NAME: _________________________ [ ] Class: Sec 1D

CHAPTER 2 [continuation]
6.3 Singapore’s Connections with the Portuguese and the Dutch (16 th to Early 19th
Century)

1. In the 16th century, European powers like the ________________ and the
________________ (from Holland / Netherlands) were interested in Southeast Asia
because they wanted to gain a ________________ over the spice trade.
a) To have a monopoly means to have ________________ ________________ of
the supply of a good in a certain area.
b) To have a monopoly over the spice trade, they needed to control the
________________ / ________________ and _________ ________________
linked to the spice trade.

2. Spices were in demand in Europe for use in cooking, food preservation and as
medicine. Spices could be found in the Indonesian islands of Celebes and
Moluccas, also known as ‘__________ ___________’
3. The first European power to reach Southeast Asia were the Portuguese who
conquered ________________ in 1511 and from there they controlled the spice
trade.

4. The Dutch arrived in Southeast Asia in the late __________ century and took over
territories in Indonesia.

5. There was intense ________________ ________________ between the

Portuguese and the Dutch.
a) They attacked one another’s ships and fought many ________________
________________ in the seas near Singapore.
b) From the 17th to early 19th century, both the Portuguese and the Dutch were
interested in ________________ Singapore because they wanted to build a
_____________ in Singapore that could provide better security for their
merchant ships transporting goods along the Straits of Singapore.
c) In 1641, the Dutch conquered Melaka from the Portuguese and became the
dominant European power in the ________________ ________________
6. Source evidence of trade connections between Singapore and the Dutch in
Indonesia:
a) ________________ used by the Dutch traders between 1730 & 1796 were
________________ at Empress Place.
b) The presence of the coins suggests that there was some form of
________________ ________________ with Dutch territories in the 18th century
around the Empress Place area.

1
Page 81: Singapore’s Connections with the World (19th Century)

7.1 British Interest in Southeast Asia

1. The British East India Company or ___________ was in charge of organising trade
between the British and the East.
a. At first, they set up trading settlements and factories in India (1612).
b. Later, they also wanted to protect their ____________ ______________, and
control the _____________ _____________ in Southeast Asia.
c. This meant they had to break the ___________ _______________.

2. How the British EIC tried to break the Dutch monopoly over the spice trade in
Southeast Asia between the 18th and 19th centuries.
a. The EIC aimed to set up _____________ _____________ that could compete
against the Dutch ports in Riau and Sumatra, and that could help them
____________________________________________________ between
India and China.
b. They gained control of _____________ in 1786. However, Penang was
located __________________________ of the Straits of Melaka and could
not be used by the centre of the India-China sea trade route.
c. The British also set up a port at _____________ in western Sumatra.
However, Bencoolen was also not effective as a base for the British to
compete with the Dutch because it was __________________________
____________________________________________________

3. In 1818, Sir Stamford Raffles was appointed as the __________________________.

a. His assistant was Major William Farquhar.
b. Raffles was convinced that the British needed to establish a new base in
Southeast Asia that was _______________________________________ than
Penang or Bencoolen.
c. After considering several places at the southern end of the Straits of Melaka,
Raffles decided that Singapore would be the most ideal location for the new
________________________________________________.

2
7.2 Why Singapore was Chosen as a British Port

(1) Excellent _____________!

(2) Excellent _____________ on its southern shores!

(3) _____________ location in the __________________________

that could help the British to protect their ___________________
passing down the Straits of Melaka

7.3 How Raffles Set Up a Trading Settlement in Singapore

1. When Raffles first arrived in Singapore on 28th January 1819, he made

observations about the following:
a. The environment: a fine habour, a ‘forbidden hill’ (Fort Canning Hill), ruins
of a _____________, a _____________ village, and a _____________
b. The people: around _________ people, 30 families of
_________________________, about 30 _____________ employed in
planting gambir

2. On 29th January 1819, Raffles had a meeting with __________________

_____________ _____________, an official from the Johor-Riau Sultanate who was
in charge of Singapore at that time.
a. Raffles conveyed the intention of the EIC to set up a trading settlement in
Singapore.
b. However, the Temenggong told him that the Sultan of Johor at that time was
under _____________ protection and was unlikely to allow the British to set
up a settlement in Singapore.
c. Raffles learnt about the succession dispute in the Johor-Riau Sultanate:
i. When the previous ruler of Johor, Sultan Mahmud passed away, he left
behind two sons, Tengku _______________________ (the older son),
and Tengku _____________ _____________ (the younger son).
ii. When Sultan Mahmud passed away, Tengku Hussein was away in
Pahang.
iii. The younger son, Tengku Abdul Rahman, with the support of influential
______________ ____________, and also with the backing of the
_____________, claimed the throne and was appointed as the new
sultan.

