Borneo’s People and Richness

Throughout the ages, people from different countries and ethnic groups have crossed the ocean to reach Borneo, leaving their mark. Once a foreign land, it is now the homeland of a rich diversity of peoples and cultures.

婆羅洲，住民與風采icon

Chronologies

This island has a complicated history.
A brief history of Borneo：
  • 6th-13th century AD
    Borneo was a center for trade from China to India.
  • 14th century AD
    Borneo was under the influence of the Majapahit Empire (the predecessor of Indonesia) and then China during the Ming dynasty.
  • 13th-16th century AD
    The peak of Bruneian Sultanate.
  • 19th century AD-World War II
    British and Dutch colonial periods.
  • 1941-1945
    Brief Japanese colonial period.
  • Following the war, Great Britain and the Netherlands briefly colonized Borneo.
  • 1949
    Indonesia became independent.
  • 1963
    Sabah and Sarawak became part of the Federation of Malaysia.
  • 1984
    Brunei became independent.
A brief history of Taiwan：
  • Before 1624
    Prehistoric age.
  • Early 17th century
    Dutch and Spanish colonial period.
  • Late 17th century
    Kingdom of Tungning (reigning house of Koxinga).
  • 18th-19th century
    Qing dynasty influence.
  • Early 20th century
    Japanese colonial period.
  • Late 20th century-today
    Taiwan’s post-war period.
1400–1890年間，汶萊帝國領土主導權的演變
Former empire

In Brunei, known as ‘渤泥Bóní ’ in ancient China, people once held animistic beliefs or practiced Hinduism. After conversion to Islam in the 15th century, the Bruneian Empire became more powerful. In the 16th century, it expanded to include the coastal areas of Borneo and small islands at the southern of Philippines.

After the 17th century, due to strife within the royal family and expansion of European colonial powers, governance of the island was virtually split between Great Britain and the Netherlands.

It was not until 1984 that Brunei became independent. Even though it currently accounts for less than one percent of Borneo’s land area, Brunei possesses abundant natural gas and oil, which it exports as it seeks to regain its economic glory.
 


Territorial changes of Sultanate of Brunei from 1400 to 1890
by Night Lantern - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=59533144 

婆羅洲的殖民時期，英國與荷蘭在婆羅洲的大致勢力範圍
Arrival of the colonists

Portugal, Spain, the Netherlands, Great Britain, and the United States…came in contact with this island one after the other.

The British mainly developed their interests in northern Borneo. Sarawak was governed by members of the Brooke family, known as “the White Rajahs.” They gradually expanded from the west, eroding Brunei’s territory. The British formed the North Borneo Chartered Company to manage Sabah. Under the influence of eastern and western forces, Brunei’s territory gradually shrunk to its current size. The loss of the Limbang region resulted in the disconnection of Brunei’s eastern and western territories.

The history of Kalimantan, Indonesia is more complicated. Although the Dutch successfully removed the kongsi federations created by the Chinese, they were concerned about China’s rising power. It wasn’t until the 19th century that the Netherlands significantly expanded its influence from western Borneo to its eastern and southern areas.


The general influence of the British and Dutch in Borneo during colonial period.
by Ranking Update- Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=31705533 

A new chapter
The end of World War II was followed by waves of decolonization across regions.
What was the situation at that time on Borneo?
Part of Borneo was historically a Dutch colony. Following the four-year Indonesian War of Independence, the Dutch declared Indonesia’s independence in 1949.

There was another area of Borneo that was historically a British colony (excluding Brunei). In 1963, it merged with the Federation of Malaya (which became independent in 1957) to form a new federation.
Brunei continued to be a British protectorate until its independence in 1984.
Today, Borneo is the only island in the world governed by three different political powers.

On wind and waves

For generations, Borneo has been home to the Malayo-Polynesian ethnic group, known for their seafaring heritage. Other ethnic groups have also come on the scene: Asian merchants engaged in trade and Chinese immigrants arrived in the 14th century. In the 16th century, there was contact with European powers.

The definition of “homeland” varies among ethnic groups, but it is invariably linked to the courage to cross oceans and accept the challenges of adapting to life in a new place. 

峭壁林-巴哥國家公園-沈競辰
Chinese junk in Kinabatangan, Borneo (ca. 1935-1936)

by Martin Johnson (1884–1937) - The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum, Public Domain,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=50901206

拉卜灣長鼻猴保護區
Teng Yun Temple, Brunei
The temple has been the religious center of the local Chinese community for more than a hundred years. The main deity worshiped here is Guangze Zunwang.

by Stefan Fussan, CC BY-SA 3.0,
https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=22673969

博物館剪影

Co-organizer

National Museum of Prehistory

Center of Austronesian Culture in National Taitung University

Forestry and Nature Conservation Agency, MOA 

Taiwan Biodiversity Research Institute, MOA

Fengshan Tropical Horticultural Experiment Branch, Agricultural Research Institute, MOA

Xianglin Community Development Association, Manzhou Township, Pingtung

Taiwan Architecture & Building Center

2024.05.03 - 2024.11.15

The 1st Exhibition Gallery；
The Sunshine Pathway

Organized by

National Museum of Natural Science (NMNS)

The Society of Wilderness (SOW)

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