Liu Shan Bang () (1800 – 1857) was a Chinese gold miner in Bau,

Sarawak Sarawak (; ) is a state of Malaysia. The largest among the 13 states, with an area almost equal to that of Peninsular Malaysia, Sarawak is located in northwest Borneo Island, and is bordered by the Malaysian state of Sabah to the northeast, ...

. He was best known as the leader of the 1857 Chinese Uprising against the White Rajah

James Brooke Sir James Brooke, Rajah of Sarawak (29 April 1803 – 11 June 1868), was a British soldier and adventurer who founded the Raj of Sarawak in Borneo. He ruled as the first White Rajah of Sarawak from 1841 until his death in 1868. Brooke was b ...

History

A Hakka born in Lufeng,

Guangdong Guangdong (, ), alternatively romanized as Canton or Kwangtung, is a coastal province in South China on the north shore of the South China Sea. The capital of the province is Guangzhou. With a population of 126.01 million (as of 2020) ...

of the

Qing dynasty The Qing dynasty ( ), officially the Great Qing,, was a Manchu-led imperial dynasty of China and the last orthodox dynasty in Chinese history. It emerged from the Later Jin dynasty founded by the Jianzhou Jurchens, a Tungusic-spea ...

, around 1800, Liu left for Sambas, Borneo, at the age of 20. He is said to have worked at the Sam Tiau Kow ( Santiaogou) gold mine there until mistreatment by the Dutch caused him to lead a group of miners to the Bau area of Sarawak (perhaps

Pangkalan Tebang Pangkalan Tebang ( zh, 新山) is a former gold mining townKaur, Amarjit (February 1995) "The Babbling Brookes: Economic Change in Sarawak 1841–1941" ''Modern Asian Studies'' 29(1): pp. 65-109, p.73 in the Bau District, Kuching Division of Sar ...

). He organised the 'Twelve Kongsi' company which operated the Mau San gold mine and made the mining town of Mau San (or Bau Lama) effectively self-governing.Kaur, Amarjit (February 1995) "The Babbling Brookes: Economic Change in Sarawak 1841-1941" ''Modern Asian Studies'' 29(1): pp. 65-109, p.73. They unearthed gold deposits and turned Mau San into a prosperous and thriving gold town. Events allegedly took a wrong turn when The White Rajah,

, imposed high taxes on the gold mine business.

Revolt and massacre

On 18 February 1857, Liu Shan Bang led 600 Chinese rebels by the

Sarawak River The Sarawak River ( ms, Sungai Sarawak) is a river in Sarawak, Malaysia. It is an important source of water and transportation for the inhabitants in southwestern Sarawak. The river is also used for water-related sport activities such as the annu ...

to attack the White Rajah in Kuching. Unknown to the rebels, Brooke fled from his home and dived into the Kuching River to emerge to the other side. Five Europeans were killed, properties including Brooke's house were burnt, and the town in disarray, with most Europeans sheltering in the grounds of the Anglican Church. The rebels mistook a 17 year-old boy as the White Rajah, beheaded him and paraded his head on a pole around the town. However, the insurgents did not want to assume the government; they offered it to Helms the manager of the

Borneo Company Borneo Company Limited, formed in 1856, was one of the oldest companies based in East Malaysia (Sarawak and Sabah). History Brooke era The Borneo Company Limited (BCL) was registered in London in June 1856 with a capital of £60,000 and off ...

and another trader called Ruppell, with the Datu Bandar administering the Malays, and withdrew upriver. Liu also sat on the White Rajah's seat.

Death

However, only a day later, Liu had discovered that the White Rajah was still alive. In retaliation, Brooke enlisted the help of his Malay supporters, while his nephew Charles Brooke sailed from Lingga with a force of Iban soldiers. On 23 February Charles led a force of

Ibans The Ibans or Sea Dayaks are a branch of the Dayak peoples on the island of Borneo in South East Asia. Dayak is a title given by the westerners to the local people of Borneo island. It is believed that the term "Iban" was originally an exonym ...

to join up with the local

Bidayuh Bidayuh is the collective name for several indigenous groups found in southern Sarawak, Malaysia and northern West Kalimantan, Indonesia, on the island of Borneo, which are broadly similar in language and culture (see also issues below). The ...

tribes in pursuit of Liu and his rebels. The following day, while on the way back to Bau, Liu and his rebels were under attack by the Rajah's Iban forces. Liu managed to regroup at Jugan in Siniawan, but was heavily outnumbered. There Liu was shot dead and his rebels were killed. Charles' Iban forces pursued the remaining rebels to Bau, where they slaughtered the 3,000 villagers including women, children and old folks in a massacre and left their bodies to rot.

Legacy

A stone was placed to mark his grave, and a small temple erected by it, although the reason was kept secret for over a century. Liu was elevated by the community to a deity named “Shin”.A Chinese Rajah — Story of Liu Shan Bang, https://www.newsarawaktribune.com.my/news/a-chinese-rajah-story-of-liu-shan-bang/?amp On 27 July 1993, Liu Shanbang was included in the 'freedom fighters, liberators, and martyrs' unveiled on the new Heroes' Monument in the

Sarawak Museum The Sarawak State Museum ( ms, Muzium Negeri Sarawak) is the oldest museum in Borneo. It was founded in 1888 and opened in 1891 in a purpose-built building in Kuching, Sarawak. It has been said that naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace encouraged C ...

Garden.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Liu, Shan Bang Malaysian rebels Malaysian warriors People from Sarawak Year of birth unknown 1857 deaths Raj of Sarawak Malaysian people of Hakka descent 1850s in British Malaya People of British Borneo 1800 births