Bratak Hill
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Malaysia| Bratak Hill | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 400 m (1,300 ft)[1] |
| Coordinates | 1°28′2″N 110°5′28″E / 1.46722°N 110.09111°E |
| Naming | |
| Native name | Bung Bratak (Bau Bidayuh) |
| Geography | |
| Country | Malaysia |
| State |  Sarawak |
| Division | Kuching |
| District | Bau |
Bratak Hill (Bau Bidayuh: Bung Bratak) is a hill located in Bau District, Kuching Division, Sarawak. The hill is located about 39 kilometres (24 mi) from Kuching, the capital of Sarawak.
The earliest inhabitants of the hill is the Bidayuh tribes, particularly the Jagoi-Bratak group, as they are believed to be migrating from Mount Sungkong, West Kalimantan, Indonesia.[2] It is believed that the reason for migration among them is to seek for more land for planting paddy fields and to avoid the spreading of infectious diseases.[3]
Around 1838, the Skrang Ibans who aligned to warlord Pengiran Mahkota invaded the Bratak hill area for head hunting.[4] The male inhabitants of the hill were slaughtered, while women and children were enslaved. According to James Brooke's report, from the invasion, the population of Bidayuh who inhabitated the hill dwindled from 230 families to 50 families.[5] Under the leadership of Panglima Kulow, with the help of the White Rajah, the settlements of Bratak hill was rebuilt in 1841. After 1841, the people of Bratak hill has emerged to approximately 30 villages in Bau and Lundu districts.[6]