Muhammad Jamalul Alam II

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam II II محمد جملول علام
Sultan of Brunei
Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam II, the 26^th Sultan of Brunei
Reign	May 10, 1906 - September 24, 1924 (death)
Born	1889
Birthplace	Brunei
Died	September 11, 1924
Place of death	Brunei
Buried	Kubah Makam Di Raja
Predecessor	Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin
Successor	Ahmad Tajuddin
Consort	Raja Isteri Fatimah
Issue	Ahmad Tajuddin Omar Ali Saifuddin III
Father	Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin
Mother	Pengiran Isteri Fatimah

Sri Paduka Bawah Duli Yang di-Pertuan Sultan Sir Muhammad Jamal ul-Alam II Khair wa ud-din ibni al-Marhum Sri Paduka Bawah Duli Yang di-Pertuan Sultan Hashim Jalil ul-Alam Aqam ud-din, KCMG (1889-11 September 1924) was Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei Dar us-Salam from 1906 to 1924.

He was the eldest son of Sultan Hashim Jalilul Alam Aqamaddin. When his father died, the responsibility of the Sultan was in the hands of the Majlis Pemangku Raja, that is the Council of Regency. It was only in 1918 that His Highness was crowned as Sultan. Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam II took a great deal of interest in the progress of the country, encouraging advances in agriculture, medicine and education.

He also encouraged the teaching and learning of Islam which was often carried out in the surau or small mosque. As a sign of his commitment to Islam, Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam II built a mosque despite the country's lack of revenue. The mosque was built on a piece of land near the present Kampong Sultan Lama. The local community used the mosque until it was destroyed in wartime bombing during the reign of his son, Sultan Ahmad Tajuddin.

It was also during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam II that Islamic Law officially introduced. This was known as Muhammadan Law. It was introduced in 1912, replacing the Kanun Brunei. Then in 1913, the Marriage and Divorce Act was introduced.

Friendship and cooperation with the British Government earned His Highness recognition. Throughout his reign, the Sultan did not have much say in the government. He kept his position on the State Council, which met to approve and amend laws and policies. With the introduction of the Residential System in Brunei in 1906, all the executive power, except in matters of religion, was transferred from the Sultan to the Resident. In 1922, he moved from Istana Kampong Ayer to Istana Majlis.

Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Alam II's reign was a short one. An outbreak of malaria claimed his life as well as three members of his family. His Highness died on 11^th September 1924, at the age of thirty-five. He was succeeded by his eldest son, Pengiran Muda Ahmad Tajuddin.