evidence: Under British rule the immigration of Chinese and Indians to serve as labourers was encouraged.[54] The area that is now Sabah came under British control as North Borneo when both the Sultan of Brunei and the Sultan of Sulu transferred their respective territorial rights of ownership, between 1877 and 1878.[55] In 1842, Sarawak was ceded by the Sultan of Brunei to James Brooke, whose successors ruled as the White Rajahs over an independent kingdom until 1946, when it became a crown colony.[56] [...] - ^ Luscombe, Stephen. "The Map Room: South East Asia: North Borneo". Archived from the original on 28 June 2011. Retrieved 1 July 2011.