White Rajahs - Heraldry and Emblems

Heraldry and Emblems

The heraldic arms of the Brooke dynasty were based on the emblem used by James Brooke, and consisted of a red and black cross on yellow shield, crested by a badger, known in heraldic parlance as a brock and hence alluding to the dynastic surname. A crown was added in 1949 and the shield design was used as the basis of the Sarawak flag until 1973. In 1988 the state flag reverted to these original colours.