing visitors and work, until an urgent call prompted his sudden departure to the hospital due to deteriorating health. The physician went to the Sultan's home to ascertain the specific cause of the illness. At the hospital, it was revealed that 423 empty beer bottles had accumulated in the Sultan's room during his solitary confinement, indicating an average consumption of 42 bottles per day, offering a plausible explanation for his deteriorating physical condition. With the Silver Jubilee looming two to three weeks away, meticulous care from physicians and nurses ensured the Sultan's presentable appearance for the event, although his grave underlying health condition, with failing kidneys due to prolonged pressure, remained a serious concern.

Death
When Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin made a stopover in Singapore en route to the United Kingdom to revise the 1906 Agreement on raising oil royalties, he fell ill and was admitted to the Singapore General Hospital on 3 June 1950. He arrived at the hospital and later passed away on the following day, from a haemorrhage he suffered at the Raffles Hotel on the night of 3 June. When news of his death spread, the Crown Prince of Johore, Tengku Ismail went to Singapore General Hospital, to bring the body of the late sultan to Istana Besar, Johore Bahru. In Johore Bahru, his body was washed and covered with white cloth by Syed Salim bin Syed Hasan, the Chief Qadhi of Johore while the funeral prayer, led by the Mufti of Johore, Syed Alwi Al-Hadad. Upon completion of his funeral, his body was laid in state at the foyer of the Grand Palace of Johore Bahru, to provide opportunities for national dignitaries, senior government officials and local community leaders from different ethnic and religious, to pay their respects to the late monarch and send their condolences to his wife. Malcolm MacDonald brought a wreath and attended the funeral on 4 June 1950.

On 5 June 1950, his coffin was taken to Kallang Airport to be flown to Labuan by the Royal Air Force (RAF) Douglas C-47 Dakota, accompanied by his wife and the royal family. Before the plane took off to Labuan, many dignitaries and ambassadors were present at the Airport to pay their respects to the late king. Among them were: As soon as the plane that carried his coffin arrived at Labuan Airport, it was met with a parade of honour, composed of members of the Labuan Police Force paying their respects to the late Sultan. His coffin was then taken to the Labuan Jetty to be brought to the Customs Wharf in Brunei by ship. When the ship carrying his coffin arrived in Brunei Town, it was greeted by the royal family, State Dignitaries, VIPs, senior government officials, and the people in attendance. His coffin was then taken to the Istana Mahkota with special vehicles. His coffin was then laid in the General Office of the Government of Brunei.
 * The Sultan of Selangor, his wife and the Crown Prince of Selangor
 * A. D. York (on behalf of Malcolm MacDonald)
 * F. J. Mellersh, AOC Malaya
 * R. J. Curtis, British advisor to Selangor
 * The Crown Prince of Johor and his wife
 * Bradley and G. T. MacBryan
 * Dato' Wan Idris, Acting Menteri Besar of Johor

The British High Commissioner, a representative of the Sarawak government, and the British Malayan Petroleum Company were among the foreign dignitaries that attended Ahmad Tajuddin's traditional funeral at the Royal Mausoleum in Brunei Town. Prior to the body being buried, a succession ceremony was held in front of the hearse at what is known as Lapau.

Malcolm MacDonald sent his sympathies to Tengku Raihani, his Malaysian consort:

I was very fond of His Highness the Sultan. He was one of the most colourful personages whom I have ever met and we had many interesting times together. I shall always remember his lively personality on future visits to Borneo.

Shortly after, Malcolm MacDonald was forced to get involved personally in the succession dispute in Brunei. Omar Ali Saifuddin III, the new Sultan, was proclaimed on 5 June 1950, with MacDonald's full approval, as the late Sultan left no male heir. This decision was confirmed by a special State Council meeting attended by prominent Bruneian figures, including British Resident Eric Ernest Falk Pretty and High Commissioner Anthony Abell. Pengiran Muda Tengah Omar Ali Saifuddin became an apparent heir when he was appointed to the position of first wazir (vizier) since he became the most senior member of Brunei's political system.

Personal life
Throughout his life, Ahmad Tajuddin has a passion for sports. In addition to being a football player, he loved to ride horses. In addition, he was regarded as an artist who had a strong interest in literature. Printed by Mohd. Darwi of Mohamediah Press, 'Guidance for Security' is a book that he left behind.

Marriage
Ahmad Tajuddin fathered three children with his primary gundik (unofficial wife), Kadayang Amas (Maskaton) binti Ampuan Salleh, who came from an ordinary family, from Kampong Sultan Lama. He married Tengku Raihani, daughter of the Sultan of Selangor, Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah, at Klang's Istana Negara on 30 April 1934, when he was 20 years old. She would later be crowned on 15 October 1935.

Family
Ahmad Tajuddin and Kadayang Amas have three daughters; Tengku Kelana Jaya Petra, the brother-in-law of the Sultan and a former Raja Muda of Selangor, put a lot of pressure on the Sultan at the time to have the heir born in Malaya, against Bruneian custom, put the mother at risk. She tried not to give in to the pressure, but the Selangor family's might won out, and Princess Nor Ehsani was born at Klang towards the end of August 1935. He would also enrolled his kids at Brunei's Catholic school.
 * Pengiran Anak Datin Seri Setia Siti Saerah (Balabab Besar), born in 1929, died on 4 November 2013.
 * Pengiran Anak Datin Seri Setia Siti Zubaidah (Balabab Tengah)
 * Pengiran Anak Datin Seri Setia Siti Halimah (Balabab Damit), born in 1935, died on 4 January 2008.

Honours

 * Order of the British Empire (Civil) Ribbon.svg Knight Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (KBE; 20 September 1949) – Sir
 * UK Order St-Michael St-George ribbon.svg Honorary Companion of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG; 6 October 1940)