Editing History of Brunei (section)

== Brunei in the 14th century ==
=== Early Sino-Koreanic influence ===
The largest river in the territory, the ''[[Kinabatangan River|Kinabatangan]]'', was believed to be named by earlier Chinese settlers which had a factory to collect birds nests, beche-de-mer, shark fins, Borneon camphor, pearl, and pearl shells for export to China. The productions of North and Northeast Borneo from early times attracted considerable attention from Chinese merchants.<ref>{{citation |last1=Low |first1=Hugh |title=SĔLĔSÎLAH (BOOK OF THE DESCENT) OF THE RAJAS OF BRUNI |date=June 1880 |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/41560643 |journal=Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society |issue=5 |page=6 |jstor=41560643}}</ref>

One of the earliest Chinese records of an independent kingdom in Borneo is the 977 AD letter to the Chinese emperor from the ruler of Boni, which some scholars believe to refer to Borneo.<ref name="Hutton2000">{{cite book |author=Wendy Hutton |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=YWO5Va53GkgC&pg=PA30 |title=Adventure Guides: East Malaysia |publisher=Tuttle Publishing |year=2000 |isbn=978-962-593-180-7 |page=30}}</ref> The Bruneians regained their independence from Srivijaya due to the onset of a Javanese-Sumatran war.<ref>Coedes, Indianized States, Page 128, 132.</ref> In 1225, the Chinese official [[Zhao Rukuo]] reported that Boni had 100 warships to protect its trade and that there was great wealth in the kingdom.{{sfn|History for Brunei Darussalam|2009|p=43}} [[Marco Polo]] suggested in his memoirs that the Great Khan or the ruler of the Mongol Empire, attempted and failed many times in invading "Great Java" which was the European name for Bruneian controlled Borneo.<ref name=":1">Journal of Southeast Asian Studies Vol. 14, No. 1 (Mar. 1983) Page 40. Published by: Cambridge University Press.</ref>{{Additional citation needed|date=December 2021}}

During the early years of [[Ming Dynasty]], the Emperor of China had sent two officers named Wang Kong and [[Ong Sum Ping]] to get the ''gemala'' (glowing orb) of the Dragon which lived on [[Mount Kinabalu|China Balu]] where the mountain's name itself refers to the great number of Chinese lives lost being eaten by the Dragon.<ref>{{citation|title=Journal of the Straits Branch of the Royal Asiatic Society|url=http://www.sabrizain.org/malaya/library/jsbras/jsbras05.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.sabrizain.org/malaya/library/jsbras/jsbras05.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live|date=June 1880|page=2}}</ref> It is said that Ong Sum Ping later married Princess Ratna Dewi, the daughter of Sultan [[Muhammad Shah of Brunei]]. For that he was conferred the nobility title of Pengiran Maharaja Lela and elected Chief of [[Kinabatangan District|Kinabatangan]].<ref>{{citation|title=Pusat Sejarah Brunei: Sultan-Sultan Brunei|url=http://www.pusat-sejarah.gov.bn/Info%20Sejarah/Sultan%20-%20Sultan%20Brunei.aspx}}</ref>

When the admiral [[Zheng He]] visited the Brunei in the early 15th century, he encountered a major trading port which included Chinese people who were actively trading with China.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Church |first=Peter |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=FW8wDgAAQBAJ |title=A Short History of South-East Asia |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |year=2017 |isbn=978-1-119-06249-3 |pages=3 |language=en}}</ref>

=== Bruneian conquest of Borneo and the Philippines ===

According to Wang Zhenping, in the 1300s, ''the Yuan Dade nanhai zhi'' or "Yuan dynasty Dade period southern sea records" reported that Brunei administered [[Sarawak]] and [[Sabah]] as well as the Philippine kingdoms of: [[Rajahnate of Butuan|Butuan]], [[Sultanate of Sulu|Sulu]], [[Ma-i]] (Mindoro), [[Kingdom of Maynila|Malilu]] (Manila), [[Sanmalan|Shahuchong]] (Siocon or [[Zamboanga City|Zamboanga]]), Yachen ([[Oton]], once part of the [[Madja-as|Madja-as Kedatuan]]), and Wenduling ([[Sultanate of Maguindanao|Mindanao]]),<ref>[https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/228735802.pdf Reading Song-Ming Records on the Pre-colonial History of the Philippines] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230213131445/https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/228735802.pdf |date=13 February 2023 }} By Wang Zhenping Page 256.</ref> which would regain their independence at a later date.<ref>[https://www.jstor.org/stable/20072046?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior%3Ab027257328390a5b4d7284dcfce8eaef&seq=12#page_scan_tab_contentsFrom Quanzhou to the Sulu Zone and beyond: Questions Related to the Early Fourteenth Century] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221203140707/https://www.jstor.org/stable/20072046?read-now=1&refreqid=excelsior:b027257328390a5b4d7284dcfce8eaef&seq=12#page_scan_tab_contentsFrom |date=3 December 2022 }} By: Roderich Ptak. Page 280</ref> It eventually evolved to be called Pon-i and it was a vassal-state to the Javanese-centered Majapahit Empire.{{sfn|Suyatno|2008}}

=== Hindu Majapahit invasion of Borneo ===
In the 14th century, the [[Java]]nese manuscript ''[[Nagarakretagama]]'', written by [[Mpu Prapanca|Prapanca]] in 1365, mentioned ''Barune'' as the constituent state of Hindu [[Majapahit]],<ref>{{cite web | title=Naskah Nagarakretagama | publisher=Perpustakaan Nasional Republik Indonesia | url=http://kelembagaan.pnri.go.id/Digital_Docs/homepage_folders/activities/highlight/naskah_nagara_kretagama/isi.htm | language=id | access-date=13 October 2014 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170523163555/http://kelembagaan.pnri.go.id/Digital_Docs/homepage_folders/activities/highlight/naskah_nagara_kretagama/isi.htm | archive-date=23 May 2017 | url-status=dead }}</ref> which had to make an annual [[tribute]] of 40 [[catty|katis]] of [[camphor]]. In 1369, Sulu which was also formerly part of Majapahit, had successfully rebelled and then attacked Boni, and had invaded the Northeast Coast of Borneo<ref>Ming shi, 325, p. 8411, p. 8422.</ref> and afterward had looted the capital of its treasure and gold including sacking two sacred pearls. A fleet from Majapahit succeeded in driving away the Sulus, but Boni was left weaker after the attack.{{sfn|History for Brunei Darussalam|2009|p=44}} A Chinese report from 1371 described Boni as poor and totally controlled by Majapahit.{{sfn|History for Brunei Darussalam|2009|p=45}}