3
 iv. When Tengku Hussein found out that his younger brother had claimed
the throne, Tengku Hussein went into exile in _____________.

d. How Raffles took advantage of the succession dispute to gain control of

Singapore:
i. Raffles took advantage of the Dutch not being in Singapore. He
decided to _____________ _____________ _____________ as the
rightful sultan on the condition that Tengku Hussein _____________
_______________________________________________________
in Singapore.
ii. With the Temenggong’s help, Raffles smuggled Tengku Hussein back
into Singapore.

e. The treaty signed between Raffles, Sultan Hussein and the Temenggong on
6th February 1819
i. The British agreed to _____________ Tengku Hussein as the rightful
sultan of Johor.
ii. The British EIC was allowed to set up a _____________
_____________ in Singapore
iii. Tengku Hussein and the Temenggong would receive _____________
and a yearly _____________ from the EIC, provided they did not sign
a treaty with any other European or American power.

f. Before he left for Bencoolen on 7 February 1910, Raffles appointed Major

William Farquhar as the _____________ _____________ _____________ of
Singapore.

7.4 Reactions of the Dutch and the British Towards the Founding of Singapore

1. Reaction of the Dutch government

a. The Dutch were _____________ at Raffles.
b. They _____________ because they claimed that Singapore was part of the
_______________________________________ ruled by Sultan Abdul
Rahman, whom the Dutch recognised and had placed under ____________
______________.
c. They threatened to use _____________ to drive the British out of Singapore.

2. Reaction of the British government

a. The British government was also not pleased with Raffles because what he
did caused Britain’s with the Dutch to be _____________.
b. However, in the next few years, the British government saw how important
Singapore’s strategic location to the _____________ and _____________

4
 of British trade in China and the Malay Archipelago. Thus, they decided that
Singapore was worth keeping despite Dutch protests.

3. How the British and the Dutch resolved their dispute over Singapore:
a. They decided to settle their quarrel over Singapore _____________ because
both wanted to maintain friendly relations.
b. They signed the _______________________________________ on 17
March 1824 which had the following terms:
i. The Dutch agreed to officially _____________ their opposition to the
British presence in Singapore.
ii. Both the British and the Dutch agreed to divide the Malay Archipelago
into ____________________________________________________:
1. The _____________ _____________ and _____________
came under British influence
2. The _________ __________ (_____________) came under
Dutch influence
iii. The Dutch gave up Melaka to the British. In return, the British gave up
Bencoolen to the Dutch.

7.5 Singapore’s Development as a British Trading Settlement

After 1824, because there was no interference from the Dutch, the British were able to
develop Singapore as a trading settlement where trade _____________.
1. The British EIC turned Singapore into a _____________ _____________ where
traders could trade without having to pay taxes on their goods.
2. Singapore developed rapidly to become the _____________ of British trade with
China, the Dutch East Indies, Siam, Annam and Cambodia.
3. Singapore also became an _____________ for British and Indian products, Chinese
tea and silk, and for goods from the Malay Archipelago..
4. In the first 20 months, about 3,000 ships called at its harbour.
5. The population increased from _____________ inhabitants in 1824, to more than
_____________ by 1850. More than half of the new settlers were _____________
immigrants.

5
NAME: _________________________ [ ] Class: Sec 1D
CHAPTER 2 [continuation]
6.3 Singapore’s Connections with the Portuguese and the Dutch (16 th to Early 19th
Century)

1. In the 16th century, European powers like the Portuguese and the Dutch were
interested in Southeast Asia because they wanted to gain a monopoly over the spice
trade.
c) To have a monopoly means to have sole control of the supply of a good in a
certain area.
d) To have a monopoly over the spice trade, they needed to control the settlements
and sea routes linked to the spice trade.
2. Spices were in demand in Europe for use in cooking, food preservation and as
medicine. Spices could be found in the Indonesian islands of Celebes and
Moluccas, also known as ‘spice islands.’
3. The first European power to reach Southeast Asia were the Portuguese who
conquered Melaka in 1511 and from there they controlled the spice trade.
4. The Dutch arrived in Southeast Asia in the late 16th century and took over territories
in Indonesia.
5. There was intense trade rivalry between the Portuguese and the Dutch.
d) They attacked one another’s ships and fought many naval battles in the seas
near Singapore.
e) From the 17th to early 19th century, both the Portuguese and the Dutch were
interested in controlling Singapore because they wanted to build a fortress in
Singapore that could provide better security for their merchant ships transporting
goods along the Straits of Singapore.
f) In 1641, the Dutch conquered Melaka from the Portuguese and became the
dominant European power in the Malay Archipelago.
6. Source evidence of trade connections between Singapore and the Dutch in
Indonesia:
c) VOC coins used by the Dutch traders between 1730 & 1796 were excavated at
Empress Place.
d) The presence of the coins suggests that there was some form of trade activity
with Dutch territories in the 18th century around the Empress Place area.

