Toponymy of Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak

Picture 1: Kuching Town.
Source: Sarawak Tourism Board.

There are many theories pertaining to the toponymy of Kuching, the capital city of Sarawak. The first theory is that “Kuching” may not actually mean the Malay word for “cat” but more to do with similar-sounding names. This includes:

1. That it originates from the word 'Cochin' which is a port in India (now Kochi);
2. That it relates to the old word for Indochina i.e. 'Cochinchina';
3. That it originates from the Mandarin word "shuîjîng" or "kôujîng" which relates to the description of a well that existed around Kuching area;
4. From "Ku"(古) - Old and "Ching"（井) - Well or "old well" (古井) in Chinese. The old well is said to be used to supply clean water to combat the outbreak of cholera in 1888.

The second theory is that it relates to things which are named "Kuching" but not exactly a cat. This includes:

1. A local fruit known as "Mata Kuching" which grew abundantly on a hill known as Bukit Mata Kuching;
2. Taken from the hill named Bukit Mata Kuching;
3. Based on an old river which was named ‘Sungai Kuching’ which have since disappeared due to development.

Thirdly, the theory that it relates to the small feline specie itself. This includes:

1. The Sang Nila Utama-type founder-myth etymology i.e. it came from James Brooke's initial encounter with a cat along Sarawak river in August 1838 which prompted him to name the place in its honour. From the log of James Brook's ship Royalist, "Kuching" was recorded as his transit point on Sept 3 to 24, 1848, and on Nov 6, 1850;
2. The high population of wild cats around Bukit Mata Kuching;

My take: Politically, Sarawak was under the Sultanate of Brunei for the period of more than 500 years. The first and last Sultan of Sarawak (a Bruneian Prince) established his kingdom in Santubong in 1599. Kuching town itself was previously known as Lidah Tanah / Leda Tannah which was said to be established by Datu Patinggi Ali around 1820. In 1827 Sultan Muhammad Kanzul Alam of Brunei appointed Pengiran Indera Mahkota Mohammad Salleh as Governor of Sarawak wherein Pengiran Mohammed Salleh further develop Lidah Tanah as his capital and renamed it Kuching. James Brooke came, ousted Pengiran Mohammed Salleh, and named the Sarawak capital as "Sarawak Proper" in 1841. It was not until 1872 that Charles Brooke renamed the settlement to "Kuching".

Over the years, Brunei entered a period of decline. See the Palace of the Sultan of Brunei in mid 19th century (Picture 2). The Sultans of Brunei ceded further stretches of territory to Sarawak. In 1877, stretches to the east of the capital were leased (later ceded) to the British North Borneo Chartered Company. Eventually, due to these seizures of territory, which was accepted by the Sultan for annual lease payments, the British occupied the vast majority of the coast of Brunei.

Picture 2: "Paleis van de sultan van Brunei" (Palace of the Sultan of Brunei) by G.R. Lambert & Co. taken in 1890, 4 decades before the discovery of oil and gas by the Royal Dutch Shell. Source: Leiden University Library, Amsterdam. KITLV 91762.

Based on this political control theory, I would agree that the toponym of Kuching is based on the Malay word “Kuching” or “Kucing” which means cat. The word “Kuching” originates from the Western Malayo-Polynesian word "kutíŋ" which is strongly connected with the Ilokano word "kutíŋ", Pangasinan word "kotíŋ", and Toba Batak word "hutiŋ". Hence, it follows that the word Kuching is a locally known word, or perhaps more familiar to the Bruneian overlords than the local populace.

I would further argue that the decision to name the newly developed township "Kuching" is based on the famed golden cats of Brunei i.e. "Kuching Emas" which is part of the Royal Regalia of the Sultanate of Brunei (Picture 3).

Picture 3: Kuching Emas

"Kuching Emas" is also the name given to Bruneian coins / pitis (Picture 4).

Picture 4: Bruneian Pitis 

According to Pehin Orang Kaya Amar DiRaja Dato Sri Utama (Dr) Hj Muhammad Jamil al-Sufri, Head of the Brunei History Centre, a pair of golden cats were presented to the Sultan of Brunei by the Ming Emperor of China in the 14th century (Barret, 1988). See below, the golden cat presently held in Brunei. They are a pair of golden lion-like beast recognizable as Buddhist guardian lions known in Chinese art as 'dogs of fo' and is said to be a replacement of the 14th century pair (Picture 5).

Picture 5: A pair of Golden Cats (Kuching Emas)

This Bruneian Royal Regalia and Bruneian coin popularly known as "Kuching Emas" enforces the argument that the word "Kuching" has been part of the Bruneian Malay vocabulary since the 14th century. It is thus highly probable that the capital of Sarawak was named “Kuching” in honour of the said Royal Regalia which are deemed sacred and symbolic of the supremacy and authority of the Sultanate of Brunei.

Therefore, based on this record, the founder-myth theory as well as the Chinese old well theory are debunked as Kuching town have existed few decades before it was 'founded' by James Brooke and long before the 1888 outbreak of cholera.

Source:

1. http://www.adat-istiadat.gov.bn/SitePages/Alat-Alat%20Kebesaran%20Diraja.aspx

2. https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Brunei