Kota Batu, Brunei

Kota Batu is a historical as well as populated area in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital of Brunei. It is home to the Kota Batu archaeological site, a few of the country's museums and two mausoleums of the earliest Sultans of Brunei. However, the place is still populated and at present it is a neighbourhood of the capital.

The archaeological site in Kota Batu was discovered in the 1950s and it was the first one in the archaeological history of the country. Kota Batu archaeological site has since become the largest and most prominent, which has since yielded important artifacts, most notably Chinese porcelain which are datable to the Song dynasty (960–1279 AD). The site has also unearthed remains of stone structures from the place eventually obtained the name. The site has now been made into an 'archaeological park' where it is opened to the public.

Name
"Kota Batu" is the Malay term which literally means "Stone Fort".

History
Kota Batu was believed to be the ancient capital of Brunei. During the Castilian War, the Spaniards capture the city on April 16, 1578; the Bruneians retook it in June 26, 1578. The city remained the capital before the emergence of Kampong Ayer, which is further inland, and over the Brunei River, during the Brunei Civil War in the 17th century. According to Brunei source Silsilah Raja-Raja Brunei, Kota Batu was founded by Sultan Sharif Ali. Among the founding workers were Chinese people. The palace, masjid and educational institutions were built in the quickly developing center of the Sultanate. During the reign of Sultan Muhammad Hasan, there were "two palaces within a square compound surrounded by a wall" in Kota Batu.

Antonio Pigafetta's report from 1521 and the Boxer Codex from 1590, on the other hand, provide more comprehensive sources about Kota Batu. These documents clearly describe the topography of Kota Batu based on the locations of the dignitaries' and residents' houses, the Sultan's palace, and the factories made of stone. For instance, Pigafetta stated in the report that, "... the city (Brunei) was entirely built on salt water except for the King's palace and the residence of some dignitaries, which was in front of the Sultan's palace there was a wall made of stones large with fortress towers like a defensive wall." The site of the currency and pottery factories in the area is mentioned in the Boxer Codex.

However, no remnants in the form of palace construction sites or dignitary residences for the Sultan have been discovered to far. Naturally, this is related to the bamboo and wood culture seen in Malay architectural construction, which is readily damaged and hard to find. Archaeologists have been able to pinpoint the locations of the coin and pottery workshops mentioned by Pigafetta and the Boxer Codex, though, thanks to the finding of coins and pieces of regional pottery in the Kota Batu highlands. It is certain that the location of the Sultan's palace is close to the coin pieces based on the discovery of these items. Except for the palace of Sultan Muhammad Hasan, which was constructed at Tanjung Chandana and is the one that was on Berambang Island, no oral tradition in Brunei has ever mentioned the Sultan's palace in Kota Batu.

Archeology
While numerous historical artefacts from both before and after the State of Brunei was established in the middle of the 14th century have been discovered during the excavation work at Kota Batu, which was initiated by Tom Harrisson in 1952–1953. Among these are Islamic coins minted after 1425 and Chinese coins dating from 723 to 1425, or the Tang, Song, and Ming Dynasties. The sole marking on these Islamic coins that identify them as such are the words "Al-Adil" on the surface rather than a date or issuer.

Given that the Spanish report in the Boxer Codex from 1590 describes the existence of a currency factory in Brunei that issued two types of ceiling money called Paku and Pitis—that is, one Paku is equal to 32 Pitis—it is not impossible that the coins were produced there. Pitis coins are composed of a blend of lead and tin, whereas Paku coins are made of a mixture of copper and silver. These two currencies can only be used within Brunei and are not permitted to be carried outside of the country. The Boxer Codex study states that prior to the Sultan of Brunei introducing the two ceiling currencies, Brunei possessed silver coins of its own. The Sultan's seal appears on this coin, which goes by the name "Batguin." Due to the fact that this currency is utilised for trade between Brunei and overseas merchants, Brunei frequently runs out of money when they withdraw money. Brunei, on the other hand, has adopted coin money. a brand-new Paku and special Pitis intended just for home usage.

Coins, glass objects like beads, buttons, and chains, metal objects like iron and bronze, woodwork objects like common tools and historic building structures, and stone objects like carved stones and structures were also discovered. In addition to ceramics produced in Siam, Indo-China, and Brunei, there are piled stones and Chinese porcelain and stoneware pottery from the Sung and Ming dynasties. These artifacts' finding sheds light on Brunei's function as the primary commercial hub in northwest Borneo. The production process Antonio Pigafetta described in 1521—"pottery made from clay planted in the ground for 50 years to obtain good pottery quality."

