Kuching is the third capital of Sarawak, founded by the representative of the Sultan of Brunei, Pengiran Indera Mahkota in 1827. Prior to the founding of Kuching, the two past capitals of Sarawak were Santubong, founded by Sultan Pengiran Tengah in 1599, and Lidah Tanah, founded by Datu Patinggi Ali in the early 1820s.

Sir James Brooke, the first Rajah of Sarawak.

Sarawak was a part of the Sultanate of Brunei since the first Brunei sultanate, Sultan Muhammad Shah before it was ceded to the British adventurer, James Brooke by Pengiran Raja Muda Hashim as a reward on helping him to counter a rebellion.He succeeded against the rebellion on November 1840 and on 24 September 1841, Brooke appointed as the Governor of Sarawak with the title of Rajah.The declaration was not made until 18 August 1842 after Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin II ratified the governorship and require him to pay an annual sum of $2,500 to the Sultan.
Since that, Kuching has became the seat of the Brooke government.As the administrative capital, it was the focus of attention and development. Some of it included the sanitation system. By 1874, the city achieved many developments include the construction of hospital, prison, and also the Fort Margherita and many others buildings. Brooke wife also write on his autobiography (My Life in Sarawak) about the development of the town, some of his quotation like: