Bolkiah

Sultan Bolkiah reigned from 1485 to 1521, the Sultanate of Brunei on the north coast of Borneo. He was the fifth Sultan of Brunei. He ascended the throne of Brunei after the abdication of his father Sulaiman. Under Sultan Bolkiah of Brunei prospered, but he was dissatisfied with the progress and urged his ministers and advisers, think about how the country's development could be accelerated.

He often traveled out of the country in order to broaden his horizons and knowledge: the new ideas he brought with him, should be investigated for their introduction to the benefit of the people and the country closely.

Sultan Bolkiahs victory over Sulu and Saludang and his marriage with the Princess Lela Mechanai of Sulu and to the daughter of Datu Kemin advanced Brunei's influence in the Philippines. This promoted the prosperity of Brunei and the Islamic mission in the region. The influence and power of Brunei reached during the reign of Sultan Bolkiah its peak.

After his death, the successor of Sultan Bolkiah was his son Abdul Kahar.

Magellan's voyage around the world

Bolkiah might have been the one ruler, the rest of the crew of the expedition of Magellan in 1521 encountered on the north coast of Borneo. The report by Antonio Pigafetta mentions a powerful ruler on the island Burne, whose guests they were.

Compared to its territory, on the other side of a river mouth, another, competing prince was resident, not a Muslim, but with comparable abundance of power. This detail and described by Pigafetta with about 40 years of age princes doubt make that the team of Sebastian Elcano, the successor to Magellan's expedition as captain, Sultan Bolkiah this had happened; the power of wealth of the Sultan of Brunei was unchallenged at that time on all Borneo and the western parts of the Philippine island of Reich. Perhaps the expedition of the Spaniards contact with another regional princes, the vassal of the Sultan Bolkiah had been.