Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles and the Foundation of Singapore
Two hundred years ago, an important treaty was negotiated by the Englishman Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, leading to the establishment of the British colony of Singapore. The foundation of modern Singapore and the actions of the British Empire marked a new chapter for this southern Asian island which grew into a commercial and cosmopolitan hub, largely due to its ideal location as a trading port.
Before the expansion of European imperial ambitions into Asia, Singapore had been known as “Pu-luo-chung”, as recorded by some early third century Chinese accounts. As a settlement it grew alongside trade and was known as Temasek which loosely translates as “Sea Town”. It would later be renamed Singapura, or the “Lion City” abbreviated from the Sanskrit words which according to legend, were derived from a Prince who had spotted an animal he had never come across before whilst on a hunt.
For this small Asian island, its location at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula would make it a prime trading spot, on the confluence of many trading routes for vessels travelling from all across the ancient world, part of the wider connections known as the Silk Roads. The island would for centuries come under the control of foreign powers vying for hegemony in the region including the Srivijaya Empire based in Sumatra, Indonesia, whilst in the twelfth century the Majapahit Empire from the island of Java and later the Siamese would use it as a vassal state. By the fifteenth century Malacca was exercising dominance until European powers intervened and Portugal enhanced its imperial portfolio.
Founding of Modern Singapore
This statue of Stamford Raffles has since been moved to a spot along the Singapore River where the British were believed to have landed in 1819. (c. 1905. Image from the National Museum of Singapore)
Sitting on the tip of the Malay Peninsula where sea routes intersect, the island of Singapore had long impressed mariners, traders and rulers for its strategic location, good rivers and great potential.2 The British were similarly enamoured by Singapore some centuries later. Under their charge in the 19th and 20th centuries, the ancient port was revived, attracting a melting pot of immigrants who together with founder Stamford Raffles, and British residents of Singapore William Farquhar and John Crawfurd, helped build a thriving emporium and shape the city we know today.
In 1818, the Dutch set up a military post in Riau with the support of the Johor Sultanate. This move gave them control of a critical trading passage through the Strait of Malacca. It also gave them the liberty to impose heavy taxes on British ships at their ports. The Dutch stratagem was effective in persuading the British to relinquish control of the region, however Englishman Stamford Raffles was keen to protect British commercial interests. To this end, he embarked on a mission to hunt down a new trading base near the Malay Peninsula for the British East India Company.
In January 1819, a fleet of eight ships led by Raffles explored the possibility of hoisting the British flag on Indonesia’s Karimun islands. The islands however, proved to be too rocky. On the recommendation of hydrographer Daniel Ross, who was in charge of the party's survey ships, they made their way to Singapore.7 The island passed muster. It lay along the British trade route towards the Straits of China and boasted a natural sheltered harbour by the mouth of the Singapore River. With the notable absence of the Dutch, Raffles acted quickly to establish a trading post.
History of Singapore
Thomas Stamford Raffles, detail of an oil painting by G.F. Joseph in 1817
In January 1819 Stamford Raffles of the English East India Company, searching for a trading site, forestalled by the Dutch at Riau, and finding the Carimon (Karimun) Islands unsuitable, landed at Singapore. He found only a few Chinese planters, some Indigenous people, and a few Malays and was told by the hereditary chief, the temenggong (direct ancestor of the sultans of present-day Johor, Malaysia), that the company could purchase land. The temenggong, however, was a subordinate of his cousin Abdul Rahman, sultan of Riau-Johor, who was under Dutch surveillance. Furthermore, Abdul Rahman was a younger son and not a sultan de jure. Raffles, disobeying instructions not to offend the Dutch, withdrew his own recognition of Abdul Rahman’s suzerainty over Singapore and installed Abdul Rahman’s elder brother, Hussein (Husain), to validate the purchase of land there on behalf of the company. The Dutch protested. In London the company’s court of directors, though it decided that Raffles had contravened instructions, took no action.
In 1824 an Anglo-Dutch treaty left Malaya and Singapore in the British sphere, and in August the whole of Singapore Island was ceded to the British for a monetary payment. Two years later Singapore, Penang, and Malacca (Melaka) were combined as the Straits Settlements to form an outlying residency of India. In 1830 they were reduced to a residency under Bengal, and two years later Singapore became their capital. When the East India Company lost its monopoly of the China trade (1833), it also lost its interest in Malaya. The settlements were transferred to the direct control of the governor-general of India in 1851. In 1867 they were made a crown colony under the Colonial Office in London.
