Background and career
Muhammad Shah (born Awang Alak Betatar; died c. 1402) established the Sultanate of Brunei and was its first sultan, from 1363/68 until 1402, the year of his alleged death. The genealogy of Muhammad Shah remains unclear. It is believed that he was an animist before converting to Islam in the 14th century and assumed the name Sultan Muhammad Shah. Subsequent sovereigns of Brunei, governed by a Muslim administration, were referred to as sultans. Apart from becoming the Sultan of Brunei, He was also regarded as the first Sultan of Sarawak, Labuan and Sabah before the Europeans took over the three territories. It was disputed that he was a son of Dewa Emas Kayangan or Sultan Ibrahim Shah of Kedah.
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