Huang Senping
Encyclopedia
Huang Senping Pengiran Maharaja Lela of Brunei
. He is better known by his Hokkien
name Ong Sum Ping to Bruneians. The Hokkien
name implies that Huang Senping was a native of Fujian
, China
. This also finds support in the account of Brunei in Chapter 211 of the official History of Ming
.
According to Wen Xiongfei 温雄飞 in the 《南洋华侨史》, Huang Senping came to Brunei in 1375 during the early years of China's Ming Dynasty
. Huang Senping later married Princess Ratna Dewi, the daughter of Sultan Muhammad Shah of Brunei
, and was conferred the nobility title of Pengiran Maharaja Lela and elected Chief of Kinabatangan. Oral traditions indicated that there was a Chinese settlement in present-day Kinabatangan
, Sabah
. "Kinabatangan" could mean "Chinese river". "Kina" (kee-na) is used by Kadazan Dusun which similar to "Cina" (chee-na) used by Malay which refer the Chinese
. According to early account such as Salasilah Raja-Raja Brunei (Genealogy of the Brunei Kings) which was first written from oral traditions during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Hassan (1582–1598) and subsequently copied and updated from time to time and also the Sejarah Melayu
(written by Tun Seri Lanang in 1612), Huang Senping "succeeded his father-in-law. He was known as Sultan Ahmad and ruled Brunei". This version, however, contradicts later account engraved on the Batu Tarsilah (Genealogical Tablet of the Sultans of Brunei) written in 1807 that Sultan Ahmad was a brother of Sultan Muhammad Shah and he was not Huang Senping. The latter version is the accepted official history of Brunei. Chapter 211 of the official History of Ming
recorded the following: "万历时，为王者闽人也。或言郑和使婆罗，有闽人从之，因留居其地，其后人竟据其国而王之。" (During the reign of Ming emperor Wanli 1573–1620, the King of Brunei was a Hokkien. Some said a Hokkien followed Admiral Zheng He
to Brunei and stayed behind. His descendants later became the rulers of the country). This passage is an apparent reference to Huang Senping, the only Chinese in the Bruneian royal genealogy (although his arrival in Brunei predated Admiral Zheng He
's first voyage by 30 years), and suggested that his descendants continued to rule the fiefdom of Kinabatangan up until the reign of Ming emperor Wanli 1573–1620. During the Brunei Civil War (1661-1673), Sultan Muhyiddin of Brunei called for the assistance of Sultan of Sulu to help defeat Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin promising them independence as well as the territory of present-day (north-eastern) Sabah to be given to the Sultan of Sulu.. The promised territory was or included Kinabatangan.
According to an early 20th century Chinese trader Huang Zhuoru 黄卓如, he discovered the tomb of Huang Senping located on a hill 1 li
(about half km) from the Brunei capital at that time and there were Chinese inscriptions 黄总兵之墓 on the tombstone which meant 'Tomb of Commander Huang'. However, the present whereabouts of this tomb is unknown.
In 1947, a reef in the South China Sea
was named 'Senping reef' 森屏礁 by the Government of the Republic of China
in honour of Huang Senping. In Brunei capital Bandar Seri Begawan today, there is a street named after him, Jalan Ong Sum Ping, which is the only street in Brunei with a Chinese name.
Huang Senping has been repeatedly cited as one of the main subjects in the legend of Mount Kinabalu
. The legend tells of two Chinese princes or envoys of the Ming sent to capture a precious gemstone
from the mountain which was being guarded by a dragon
.
Brunei
Brunei , officially the State of Brunei Darussalam or the Nation of Brunei, the Abode of Peace , is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo, in Southeast Asia...
. He is better known by his Hokkien
Hokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
name Ong Sum Ping to Bruneians. The Hokkien
Hokkien
Hokkien is a Hokkien word corresponding to Standard Chinese "Fujian". It may refer to:* Hokkien dialect, a dialect of Min Nan Chinese spoken in Southern Fujian , Taiwan, South-east Asia, and elsewhere....
name implies that Huang Senping was a native of Fujian
Fujian
' , formerly romanised as Fukien or Huguing or Foukien, is a province on the southeast coast of mainland China. Fujian is bordered by Zhejiang to the north, Jiangxi to the west, and Guangdong to the south. Taiwan lies to the east, across the Taiwan Strait...
, China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
. This also finds support in the account of Brunei in Chapter 211 of the official History of Ming
History of Ming
The History of Ming is one of the official Chinese historical works known as the Twenty-Four Histories of China. It consists of 332 volumes and covers the history of Ming Dynasty from 1368 to 1644, which was written by a number of officials commissioned by the court of Qing Dynasty, with the lead...
.
According to Wen Xiongfei 温雄飞 in the 《南洋华侨史》, Huang Senping came to Brunei in 1375 during the early years of China's Ming Dynasty
Ming Dynasty
The Ming Dynasty, also Empire of the Great Ming, was the ruling dynasty of China from 1368 to 1644, following the collapse of the Mongol-led Yuan Dynasty. The Ming, "one of the greatest eras of orderly government and social stability in human history", was the last dynasty in China ruled by ethnic...
. Huang Senping later married Princess Ratna Dewi, the daughter of Sultan Muhammad Shah of Brunei
Muhammad Shah of Brunei
Sultan Muhammad Shah was the first Sultan of Brunei. He ruled Brunei from 1363 to 1402. He was the first Muslim ruler of Brunei as a result of his conversion to Islam in 1363 for his marriage to a Johorean-Temasik princess. Prior to conversion to Islam, he was known as Awang Alak Betatar...
