TRADITIONAL GOVERNMENT DURING THE TIME OF SULTAN ABDUL MOMIN (I) IN THE TUARAN RIVER (1877-1885)

Abstract The Tuaran River is located on the west coast of North Borneo since two or three centuries ago. The name Sungai Tuaran came into being during the reign of Sultan Abdul Momin as explained in the documentation of the grant agreement between "Maharajah Overbeck" and his Majesty on December 29, 1877. Sungai Tuaran was administered by a group of Brunei officials appointed by Sultan Abdul Momin based on the system and structure of the administration . Among the dignitaries in question are Pengiran Muda Muhammad Hassan, Pengiran Muda Muhammad, Pengiran Siti Anak Khatijah and Pengiran Abdul Rauf. In the context of leadership in Sungai Tuaran, they lead their own community groups, especially the Bajau community where most of them live in the village on the edge of Sungai Tuaran. According to Brunei's traditional territorial ownership system, Sungai Tuaran is a single area due to its status as "Kuripan River" on the west coast of North Borneo. This shows that Sungai Tuaran was administered by a group of Brunei dignitaries appointed by Sultan Abdul Momin. There are several sources recorded by orientalists that state that Sungai Tuaran is a meeting point between various ethnic groups whether on land or sea. For example, the Bajau and Dusun communities. This matter is not strange because the Tuaran River is the most dominant river for these two communities since the Bajau and Dusun communities need each other to meet their daily needs.