Sarawakh
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| Flag of Sarawakh | |
| Motto: Rule Britannia! | |
| Not Available | |
| Region | Asian Continent |
|---|---|
| Capital | Kuching |
| Official Language(s) | English |
| Leader | Raja Reginald Brooke II |
| Population | Over 1.5 Billion |
| Currency | Rupee |
| NS Sunset XML | |
Contents
NationStates Page
The Raj of Sarawakh is a massive, economically powerful nation, renowned for its compulsory military service. Its hard-nosed, hard-working, intelligent population of 1.545 billion have some civil rights, but not too many, enjoy the freedom to spend their money however they like, to a point, and take part in free and open elections, although not too often.
There is no government in the normal sense of the word; however, a small group of community-minded individuals juggles the competing demands of Defence, Commerce, and Law & Order. Income tax is unheard of. A powerhouse of a private sector is led by the Uranium Mining, Book Publishing, and Arms Manufacturing industries.
History
Early History
The first White Raja of Sarawakh was James Brooke, who arrived in Kuching in 1839. At the time, Sarawakh was under the control of Brunei. However, it was also in a state of rebellion. James Brooke intervened at the request of the then current Raja of Sarawakh, and brought a peaceful resolution to the issue. For this success, Brooke was awarded a large piece of territory in Sarawakh. In 1842, he became the first White Raja of Sarawakh, and his descendants still rule the nation to this day. Sarawakh gradually expanded to control all of Northern Borneo by the end of the Second World War.
The Annexation of Malaya
Soon after Raja Reginald Brooke took the throne, a group of Sarawakhan missionaries in Malaya were killed by the inhabitants. This caused am uproar in Sarawakh, and troops were dipatched to the area to secure Sarawakhan interests there. Some conspiracy theorists believe that the whole incident was created by the sugar industry to create an excuse to annex the valuable sugar-producing areas of Malaya, but this has never been proven.
The Armenon Question
When King Sangsad of Armenon asked the international community for help building the Armenoni military, the Sarawakhan East India Compnay (SEIC; see below) jumped at the chance to help him. They made an agreement that basically shifted all resposibility for creating a military to the SEIC in exchange for lucrative trade rights and other agreements. The SEIC also appointed Fitzwilliam Disraeli as the resident advisor to King Sangsad's court. Many of the people of Armenon were strongly against the Sarawakhan presence, and, eventually, tensions reached a boiling point. A group of Armenonis started a revolution, and the SEIC, assisted by troops from Kasnyia and Norightsia, began to fight the rebels. At the beginning of the conflict, the Armenoni rebels seemed to have an advantage against the Loyalists and the SEIC troops. The Siege of Fort Wensleydale was a particularly bloody battle. Lasting for over a month, a garrison of Loyal Armenonis and SEIC troops were trapped within the fort with no way to get fresh food or water. However, Major-General Sir Hartington Donovan finally broke the siege and rescued the garrison. His arrival brought one of the most famous occurences in Sarawakhan history. A ragged and half-starved Colonel Adair, the commanding officer of the fort, greeted Major-General Donovan with "So good of you to come, General Donovan," to which Donovan replied: "The pleasure was all mine, old fellow." This exchange has become entrenched in the Sarawakhan memory as a perfect example of British courtesy surviving even the most trying of situations. With the relief of Fort Wenselydale, the tide in the war turned, and the Loyalists managed to put down the rebellion. Dhananjay Nidhish was chosen as the successor to King Sangsad. After only a few weeks as King, he turned Armenon over to Sarawakh as a protectorate. However, the problems of Armenon have not bee entirely resolved. There is still an organized resistance to the Sarawakhan presence there, and there have been rumors that the Thugees are operating once again in Armenon.
The Plague
The Plague hit Sarawakh hard. Because of the close quarters and insufficient sanitation in much of Sarawakh's cities, many people died. Singapore was hit especially hard because of its position in the international world. Even Raja Reginald Brooke died of the plague.
The following is a description of his death, though it is suspected to have been highly fictionalized:
The Raja and his guests arrived at the ancient and beautiful summer palace. It was set in a large clearing in the Bornean jungle. Formal gardens of the British style grew in front of the palace. Huge jungle blossoms were tamed in neat, symmetrical squares. Yet the deep jungle was only a short walk away. At night the guests could hear the strange cacauphony of the wilderness. On the third night, the Raja called for a dance.
