Sir James Brooke , known as the Rajah de Sarawak , born with Bénarès the April 29th 1803 and dead the June 11th 1868, is a British diplomat.

He was born from an English father, civil servant of the English Compagnie of the Eastern Indies and a Scottish mother. When it is 12 years old, his/her parents send it in a grammar school (college) in England. At 16 years, it engages in the army of the Bengal. The first Guerre anglo-Burmese bursts in 1824. The Brooke young person raises a body of cavalry formed of volunteers. He is wounded with his first load and repatriate in England.

In 1830, it sets out again for Madras but is able too late to join the army. It then tries to launch out in the trade to the Far East, without success.

In 1835, his/her father dies, bequeathing to him: 30000 pounds, with which it buys a boat. It puts the course on Borneo in 1839. It arrives at Kuching in full rising of the Dayak against the sultan of Brunei. It offers its services to the sultan and arrives to a Pacific regulation of the business. The sultan confers to him the title of Rajah H (viceroy) of Sarawak after he had threatened this last militarily.

Brooke then undertakes to reform the administration of the territory, promulgates laws and fights against piracy, a problem persisting all along its government. Brooke returns temporarairement to England in 1847, where it is appointed governor and commander-in-chief of Labuan and British general consul in Borneo.

In 1851, Brooke is the object of charges of embezzlements. A royal commission of enquiry is named with Singapore, which concludes with the absence from evidence.

Brooke controls Sarawak until its death in 1868. Its nephew, Charles Anthoni Johnson Brooke, succeeds to him as rajah. Charles Brooke must face carried out rebellious chiefs like Syarif Masahor and Rentap, but manages to regulate these problems.

James Brooke was used as model for Lord Jim of Joseph Conrad.