, and was conferred the nobility title of Pengiran Maharaja Lela and elected Chief of Kinabatangan. Oral traditions indicated that there was a Chinese settlement in present-day Kinabatangan
Kinabatangan
Kinabatangan is a district located in Sandakan Division, in the east of Sabah, Malaysia on the island of Borneo. Its population was estimated to be around 86,783 in 2000. Kinabatangan is mostly populated with Sungei Race, one of the Indigenous Group in Sabah...
, Sabah
Sabah
Sabah is one of 13 member states of Malaysia. It is located on the northern portion of the island of Borneo. It is the second largest state in the country after Sarawak, which it borders on its southwest. It also shares a border with the province of East Kalimantan of Indonesia in the south...
. "Kinabatangan" could mean "Chinese river". "Kina" (kee-na) is used by Kadazan Dusun which similar to "Cina" (chee-na) used by Malay which refer the Chinese
Chinese people
The term Chinese people may refer to any of the following:*People with Han Chinese ethnicity ....
. According to early account such as Salasilah Raja-Raja Brunei (Genealogy of the Brunei Kings) which was first written from oral traditions during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Hassan (1582–1598) and subsequently copied and updated from time to time and also the Sejarah Melayu
Sejarah Melayu
Sejarah Melayu or Malay Annals is a Malay literary work which covers a period of over 600 years that chronicles the, then and now, Genealogies of Rulers in the Malay Archipelago...
(written by Tun Seri Lanang in 1612), Huang Senping "succeeded his father-in-law. He was known as Sultan Ahmad and ruled Brunei". This version, however, contradicts later account engraved on the Batu Tarsilah (Genealogical Tablet of the Sultans of Brunei) written in 1807 that Sultan Ahmad was a brother of Sultan Muhammad Shah and he was not Huang Senping. The latter version is the accepted official history of Brunei. Chapter 211 of the official History of Ming
History of Ming
The History of Ming is one of the official Chinese historical works known as the Twenty-Four Histories of China. It consists of 332 volumes and covers the history of Ming Dynasty from 1368 to 1644, which was written by a number of officials commissioned by the court of Qing Dynasty, with the lead...
recorded the following: "万历时，为王者闽人也。或言郑和使婆罗，有闽人从之，因留居其地，其后人竟据其国而王之。" (During the reign of Ming emperor Wanli 1573–1620, the King of Brunei was a Hokkien. Some said a Hokkien followed Admiral Zheng He
Zheng He
Zheng He , also known as Ma Sanbao and Hajji Mahmud Shamsuddin was a Hui-Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, who commanded voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa, collectively referred to as the Voyages of Zheng He or Voyages of Cheng Ho from...
to Brunei and stayed behind. His descendants later became the rulers of the country). This passage is an apparent reference to Huang Senping, the only Chinese in the Bruneian royal genealogy (although his arrival in Brunei predated Admiral Zheng He
Zheng He
Zheng He , also known as Ma Sanbao and Hajji Mahmud Shamsuddin was a Hui-Chinese mariner, explorer, diplomat and fleet admiral, who commanded voyages to Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and East Africa, collectively referred to as the Voyages of Zheng He or Voyages of Cheng Ho from...
's first voyage by 30 years), and suggested that his descendants continued to rule the fiefdom of Kinabatangan up until the reign of Ming emperor Wanli 1573–1620. During the Brunei Civil War (1661-1673), Sultan Muhyiddin of Brunei called for the assistance of Sultan of Sulu to help defeat Sultan Abdul Hakkul Mubin promising them independence as well as the territory of present-day (north-eastern) Sabah to be given to the Sultan of Sulu.. The promised territory was or included Kinabatangan.
According to an early 20th century Chinese trader Huang Zhuoru 黄卓如, he discovered the tomb of Huang Senping located on a hill 1 li
Li
Li or li may refer to:* Li , the Confucian concept of ritual** Li , philosophical concept of principle* Li people, an ethnic group of China...
(about half km) from the Brunei capital at that time and there were Chinese inscriptions 黄总兵之墓 on the tombstone which meant 'Tomb of Commander Huang'. However, the present whereabouts of this tomb is unknown.
In 1947, a reef in the South China Sea
South China Sea
The South China Sea is a marginal sea that is part of the Pacific Ocean, encompassing an area from the Singapore and Malacca Straits to the Strait of Taiwan of around...
was named 'Senping reef' 森屏礁 by the Government of the Republic of China
Republic of China
The Republic of China , commonly known as Taiwan , is a unitary sovereign state located in East Asia. Originally based in mainland China, the Republic of China currently governs the island of Taiwan , which forms over 99% of its current territory, as well as Penghu, Kinmen, Matsu and other minor...
in honour of Huang Senping. In Brunei capital Bandar Seri Begawan today, there is a street named after him, Jalan Ong Sum Ping, which is the only street in Brunei with a Chinese name.
Huang Senping has been repeatedly cited as one of the main subjects in the legend of Mount Kinabalu
Mount Kinabalu
Mount Kinabalu is a prominent mountain on the island of Borneo in Southeast Asia. It is located in the East Malaysian state of Sabah and is protected as Kinabalu National Park, a World Heritage Site. Kinabalu is the tallest peak in Borneo's Crocker Range and is the tallest mountain in the Malay...
. The legend tells of two Chinese princes or envoys of the Ming sent to capture a precious gemstone
Gemstone
A gemstone or gem is a piece of mineral, which, in cut and polished form, is used to make jewelry or other adornments...
from the mountain which was being guarded by a dragon
Dragon
A dragon is a legendary creature, typically with serpentine or reptilian traits, that feature in the myths of many cultures. There are two distinct cultural traditions of dragons: the European dragon, derived from European folk traditions and ultimately related to Greek and Middle Eastern...
.