HISTORY FOR BRUNEI DARUSSALAM

GROUP 16

Theme 3 - Brunei’s Relations with Outside World

(Arrival of the Spanish in Brunei in 1521)

1-CONTENTS
• Who came to Brunei in 1521? – The Spanish
• Why did they come? - A voyage around the world / trade / adventure?

Ferdinand Magellan, Portuguese maritime explorer.

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Antonio Pigafetta

2
Victoria

• Description of Brunei in 1521

Report by Antonio Pigafetta
a) The system of government
Sultan, his brothers, nobles, officials, chiefs, warriors,
commoners
b) Life of the Sultan (Sultan Bolkiah 1485-1524) & protocol
c) The city and way of life of the people
d) The Sultanate (Islamic country)

2-LEARNING OUTCOME (Aim)

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Students will be able to know: -
2.1- the traditional way of respect to the Sultan
2.2 -the religion of Brunei - Islam
2.3- mutual respect for foreigners (the crew of Victoria from Spain were welcomed)
2.4- to learn and appreciate the way of life, importance of protocol, necessity of
security
2.5- the using of time line to show the condition of Brunei before Antonio
Pigafetta and after his visit (50 years)
2.6- the role of men and women in the society
2.7- trade with China
Evidence- silk hangings
-Brocade curtains

CONCEPTS
-Sultanate - Kingship
-Chronology of events
- Evidence from where? The letter of Antonio Pigafetta
Where is the origional?
- Time of arrival why in the month of July 1521?
(Monsoon Winds?)

THINKING SKILLS

1) Analysing Chinese report (Chua Ju Kua’s report - richness of Brunei)

Sulu’s attack in 1369 – wealth plundered)

2) Sequence of events (Comparison)

Chinese visits & Sulu attack

Antonio Pigafetta’s visit (1521)

Castilla War (1533 attack by the Spanish)

Separation of Sulu

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3) The Sultan at the time of Antonio’s visit should have been Sultan Bolkiah
(His other name could have been Raja Siripada)

3) Identifying
• The document - from where?
• The month of arrival. Why July?
• The originality of the document
• 25,000 houses? (Is it an exaggeration?)

5) Comparing (past vs. present)

• Brick wall + towers. (Past)
• Women engaged in trade
• Filipinos & Bruneians in 1521 (attitude towards foreigners)

VALUES

1- Respect for the Sultan

2- Protocol
3- Tolerance- openness
4- Appreciation of culture
• To avoid conflict and war
• To avoid Confrontation

5- Good governarance
6- Harmony (in the country and the outside world)

ACTIVITIES

1- Acting / short drama with proper costume (Elephants?)

PART 1 PART 2
The killing of Ferdinand The way of life
Magellan in the Philippines Antonio Pigafetta in Brunei
Details of the Ship Victoria

OTHER RESOURCES
1) Chinese report (Chua Ju Kua) and Arab reports
2) Internet research
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