Meanwhile, Singapore’s trade had suffered after 1842 from British development of a rival port, Hong Kong, as later it was to suffer from the French occupation of mainland Southeast Asia and the development of Saigon (now Ho Chi Minh City) and Haiphong in Vietnam and from the establishment of Dutch ports and shipping lines in the Dutch East Indies (present-day Indonesia). With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869 and the advent of steamships, however, an era of prosperity began that led eventually to the construction of 3 miles (5 km) of wharves at Tanjong Pagar and finally, in 1921, a naval base. The economic growth of the Malay states after they became British protectorates enlarged transit trade.
Founding years of modern Singapore
The establishment of a British trading post in Singapore in 1819 by Sir Stamford Raffles led to its founding as a British colony in 1824. This event has generally been understood to mark the founding of colonial Singapore, a break from its status as a port in ancient times during the Srivijaya and Majapahit eras, and later, as part of the Sultanate of Malacca and the Johor Sultanate.
A significant port and settlement, known as Temasek, later renamed Singapura, existed on the island of Singapore in the 14th century. Vietnamese records indicate possible diplomatic relationship between Temasek and Vietnam in the 13th century and Chinese documents describe settlements there in the 14th century. It was likely a vassal state of both the Majapahit Empire and the Siamese at different times in the 14th century. Around the end of the 14th century, its ruler Parameswara was attacked by either the Majapahit or the Siamese, forcing him to move on to Melaka where he founded the Sultanate of Malacca, Archaeological evidence suggests that the main settlement on present-day Fort Canning was abandoned around this time, although a small-scale trading settlement continued in Singapore for some time afterwards. Between the 16th and 19th centuries, the Malay archipelago was gradually taken over by the European colonial powers, beginning with the Portuguese conquest of the Malacca Sultanate in 1511. In 1613, the Portuguese burnt down a trading settlement at the mouth of the Singapore River, after which Singapore lapsed into insignificance in the history of the region for two hundred years.
The early dominance of the Portuguese was challenged during the 17th century by the Dutch, who came to control most of the region's ports. The Dutch established a monopoly over trade within the archipelago, particularly in spices, then the region's most important product. Other colonial powers, including the British, were limited to a relatively minor presence in that period.Singapore's name comes from 'Singa Pura' which means Lion City in Sanskrit. According to the Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals), a Sumatran prince called Sang Nila Utama landed on Temasek[8] (Singapore's old name) and saw a Lion which is called 'Singa' in Malay. Thus he gave the island a new name, 'Singapura'.
Stamford Raffles
Portrait of Stamford Raffles by George Francis Joseph 1817
Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles FRS FRAS (5 July 1781 – 5 July 1826) was a British colonial official who served as the governor of the Dutch East Indies between 1811 and 1816 and lieutenant-governor of Bencoolen between 1818 and 1824. Raffles was involved in the capture of the Indonesian island of Java from the Dutch during the Napoleonic Wars. It was returned under the Anglo–Dutch Treaty of 1814. He also wrote The History of Java in 1817, describing the history of the island from ancient times. Rafflesia flower was named after him.
Raffles also played a role in further establishing the British Empire's reach in East and Southeast Asia. He secured control over the strategically located Singapore from local rulers in 1819 to secure British access along the Strait of Singapore and the nearby seas in the region, particularly the Indian Ocean and the South China Sea. His actions were initially not endorsed by the British government and led to tensions between the British and the Dutch; war was avoided under the Anglo–Dutch Treaty of 1824 which firmly established their spheres of influence, whereby the Dutch would relinquish its claims to Singapore and the British seceding Bencoolen in Sumatra to the Dutch. An entrepôt was subsequently established in Singapore for maritime trade between Europe and Asia.
While Raffles was largely credited for the founding of contemporary Singapore, the early running of day-to-day operations was mostly done by William Farquhar, who served as the first Resident of Singapore from 1819 to 1823. Raffles soon returned to England in 1824, where he died on his birthday in 1826 at the age of 45. His legacy while complex remains significant in Singapore, most notably the Raffles's Landing Site, as well as his name being a common sight in numerous entities and institutions throughout the country. Others have argued against excessive reverence as he was an imperialist who projected colonialism onto the population of Singapore that predated his arrival.
