House of Bolkiah

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House of Bolkiah
Royal family
Personal Emblem of the Sultan of Brunei.svg
Emblem of the Sultan of Brunei
Hassanal Bolkiah.jpg
Hassanal Bolkiah in 2009
CountryBrunei Darussalam (previously the Bruneian Empire)
Place of originAllegedly Tarim, Emirate of Zabid
Founded1363 or 1368
FounderSultan Muhammad Shah
Current headHassanal Bolkiah
TitlesSultan of Brunei
Politics of Brunei
Coat of arms of Brunei.svg
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The House of Bolkiah is the ruling royal family of Brunei Darussalam. It is composed of the descendants of the 1st sultan Sultan Muhammad Shah and his family. The Sultan of Brunei is the head of state and absolute monarch of Brunei. He is also head of government in his capacity as Prime Minister.[1]

Since independence from the British in 1984, only one Sultan has reigned, though the royal institution dates back to the 14th century.[2] The Sultan of Brunei can be thought of as synonymous with the ruling House of Bolkiah, with descendency being traced from the 1st sultan, temporarily interrupted by the 13th sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin who in turn was deposed by a member of the House of Bolkiah. It is not clear when the house became known as the 'House of Bolkiah', and whether it was named after the current sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, or the 5th sultan Bolkiah.[citation needed]

Title[]

See also: Style (form of address) § Brunei

The full title of the Sultan is: His Majesty The Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam (Kebawah Duli Yang Maha Mulia Paduka Seri Baginda Sultan dan Yang di-Pertuan Negara Brunei Darussalam).[1]

Today, the surname Bolkiah is carried by any descendant of the House of Bolkiah. Members of the royal household hold high and influential positions in government.

Sons and grandsons of Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah are referred to in the style "His Royal Highness" (HRH) or "Pengiran Muda" in Malay, differing from the royals belonging to the cadet branches which are addressed as "The Lord" (HH) or "Pengiran Anak" in Malay.

List of Sultans[]

For a list, see List of Sultans of Brunei.

Uncertainties[]

The earliest historical record of the Sultans of Brunei is not clearly known due to the poor early documentation of Brunei's history. Many elder members of the House of Bolkiah claim that their ancestors were the BaHassan and BaAlawi Saadah from Tarim in the Hadhramaut region in modern-day Yemen. In addition there has been an effort to Islamise the history, with the "official history" not matching up with verifiable foreign sources. The Batu Tarsilah, the genealogical record of the kings of Brunei, was not established until 1807 CE.[citation needed]

See also[]

  • List of Sultans of Brunei
  • Line of succession to the Bruneian throne

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b "Prime Minister". The Prime Minister's Office of Brunei Darussalam. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
  2. ^ "Sultan-Sultan Brunei" (in Malay). Government of Brunei. Archived from the original on 15 April 2015. Retrieved 24 April 2011.
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