Tomb of “The King of Brunei” in Nanking
Tun Mohamed Suffian’s 1983 account documents his first-hand visit to the tomb of the Bruneian king who died in Nanking in 1408 during the Yongle reign, providing a rare eyewitness description of the site and its stone figures. The article reconstructs the diplomatic and ceremonial context of the king’s visit to Ming China from Chinese sources, while also recording the practical circumstances of the 1983 pilgrimage itself.
Summary
Suffian, then a senior Malaysian figure, visited the tomb on 12 September 1983 during a three-week trip to China as a guest of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Peoples. The site, located on Stone Hill some 22 km south-southwest of Nanking, had been rediscovered in 1950 by a group of investigators who identified it as the burial place of a Bruneian king who had been a friendly neighbour of China during the Ming dynasty (p. 2). The author notes that his hosts had gone to considerable trouble to prepare the site, cutting the grass along the path and avenue, and that no previous visitor from the region had requested to see the tomb (p. 5).
The article’s central narrative draws on a Chinese booklet titled Historical Relics in Nanking (1981), compiled by Xing Cheng of the Yuhua District Cultural Relics Preservation Committee, to reconstruct the events of 1408. The king, identified in Chinese records as “Manaregarna” (possibly Maharaja Karna), arrived by sea in Fukian Province in August 1408 with a retinue exceeding 150 persons, including spouses, siblings, children, and ministers. He was received with extraordinary ceremony by Emperor Yongle, who hosted banquets in the Imperial Palace and housed the party at the Huitong Guest House. The king fell ill over a month after arrival and died at the age of 28 (pp. 2–3).
Suffian also records the physical details of the tomb complex: a gently ascending avenue flanked by pairs of stone figures—horses, grooms, rams (signifying fidelity), lions (signifying valour), and generals (signifying high rank)—leading to a small grassy mound marking the burial site (pp. 1–2). He contrasts the Chinese government’s careful preservation of historic monuments with what he implies is a different approach elsewhere, and notes the reluctance of local officials to share the Chinese text with him, citing sensitivity around references to Brunei sending tributes to the Emperor (p. 5).
Key Findings
- The king died in Nanking in 1408 at age 28, over a month after arriving with a retinue of more than 150 persons, and was buried at Stone Hill outside the An-de-men city gate (pp. 2–4).
- Emperor Yongle awarded the deceased king the posthumous title “Gonshun King,” the same title reserved for a Chinese king who had passed away, and ordered three days of mourning with a memorial ceremony attended by high-ranking officials (pp. 3–4).
- The tomb’s avenue is flanked by five pairs of stone figures in a fixed sequence: horses, grooms, rams, lions, and generals, following the customary arrangement for tombs of the great in China (p. 1).
- The tomb was unknown to modern scholars until its rediscovery in 1950 by a group of investigators; three farmer families had been appointed by the Emperor to maintain the mausoleum (p. 2).
- The new king, proclaimed by the Emperor, returned to China in September 1412 with his mother to offer sacrifices to his deceased father, remaining until February 1413 (p. 4).
- Local officials expressed reluctance to photocopy the relevant Chinese text, citing concern that references to Brunei sending tributes might “cause misunderstanding and give offence” (p. 5).
Conclusion
Suffian’s article serves as both a personal travelogue and a modest piece of diplomatic history, confirming the physical survival of a site that embodies the tributary relationship between Brunei and Ming China. His definitive takeaway is that the tomb stands as tangible evidence of a relationship “long long ago between China and Brunei then herself a great country,” and he expresses hope that future visitors from the region will be informed of its existence (p. 5).
Context
- The article was prompted by notes and photographs prepared by Robert Nicholl, Honorary Curator of History at the Brunei Museum, Bandar Seri Begawan, indicating an ongoing effort by Bruneian institutions to document their historical connections to China (p. 1).
- The primary Chinese source cited—Xing Cheng’s Historical Relics in Nanking (1981)—was published for internal circulation within Cultural Relics Preservation units only, underscoring the limited accessibility of local archival material on this subject (p. 4).