The Department of Brunei Museums conducted systematic and ongoing excavations in Kota Batu during the 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s, yielding fresh insights on the function of Kota Batu as the site of Brunei's pre-colonial government. One of them is an extension of Tom Harrison's excavations, involving the excavation and analysis of stone constructions discovered along riverbanks. According to the excavation's findings, the arrangement of the stones forms a causeway that links Terindak Island, which is situated across from the riverbank, with the upper portion of the Kota Batu region. This embankment was constructed so precisely that it includes stone stacks and soil mounds to create a stronger embankment. The structure of the stones makes it evident that the embankment was built for two purposes: first, as a causeway or road connecting Terindak Island to Kota Batu's mainland, and second, as an embankment defence for Kota Batu's north and east from outside attacks. It's probable that every ship coming into Brunei Bay will utilise it as a lookout point.

Pigafetta refers to "in front of the King's palace there is a wall made of large stones with fortress towers like a fortress with 56 copper cannon barrels and six base cannons installed" in his report on Kota Batu. An early idea of the look of Kota Batu's defensive castle has been provided by the description. Sultan Sharif Ali may have recruited Chinese labourers to build the fortress, which is why it could have been shaped like the Great Wall of China. This is consistent with Pigafetta's account and the finding of the embankment, which demonstrates that Brunei's guards had been using the top portion of the city as a route to observe activities outside the walls.

At actuality, a great deal of the archaeological finds made at Kota Batu remain uninterpreted, such the finding of a square stone construction on the hillside. With 13 pillar bases spread out across the construction, measuring 25.8 x 25.4 meters, and a space of around 3.5 meters between each pillar base, the structure is rather large. The first theory regarding this construction is that it is either a mosque or hall due to its design fitting in with the building, or it is a tomb complex since a broken tombstone with carvings on the side of the structure was discovered. The structure was constructed in the 15th century, according to the relative chronology of thirty-three overseas potteries found, most of them came from China during the Ming Dynasty.

An overview of the historical chronology in the region that served as the capital of the Sultanate of Brunei from the 10th century may be obtained from the data gathered from the archaeological findings in Kota Batu, particularly the remnants of wooden and stone constructions. For instance, the wooden building discovered along the riverbank may be related to a Chinese account of Brunei (Pu-ni) in 977, which states that the city was formerly bordered with boards before Sultan Sharif Ali restored the wall with stone in the 15th century. The finding of relics from ancient periods, including Chinese coins and ceramics at the 10th century, the Song Dynasty established the establishment of a civilisation at Kota Batu. Although it was constructed by Sultan Sharif Ali, the finding of a stone structure recognised as a defensive fortress.

Administration
As Kota Batu is still a populated area, it is primarily gazetted as a village, the third- and lowest-level administrative division of Brunei. It is one of the villages under the mukim of the same name, which a subdistrict of Brunei-Muara District. Kota Batu is also a designated postcode area with the postcode BD1517. However, the archaeological site in Kota Batu as well as its vicinity, which includes the mausoleums and the museums' area, have also been gazetted under the Antiquities and Treasure Trove Act of 1967 and thus managed by the government's Museums Department.

Since 2007, Kota Batu has also been incorporated into Bandar Seri Begawan municipal area and thus, becomes a neighbourhood of the capital.

Historical places
Kota Batu is home to among the most important historical places in Brunei, which also serve as the country's tourist attractions.

Royal mausoleums
Kota Batu is also home to two royal tombs which belong to the third and fifth Sultans of Brunei, Sharif Ali and Bolkiah. The official history dates the Sultans to had lived in the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries respectively. Mausoleums have been built in the modern time to house the tombs.

Museums
In regards to the historical importance of Kota Batu, a few museums have been established in the area. The Brunei Museum is the national museum of Brunei and the current building was inaugurated in 1972, although it is temporarily closed since 2014 until further notice. The Malay Technology Museum was opened in 1984 and has galleries mainly dedicated to depicting the traditional lifestyle and technology which had been practiced by the Kampong Ayer residents throughout history. The most recent museum in Kota Batu is the Brunei Darussalam Maritime Museum; it was inaugurated in 2015 and mainly exhibits the artifacts from the Brunei Shipwreck which was discovered off the coast of Brunei in 1997.

Notable people

 * Mohammad Tashim (born 1970), syariah judge and politician