The Old World with Will Tanner

This is the story of Vyner Brooke, the Third and Last White Rajah of Sarawak. In this episode of the Old World, Will tells the tale of how Vyner Brooke lost the Raj of Sarawak primarily due to the Japanese invasion of Borneo to take the Miri oil fields he controlled at the beginning of World War II, and his own feeling that he was an anachronism and democracy was coming. In this episode, we tell the tale of what life was like in wartime Sarawak, how the Japanese invasion went, Vyner's refusal to stand and fight the Imperial Japanese from the deep jungles of Sarawak, how the Dayaks resisted the Japanese occupiers, and how the destruction of the Miri oil fields and Kuching left Sarawak destroyed. We then show why Vyner decided to give it up to become the Crown Colony of Sarawak, and how that sparked a familial war between him and the Rajah Muda that ended in tragedy. Finally, we show how the Brooke legacy has been kept alive, including in Sarawak, where they remain beloved.

This is the story of Vyner Brooke, the Third and Last White Rajah of Sarawak. In this episode of the Old World, Will tells the tale of how different Vyner was from the Second White Rajah of Sarawak, Charles Brooke, and how Vyner managed to inherit his splendorous kingdom despite his father's dislike of him. it is a tale of intrigue, deadly jungle expeditions, and high-stakes diplomacy. From there, we tell the tale of how Vyner Brooke turned Sarawak into what Sir James Brooke always knew it could be. The oil fields of Miri, famous pepper fields of Sarawak's hills, Borneo Company Limited-run gold and antimony mines, and much more drive Sarawak's success and turn it into a thriving commercial colony. We also show how Vyner used clever infrastructure developments, such as rail, radio, and port investment, to make Sarawak more prosperous than it had ever been, just before the disaster that ended the White Rajahs struck.

In this episode, Will and Dan Lyman discuss the present state of South Africanization in America, and whether things are getting worse or better. They describe the border situation, how Trump is doing with deportations, law and order in American cities, and much else! Find Dan on X here: https://x.com/realdanlyman Find Border Hawk here: https://t.co/EZrGo8qZNb Check out Will's new YouTube channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@realTheOldWorldShow

he story of Charles Brooke, the Second White Rajah of Sarawak, resumes in this episode. Picking up with the passing of his uncle, Sir James Brooke, the first White Rajah of Sarawak, in 1868, we tell the great colonial adventure tale of how Charles Brooke massively expanded the Raj of Sarawak across much of Borneo. This is the tale of how Charles fulfilled his uncle's dream of making Sarawak not just safe and stable for the natives or romantic for European adventurers, but also prosperous and well-developed. This is a tale not just of defeated pirates and headhunters in teh steamy jungles of Borneo, nor just of gunboat diplomacy when facing off with the Sultan of Brunei, but of smart diplomatic moves and stead colonial expansion. It's the story of how Charles outfoxed the British North Borneo Corporation, how he expanded his personal empire, and what smart moves he made to develop Sarawak with modern infrastructure. Finally, we tell the sad and sorry story of Charles Brooke's personal life, such as his marriage to the Ranee of Sarawak, Margaret, and the death of their children in Suez.

Dive into the legend of Sir Charles Brooke, the Second White Rajah of Sarawak, and the tales of his daring battles against Iban pirates and Kongsi Chinese rebels in Sarawak's deepest, darkest jungles, and the burned city of Kuching! This is the history of Sir Charles Brooke, the Second White Rajah of Sarawak, from the time of his arrival in Sarawak as a young officer in his uncle's Raj, and how he became the key figure on whom Sir James Brooke consistently relied. It's an exciting tale of how Charles defeated Rentap the Iban pirate king in his Mount Sadok fortress, how he saved the Raj in its darkest hour, and how he became the second Rajah of Sarawak, instead of his brother, Brooke Brooke. Subscribe for more colonial history and adventure stories! Make sure to like the video if you love adventure tales. Don't forget to comment your favorite historical figure below, so I can add him to the lineup!