"We're all here," he reasoned, "why should we not enjoy ourselves?"
Everyone heartily agreed.
"Besides," said the Raja jollily, "a costume party should be just the thing to keep up our spirits."
Each of the guests made a stunning costume. Lord Carmichael-Smith's Nabob costume shone with beautiful silks. Lady Bennington's Queen Elizabeth I costume was envied by all. But the greatest, most beautiful costume was that of the Raja. He came bedecked in all his glory as an Indian prince. His turban was made of cloth-of-gold with an immense ruby set in the front. His shirt was embriodered with golden silk, and his trousers gleamed with pearls. Everyone assembled in the Grand Ballroom on the night of the party. The Raja had brought with him an entire orchestra, trained in both the Indian and European musical arts. The orchestra played everything from the Waltz of the Blue Danube to Bach's Brandenburg Concertos. They played the British national anthem with verve and spirit. They played beautiful and haunting Sarawakhan folk songs. The guests danced wildly. They danced out all concern for the rest of the nation. Dancers twirled madly across the dance floor, working themselves into a frenzy. Food was consumed at an alarming rate, as was alchohol. The chandeliers sparkled and swayed, causing the shadows in the room to swing wildly. The revelry was at its peak when a strange man walked into the room. He was swathed entirely in red. On his head was a gleaming red turban. A necklace of huge gleaming garnets hung about his neck. He carried a violin tucked under his arm. The crowd parted curiously, and he walked directly towards the orchestra. He paused a moment and whispered something in the conductor's ear. The conductor shrugged and faced the orchestra.
"We have a request. Our friend here will play the violin solo. Please turn to page 45 of your classics books." said the Conductor without blinking an eye. He was used to requests like this. The orchestra turned to page 45, and the music began. It was a wild and riotous song. Some recognized it as Saint-Saens' Danse Macabre. Yet they had never heard it like this before. The soloist played wildly, the song became almost unholy. It lashed out. It filled the room with riotous excess. The dancers began to spin and flash more wildly than before. They began to twirl madly. The orchestra was carried away by the violinist. They played the piece perfectly. It was as if some other force was sending the music through them. Lord Carmichael-Smith began to laugh widly as the song came to a close. The room was deadly silent except for his obscene laugh ringing out across it.
"Why," he screamed hysterically, "don't you see? Its death! Death has played the Danse Macabre for us on his own violin! The Red Death has come upon us!" The violinist stood up and bowed to the revelers. He slowly removed the red gauze that covered his face. Underneath was a half-decayed monstrosity. The violinist began to laugh a horrible, demented twisted laugh. The revelers tried to escape, but they soon collapsed. As the room filled with the cries of the dying, the violinist quietly tucked his violin under his arm and strode confidently out.
Raja James Brooke II
Once Raja Reginald Brooke died, his nephew James Brooke became Raja. James II pledged to bring much-needed reforms to Sarawakh, including extending the right to vote to everyone over 21, not merely landowners. He also encouraged reforms that would bring true racial equality to the nation. His efforts paid off when Sir Pertab Singh, who is of Indian descent, was elected as the first non-white Prime Minister of Sarawakh.
Important Facts
Conventional Long Form: The Raj of Sarawakh
Conventional Short Form: Sarawakh
Government Type: Constitutional Raj
Capital: Kuching
Suffrage: 21 Years Old, Universal
Chief of State: Raja James Brooke II
Head of Government: Prime Minister Sir Pertab Singh
Legislative Branch: House of Burgesses (Commonly Referred to as Parliament)
Judicial Branch: High Court of 11 Members appointed by Raja
Economy: Wonderful. Not a problem.
Ethnic Groups: British 17%, Malay 43%, Chinese 12%, Indigenous 9%, Indian 11%, Other 8%
Religions: Christian (Anglican) 22% Christian (Catholic) 4%, Muslim 43%, Buddhist 7%, Daoist 5%, Hindu 7%, Sikh 3%, Shamanism 9% (note--mainly practised on Borneo)
State Animal: Hornbill
