Vyner Brooke: The Last of the White Rajahs of Sarawak, Pt. 1 episode artwork

EPISODE · Feb 21, 2026 · 20 MIN

Vyner Brooke: The Last of the White Rajahs of Sarawak, Pt. 1

from The Old World with Will Tanner

This is the story of Vyner Brooke, the Third and Last White Rajah of Sarawak. In this episode of the Old World, Will tells the tale of how different Vyner was from the Second White Rajah of Sarawak, Charles Brooke, and how Vyner managed to inherit his splendorous kingdom despite his father's dislike of him. it is a tale of intrigue, deadly jungle expeditions, and high-stakes diplomacy. From there, we tell the tale of how Vyner Brooke turned Sarawak into what Sir James Brooke always knew it could be. The oil fields of Miri, famous pepper fields of Sarawak's hills, Borneo Company Limited-run gold and antimony mines, and much more drive Sarawak's success and turn it into a thriving commercial colony. We also show how Vyner used clever infrastructure developments, such as rail, radio, and port investment, to make Sarawak more prosperous than it had ever been, just before the disaster that ended the White Rajahs struck.

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Vyner Brooke: The Last of the White Rajahs of Sarawak, Pt. 1

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