Temasek
Part of Mao Kun map from Wubei Zhi which is based on the early 15th century navigation maps of Zheng He showing Temasek (淡馬錫) at the top left
Temasek (also spelt Temasik) is an early recorded name of a settlement on the site of modern Singapore. The name appears in early Malay and Javanese literature, and it is also recorded in Yuan and Ming Chinese documents as Danmaxi (Chinese: 單馬錫; pinyin: Dānmǎxī; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tan-má-sek or Chinese: 淡馬錫; pinyin: Dànmǎxī; Pe̍h-ōe-jī: Tām-má-sek). Two distinct settlements were recorded in Temasek – Long Ya Men (Malay: Batu Berlayar) and Ban Zu (Malay: Pancur). The name is used in modern-day Singapore for national honours as well as institutions and corporations.
While the early history of Singapore is obscured by myth and legend, some conclusions can be drawn from archaeological evidence and from written references by travellers. Archaeology points to an urbanised settlement on the site by the 14th century. At its height, the city boasted a large earthen city wall and moat; many of the buildings were built with stone and brick foundations. Remains of old pottery, coins, jewellery and other artefacts have been found, with many of these artefacts believed to be imported from various parts of China, India, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia. These are sometimes seen as evidence of the city's status as a regional trade centre. An aquatic route, part of the larger Silk route, passed through Temasek.
From the 7th to the 11th centuries, the island of Singapore was controlled by the Srivijaya empire based in Sumatra. Diplomatic relationships between Temasek and Vietnam may have begun in the 13th century. Temasek was a fortified city and trading centre in the 14th century. It was recorded that during the Yuan dynasty, envoys were sent to Long Ya Men (Dragon's Teeth Gate, thought to be the entrance of Keppel Harbour) in 1320 to obtain tame elephants. The people of Long Ya Men then returned in 1325 with a tribute and trade mission to China.[6] In around 1330, the Chinese traveller Wang Dayuan visited the island and mentioned two distinct settlements in Temasek: Long Ya Men and Ban Zu (a transcription of the Malay name pancur meaning a "spring").[7] In his work Daoyi Zhilüe, Wang described Long Ya Men as the two hills of Temasek that looked like "Dragon's teeth" between which a strait runs
Sang Nila Utama
Statue of Sang Nila Utama at the Raffles' Landing Site as part of events commemorating the bicentennial of the founding of modern Singapore, along with other pioneers of the modern period of Singapore
According to the Malay Annals, the emporium of Singapore was founded in 1299 by Sang Nila Utama. While hunting on Bintan, he spotted a stag and started chasing it up a small hill but, when he reached the top, the stag vanished. He then came to a very large rock and decided to climb it. When he stood on top of the rock, he looked across the sea and saw another island with a white sandy beach which had the appearance of a white sheet of cloth. Asking his chief minister what island it was, he was told that it was the island of Temasek now known as Singapore. While his ship was out at sea, a great storm erupted and the ship was tossed about in the huge waves and began to take in water. To prevent it from sinking, his men threw all the heavy things on board into the sea to lighten the ship. But still water kept entering the ship. On the advice of the ship's captain, he threw his crown overboard as a gift to the sea. At once, the storm died down and he reached Temasek safely.
He landed safely on the beach and went to hunt wild animals near the river mouth on a patch of open ground, now referred to as the Padang. Suddenly, he saw a strange animal with a red body, black head and a white breast, which swiftly disappeared into the jungle. Impressed by this beast's beauty, he asked his chief minister Demang Lebar Daun what animal it was and was informed that it was a lion. Pleased with this as he believed it to be a good omen, he decided to build his new city in Temasek. He and his men stayed on the island and founded a city, renaming the island to Singapura, which in Sanskrit means "Lion City".
Sang Nila Utama fathered two sons with Wan Sri Bini, born Raja Kechil-Besar and Raja Kechil-Muda the elder son was married to Nila Panchadi, a princess from India and the younger was married to his cousin, a granddaughter of Demang Lebar Dawn. After ruling Singapura for 48 years, Sang Nila Utama died in 1347 and Raja Kechil-Besar ascended to the throne as Sri Wikrama Wira, becoming the second Raja of Singapura; Kechil-Muda was appointed his prime minister and Bendahara of its port. Sang Nila Utama was buried on Bukit Larangan, now known as Fort Canning Hill; the exact location of his grave is unknown, although the altar at Keramat Iskandar Shah may share a site with the royal burials atop the hill.
