Silsilah Raja-raja Brunei as a Malay Historiographical Text

Abstract

This study aims to identify and analyse the characteristics of Malay historiography in the Silsilah Raja-Raja Brunei in order to establish its standing as a work of Malay historiography. The manuscript does not merely serve as a reference for the genealogical lineage of Brunei's sultans, but also plays a significant role in constructing political legitimacy, disseminating religious values, and shaping the cultural identity of Bruneian society. This study employs library-based research and virtual library methods to gather relevant reference sources, alongside textual analysis of Manuscript A and Manuscript B as transliterated by Sweeney (1968). The analysis is guided by a framework of four principal characteristics proposed by Teuku Iskandar (1988) and Harun Mat Piah et al. (2006), namely the origins of the ruler, the royal genealogical lineage, the founding of the state, and the arrival and development of Islam. The findings demonstrate that both manuscripts fulfil all four characteristics, affirming that they constitute a work of Malay historiography richly embedded with historical, political, religious, and cultural dimensions within the literary heritage of the Nusantara. As such, this study holds significance not only academically, but also in terms of its broader implications for cultural heritage preservation and the teaching of Malay-Bruneian history across various levels.

Keywords: Silsilah Raja-Raja Brunei, Brunei history, Malay historiography, political legitimacy, Islamisation.