Throne of HM Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah, Sultan of Brunei. Image © Brunei Tourism/Photo by David Kirkland.
The current Sultan of Brunei is the latest in a long line of monarchs who have ruled Brunei from the 15th century (usually from their capital now known as Bandar Seri Begawan). At their apex in the reign of Sultan Bolkiah (1473-1521), the ruling dynasty reigned over most of Borneo and the southern extremities of the Philippines, even conquering Manila for a time.
The Sultanate's power has diminished considerably from those heights; today, Brunei is the smallest state in the region, hanging on to sovereignty due in no small part to the durability of the monarchy, and helped too by the country's access to vast oil reserves.
The Sultans of Brunei have bucked the modern trend towards constitutional monarchy, a wave that the Sultans of Malaysia were unable to resist. (Today, the title of "King of Malaysia" is rotated amongst the rulers of each Malaysian state; real political power is held by the Malaysian Prime Minister.)
Still, it would be a mistake to consider the Brunei monarchy an anachronism - the Sultan provides economic and social stability by serving as the nation's largest employer (the civil service employs almost half of the population), and by providing a tax-free existence for its citizens. Far from being a hindrance, the Sultanate is essential to the survival of the modern Brunei state.
As N. Talib surmises in the New Zealand Journal of Asian Studies: "Economic development and modernity [and] the spread of literacy, has resulted in intensifying feelings of loyalty towards the Brunei nation and the Sultan, while simultaneously consolidating the institution of the monarchy."
To read more about the home of the last absolute monarchs in Southeast Asia, read our article: Bandar Seri Begawan - Capital of Brunei.