Sulaiman ibni Sharif Ali (
Jawi: ; died 1513), also known as Senior King (''Raja Tua'') and Adipati Agung (''Sang Aji''), was the fifth
Sultan of Brunei, according to ''Silsilah Raja-Raja Berunai''. He succeeded his father in 1432 and ruled until his abdication in 1485, to allow his son
Bolkiah to become Sultan.
Under his reign,
Malacca and the eastern region of
Southeast Asia
Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...
saw Brunei grow into a powerful imperial force. In addition, he was the first
sultan
Sultan (; ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it came to be use ...
to be in charge of building a
mosque
A mosque ( ), also called a masjid ( ), is a place of worship for Muslims. The term usually refers to a covered building, but can be any place where Salah, Islamic prayers are performed; such as an outdoor courtyard.
Originally, mosques were si ...
in addition to being the architect of
Kota Batu. According to oral tradition, the sultan was said to live more than 100 years old. In the
Boxer Codex, he was known as Sultan Soliman by the Spaniards.
Reign
Pengiran Muda Besar Sulaiman, Sharif Ali's son, succeeded him after his death in 1432. During his reign, he continued the legacies of his father in strengthening the spread of
Islam
Islam is an Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the Quran, and the teachings of Muhammad. Adherents of Islam are called Muslims, who are estimated to number Islam by country, 2 billion worldwide and are the world ...
and the construction of Kota Batu.
Although there are several ideas about how the Brunel Legal Code came to be, its provisions were put into effect under his father's reign and following ones. For instance, two royal siblings were charged with having
incest sex. Sultan Sulaiman passed a
judgement, ordering the construction of an underground cell, the
confinement and
execution
Capital punishment, also known as the death penalty and formerly called judicial homicide, is the state-sanctioned killing of a person as punishment for actual or supposed misconduct. The sentence ordering that an offender be punished in ...
of the
defendants. From these indications, Sultan Sulaiman fairly applied the law to all defendants no matter their status or affiliation with the
royal family
A royal family is the immediate family of monarchs and sometimes their extended family.
The term imperial family appropriately describes the family of an emperor or empress, and the term papal family describes the family of a pope, while th ...
. Even during his rule, royal relatives who disobeyed Islamic teachings faced harsh punishment regardless of their position or rank.
In 1485, he abdicated in favour of his son, Bolkiah. His title was then changed to Paduka Seri Begawan Sultan, and was still alive when the
Spanish invaded Brunei in April 1578, and they referred to him as the Raja Tua. Sultan Sulaiman died in 1513, and his
tombstone is located the Royal Mausoleum Jalan Subok. The inscription his tombstone mentions the name of the sultan and the date of his death.
Personal life
Sultan Sulaiman had the following issue:
*
Sultan Bolkiah, 5th Sultan of Brunei
See also
*
Greater Sunda Islands
*
List of Sultans of Brunei
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Sulaiman
15th-century sultans of Brunei
1513 deaths
Bruneian people of Saudi Arabian descent
Year of birth unknown