Parameswara of Malacca
A depiction of Parameswara, born 1344 & died 1414 (aged 70)
Parameswara (1344 – c. 1414), thought to be the same person named in the Malay Annals as Iskandar Shah, was the last king of Singapura and the founder of Malacca. According to the Malay Annals, he ruled Singapura from 1389 to 1398. The king fled the island kingdom after a Majapahit naval invasion in 1398 and founded his new stronghold on the mouth of Bertam river in 1402. Within decades, the new city grew rapidly to become the capital of the Malacca Sultanate. Portuguese accounts however, written a hundred years after his death, suggest he was from Palembang in Sumatra and usurped the throne of Singapura; he was driven out, either by the Siamese or the Majapahit, and went on to found Malacca.
he name Parameswara is found in Portuguese sources such as Suma Oriental, and written Paramicura or Parimicura. Parameswara is a Hindu name derived from the Sanskrit word Parameśvara (Sanskrit: परमेश्वर), a concept literally meaning the "Supreme Lord". The word "parama" meaning "the supreme" is added to Ishvara as an intensifier. Parameśvara is also one of the names of Lord Shiva. However, the name Parameswara is not found in the Malay Annals, which tell a romanticized history of the kingdoms of Singapura and Malacca. It gives the name Iskandar Shah as the last ruler of Singapura and founder of Malacca. Iskandar is Persian for "Alexander", after Alexander the Great, and Shah the Persian title for a king. It has been conjectured that Iskandar Shah of the Malay Annals is the same person as Parameswara based on certain commonalities in their biographies.
The Ming Chronicle (Ming Shilu) recorded that the consort of Parameswara known as Bā-ér-mí-sū-lǐ (八兒迷蘇里) ('Parameswari') attended a banquet together with the king Bai-li-mi-su-la (拜里迷蘇剌, 'Parameswara') in the Ming court.[5] It is more likely that 'Parameswari' ("Supreme Lordess") referred to a title rather than a given name as evidenced by its application in the Malay Annals to Sang Nila Utama's mother-in-law, Queen Parameswari Iskandar Shah, and is in fact still in use today in the form of "Permaisuri" ('Queen') in the Malay language. Therefore, the name Parameswara is also believed to be a small part of a longer regnal title which was something common among Malay royals until the present day. Apart from Parameswara the founder of Malacca, Abu Syahid Shah, the fourth Sultan of Malacca, was also titled "Raja Sri Parameswara Dewa Shah".
Raffles's Landing Site
The office towers at Raffles Place on the south bank of the Singapore River serve as a backdrop against Sir Stamford Raffles's statue located at Raffles' Landing Site on the river's opposite bank
Raffles's Landing Site is the location where tradition holds that Sir Stamford Raffles landed in on 28 January 1819. The site is located at Boat Quay within the Civic District, in the Downtown Core of the Central Area, Singapore's central business district.
On 28 January 1819, Sir Stamford Raffles landed at this site for his first visit, which lasted ten days. During this period, with the help of Major William Farquhar, he concluded the first treaty with the local rulers Temenggong Abdul Rahman and Sultan Hussein Shah. The site is denoted by a statue of Sir Stamford Raffles and is located on the north bank of the Singapore River. The present polymarble statue was unveiled in 1972 which was made from plaster casts from the original 1887 figure that currently stands opposite Victoria Concert Halls.
In 2019, as part of events commemorating the bicentennial of the Founding of modern Singapore, numerous alterations have been made to and around the statue of Raffles such as using camouflage to make the statue 'disappear' into the backdrop of the buildings in Raffles Place on the south bank,[2] and erecting statues of Raffles's contemporaries such as Munshi Abdullah, Tan Tock Seng, and Naraina Pillai along with that of the founder of the Kingdom of Singapura, Sang Nila Utama.
First Landing in Singapore 200 years ago on 28 Jan 1819
Plaque on the plinth of the statue of Sir Stamford Raffles at Raffles’ Landing Site by the Singapore River
Two hundred years ago, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles negotiated an important treaty, leading to the establishment of the British colony of Singapore. Raffles Hotel in Singapore, named after him, is one of the most famous hotels in the world.
On 29th January 1819 Raffles established a post on this newly discovered island and immediately made contact with the local rulers. This proved to be Raffles’ strength, sensing an uneasy political context he offered what would have been a basic treaty establishing trade exclusivity and British protection of the area.
By 6th February 1819 Singapore had been established and Britain was in control. The treaty was announced in public, read in several languages in order to show inclusion of all people belonging to this multicultural trade centre. Raffles had secured an important port, leading to the city’s growth not only financially but culturally and socially, attracting people from all across the continent hoping to make money on the island. Modern Singapore was taking its tentative steps on the global stage. In the following years, Singapore would formally become a British colony with power transferred to Major William Farquhar as the Resident and Commandant of the new settlement. Raffles, although initially returning to Sumatra, would continue to exert his influence on Singapore throughout the years.
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