The White Rajah's saga concludes as we follow Sir James Brooke first into the heart of Sarawak's jungle as he fights Rentap, the last pirate king of Sarawak, in a massive jungle battle. We then turn to the city of Kuching tell the tale of how the Chinese Kongsi Rebellion of 1857 almost ended the White Raj of Sarawak for good when they sacked Kuching and destroyed the Rajah's Astana palace, with Sir James just barely escaping into the Sarawak River in his pyjamas, but was saved at the last moment by the stern bravery of Charles Brooke and the fortitious arrival of a key piece of naval technology. From the muddy waters of Sarawak's pirate and rebel-infested rivers, we then turn back to England, where Sir James finds peace and cool in retirement as his state is rebuilt thanks to the kind efforts of Baroness Angela Burdett-Coutts, the beautiful heiress Sir James could have, but didn't, marry. We end with a brief summary of his life and accomplishments, preparing to turn to the second rajah.

In this episode, Will and Warren Steury discuss the history and importance of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. They discuss its historical background, the preparation phase, the course of the expedition, and remarkable incidents that occurred during it, as well as the character of Meriwether Lewis. They also discuss the death of Lewis, his failure to publish the journals, and the legacy of the expedition. Note: The Sergeant mentioned by Warren was Sgt. Charles Floyd, not Sgt. George Floyd. Find Warren on X here: https://x.com/NWSteury Check out his Meriwether Academy here: https://meriwetheracademy.com/ Check Will's new YouTube show out here: James Brooke

In this episode, Will and Roman Cabanac, a South African, discuss the reality of life in a South Africanizing world. They discuss the complex political situation in South Africa, what the crime and infrastructure situation is like, how to deal with such a world, and how to succeed despite the race communism. They also discuss what Westerners can learn from South Africa's experience. Find Roman on X here: https://x.com/RomanCabanac Check Will's new YouTube show out here: James Brooke And read his thoughts about South Africanization here: https://www.theamericantribune.news/p/how-south-africans-defend-their-lives

In this episode of The Old World, Will tells the history of Sir James Brooke, the first White Rajah of Sarawak, from the time of his birth in the glorious Raj of the East India Company to his privately funded and high-stakes battle against poison blow-dart-wielding headhunters in the steaming jungles of Borneo to become a Rajah, a feat never equalled by any other European. It's an exciting tale of stormed barricades, gunboat diplomacy with a private yacht, and bravery in the face of immense adversity. Read more about James here: ⁠https://www.theamericantribune.news/p/the-white-rajahs-of-sarawak-part ⁠ Follow us on Instagram here: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/theoldworldshow/⁠ All pictures are public domain from Wikimedia Commons, except the following: Map of the British East India Company Dominions: Moll, Herman, -1732, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons First image of the First Anglo-Burmese War: Myanmar's Defence Services Museum, CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Datu Patinggi Ali picture: Alena Murang, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons Image of Dayak with dart gun: AnonymousUnknown author, CC BY 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons Picture of the jungle: Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia Commons Last picture, of the house in Kuching credit: Frank S. Marryat, CC0, via Wikimedia Commons

In this episode, Will and Zoomer Historian do a deep dive into Rhodesian and British imperial history. They discuss how Rhodesia became the land of excellence it was, what sort of men the Rhodesians were, and whether Cecil Rhodes was a great man or great villain. They also comment on whether the British Empire should be viewed positively or negatively by the right, how a shift in post-war ideology shaped Rhodesia's downfall and the Empire's collapse, and what hope there is for modern Britain. Check out Zoomer's Substack here: https://zoomerhistorian.substack.com/ Find him on X here: https://x.com/zoomerhistorian Read Will's thoughts on the book by Peter Baxter they reference here: https://www.theamericantribune.news/p/a-general-history-of-rhodesia