How the Company came to Sabah
In the 19th century, Sabah was known as North Borneo. In 1877 Baron von Overbeck, an Austrian, and the British businessman Alfred Dent obtained a concession over North Borneo from the Sultan of Brunei. In 1878 they gained a similar concession from the Sultan of Sulu, who also claimed the east coast. To rule the territory, they formed a company that received a Royal Charter from the British government in 1881, and the British North Borneo Company (BNBC) began its administration in 1882.
Key idea
The BNBC was a private trading company, not the British government itself. Britain gave it a charter so it could rule and make a profit from North Borneo's land and resources.
Setting up rule and its aims
The Company's first centre was at Kudat, but the capital was moved to Sandakan in 1884. A Governor led the administration, and North Borneo was divided into Residencies and districts run by British officers. The Company wanted to make money, so it opened land for plantations, collected taxes, and encouraged tobacco, timber and later rubber. Many immigrant workers, especially Chinese, were brought in to work on estates.
Local resistance
Company rule was not welcomed by everyone. New taxes and control of land angered local people. Mat Salleh led a long resistance from about 1894 to 1900, while Ontoros Antanom led the Rundum uprising in 1915 among the Murut people. These struggles show the wisdom and courage of local leaders in defending their rights and sovereignty.
Remember
- Overbeck and Dent got concessions from the Sultans of Brunei (1877) and Sulu (1878).
- Royal Charter 1881; BNBC administration began 1882.
- Capital moved from Kudat to Sandakan (1884).
- Resistance leaders: Mat Salleh and Ontoros Antanom.