Charles Brooke

As a senior official under his uncle, Charles Brooke helped suppress the Chinese rebellion in Sarawak in 1857. The rebellion, led by gold miners, briefly captured Kuching but was crushed by Brooke forces, restoring order.

Charles Brooke succeeded his uncle James Brooke as the second White Rajah of Sarawak on August 3, 1868. He inherited a kingdom that he had helped administer since 1852, continuing the Brooke family's rule over Sarawak.

Charles Brooke expanded Sarawak's territory through a series of military campaigns and treaties with the Sultan of Brunei between 1868 and 1905. He annexed the Baram, Limbang, and Lawas regions, more than doubling the size of the kingdom.

Charles Brooke founded the Sarawak Museum in Kuching in 1888, one of the oldest museums in Southeast Asia. The museum housed natural history and ethnographic collections, reflecting his interest in the region's culture and biodiversity.