Sandokannicknamed Malaysian tiger or Mompracem Tigeris a character in numerous adventure novels from Indo-Malayan cycle created by Emilio Salgari, Brave pirate and adventurer, fights the English colonists in Borneo to avenge the massacre of his family. His life is full of challenges and obstacles, but – like any self-respecting hero – he can always count on the presence of a faithful friend, Yanez de Gomera.
Appeared for the first time in 1883 in the companion novel The Malaysian tigerSandokan immediately becomes famous. In fact, eleven other novels published up until 1913 belonging to the so-called Indo-Malayan cyclein which he often appears either as the protagonist or as an extra.
The success of Salgari’s character is enormous: remember Sandokan (1976), television drama directed by Sergio Sollima and starring Kabir Bradiwhich makes it iconic. Furthermore, an Italian-French series of the same name has been broadcast since 1 December 2025, with Can Yaman as the protagonist.
Despite being a fictional character, Salgari may have been inspired by the story of Commander Sandokongwho really existed, who fought the English colonists to avenge his family and regain the lands usurped from him.
The character of Sandokan in Salgari’s novels
THE’heroic pirate Sandokan it is the fruit of the pen of Emilio Salgari (Verona, 1862 – Turin, 1911), considered the father of Italian adventure novel. For the name of his character, the author probably took inspiration from the coast of Sandakanwith the “a”, which is found in Borneo.
The pirate appears for the first time in the Veronese newspaper The New Arena between October 1883 and March 1884, in a serialized novel entitled The Malaysian tigerthen published as a single text in 1900 as The tigers of Mompracem. This is a book born as an appendix novel like the feuilleton French, which was very fashionable at the time.
His adventures are the protagonists in several other novels of the so-called Indo-Malayan cycle: The pirates of Malaysia (1896), The two tigers (1904) e Yanez’s revenge (1913). He also appears in five other books of the cycle, remaining excluded from only two of the eleven novels published.
But who is Sandokan? AND son of the rulers of Borneomassacred on the orders of James Brookgovernor of the English troops, to usurp his lands. It’s a pirate but at the same time a gentleman: courageous, proud, always in search of justice, ruthless and angry with his enemies but extremely loyal to his friends. Our hero has the goal of reconquer the territories of Borneo that the British colonists took from them by force.
The events of Sandokan: friends, enemies and adventures on land and sea
As already mentioned, Sandokan’s intent is to avenge the massacre of his family and regain possession of the lands usurped from him by the English colonists. For this objective he has a helper: his friend Yanez de Gomeraa cunning, ironic and good-natured Portuguese privateer, always with a cigarette in his mouth. While fighting the English flanked by his group of “tigers”Sandokan knows Lady Marianna Guillonkknown as “the Pearl of Labuan” for its beauty, and falls in love with it. However, she is the daughter of Lord James Guillonk, a close collaborator of Sandokan’s bitter enemy: the English governor James Brooke (really existed). The two will get married anyway, despite the adversities, on the island of Java. These events are narrated in the first novel of the cycle.
In later novels, Sandokan must face numerous challenges: free his friend Tremal-Naik kidnapped by the Indians and then save his daughter Darma; liberate the island of Mompracem conquered by the English; support the Brahmin Kammamuri who wants to hinder the English settlers; defend his friend Yanez, who in the meantime had become king of the small state of Assam-Bengal. Adventures full of twists, intrigues and betrayals, which have consecrated Salgari’s stories, making them the foundation of our imagination of the adventure novel.
Did Sandokan really exist? Maybe yes
Sandokan was born from Salgari’s imagination, but it cannot be excluded that some aspects of this character have real foundations. Historical sources in fact speak of a commander by name Sandokongactive in Borneo in the same years in which Salgari set Sandokan. We can think of a connection between the Tiger of Mompracem and the leader who actually existed, because Sandokong was a close collaborator of Prince Syarif Osmandeposed by the English. The two fought side by side, engaging in piracy to counter the “white rajah”, who was none other than himself James Brooke.
There are therefore many points in common, even if it is not clear how Salgari could have come into possession of this information. He may have read some travel diaryor talked to a sailor arrived in Venice, his mother’s city of origin, where Salgari had studied at the Royal Naval College. Salgari also worked as journalistmay therefore have had access to other sources which allowed him to gain insight into this matter.
Sources
The Tigers of Malaysia, Emilio Salgari (and following books)
Treccani
