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The Legend of Sir James Brooke: The Adventurer's Throne
02/03/2026
The Legend of Sir James Brooke: The Adventurer's Throne
In this episode of The Old World, Will tells the history of Sir James Brooke, the first White Rajah of Sarawak, from the time of his birth in the glorious Raj of the East India Company to his privately funded and high-stakes battle against poison blow-dart-wielding headhunters in the steaming jungles of Borneo to become a Rajah, a feat never equalled by any other European. It’s an exciting tale of stormed barricades, gunboat diplomacy with a private yacht, and bravery in the face of immense adversity. Read more about James here: Follow us on Instagram here: All pictures are public domain from Wikimedia Commons, except the following: Map of the British East India Company Dominions: Moll, Herman, -1732, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons First image of the First Anglo-Burmese War: Myanmar’s Defence Services Museum, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Datu Patinggi Ali picture: Alena Murang, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Image of Dayak with dart gun: AnonymousUnknown author, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Picture of the jungle: Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons Last picture, of the house in Kuching credit: Frank S. Marryat, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons
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