6
Page 81: Singapore’s Connections with the World (19th Century)

7.1 British Interest in Southeast Asia

1. The British East India Company or EIC was in charge of organising trade between
the British and the East.
a. At first they set up trading settlements and factories in India (1612).
b. Later, they also wanted to protect their China trade, and control the spice
trade in Southeast Asia.
c. This meant they had to break the Dutch monopoly.

2. How the British EIC tried to break the Dutch monopoly over the spice trade in
Southeast Asia between the 18th and 19th centuries.
a. The EIC aimed to set up trading ports that could compete against the Dutch
ports in Riau and Sumatra, and that could help them control the sea route
between India and China.
b. They gained control of Penang in 1786. However, Penang was located too
far north of the Straits of Melaka and could not be used by the centre of the
India-China sea trade route.
c. The British also set up a port at Bencoolen in western Sumatra. However,
Bencoolen was also not effective as a base for the British to compete with the
Dutch because it was not located along the Straits of Melaka.

3. In 1818, Sir Stamford Raffles was appointed as the Governor of Bencoolen.

d. His assistant was Major William Farquhar.
e. Raffles was convinced that the British needed to establish a new base in
Southeast Asia that was more strategically located than Penang or Bencoolen.
f. After considering several places at the southern end of the Straits of Melaka,
Raffles decided that Singapore would be the most ideal location for the new
British trading settlement.

7.2 Why Singapore was Chosen as a British Port

(4) Excellent harbor!

(5) Excellent anchorage on its southern shores!

(6) Strategic location in the Straits of Melaka that could help the
British to protect their China trade passing down the Straits
of Melaka
7
7.3 How Raffles Set Up a Trading Settlement in Singapore

3. When Raffles first arrived in Singapore on 28th January 1819, he made

observations about the following:
a. The environment: a fine harbour, a ‘forbidden hill’ (Fort Canning Hill),
ruins of a fortress, a fishing village, and a jungle
b. The people: around 500 people, 30 families of Orang Laut, about 30
Chinese employed in planting gambir

4. On 29th January 1819, Raffles had a meeting with Temenggong Abdul Rahman,
an official from the Johor-Riau Sultanate who was in charge of Singapore at that
time.
a. Raffles conveyed the intention of the EIC to set up a trading settlement in
Singapore.
b. However, the Temenggong told him that the Sultan of Johor at that time was
under Dutch protection and was unlikely to allow the British to set up a
settlement in Singapore.
c. Raffles learnt about the succession dispute in the Johor-Riau Sultanate:
i. When the previous ruler of Johor, Sultan Mahmud passed away, he left
behind two sons, Tengku Hussein Long (the older son), and Tengku
Abdul Rahman (the younger son).
ii. When Sultan Mahmud passed away, Tengku Hussein was away in
Pahang.
iii. The younger son, Tengku Abdul Rahman, with the support of influential
Bugis chiefs, and also with the backing of the Dutch, claimed the
throne and was appointed as the new sultan.
iv. When Tengku Hussein found out that his younger brother had claimed
the throne, Tengku Hussein went into exile in Riau.

d. How Raffles took advantage of the succession dispute to gain control of

Singapore:
i. Raffles took advantage of the Dutch not being in Singapore. He
decided to support Tengku Hussein as the rightful sultan on the
condition that Tengku Hussein allowed the British EIC to set up a
trading settlement in Singapore.
ii. With the Temenggong’s help, Raffles smuggled Tengku Hussein back
into Singapore.

e. The treaty signed between Raffles, Sultan Hussein and the Temenggong on
6th February 1819

8
 i. The British agreed to recognise Tengku Hussein as the rightful sultan
of Johor.
ii. The British EIC was allowed to set up a trading settlement in Singapore
iii. Tengku Hussein and the Temenggong would receive protection and a
yearly allowance from the EIC, provided they did not sign a treaty with
any other European or American power.

f. Before he left for Bencoolen on 7 February 1910, Raffles appointed Major

William Farquhar as the first British Resident of Singapore.

7. Reactions of the Dutch and the British Towards the Founding of

4 Singapore

4. Reaction of the Dutch government

a. The Dutch were angry at Raffles.
b. They protested because they claimed that Singapore was part of the Johor-
Riau Sultanate ruled by Sultan Abdul Rahman, whom the Dutch recognised
and had placed under Dutch protection.
c. They threatened to use force to drive the British out of Singapore.

5. Reaction of the British government

a. The British government was also not pleased with Raffles because what he
did caused Britain’s with the Dutch to be strained.
b. However, in the next few years, the British government saw how important
Singapore’s strategic location to the protection and expansion of British
trade in China and the Malay Archipelago. Thus, they decided that Singapore
was worth keeping despite Dutch protests.

6. How the British and the Dutch resolved their dispute over Singapore:
a. They decided to settle their quarrel over Singapore peacefully because both
wanted to maintain friendly relations.
b. They signed the Anglo-Dutch Treaty on 17 March 1824 which had the
following terms:
i. The Dutch agreed to officially withdraw their opposition to the British
presence in Singapore.
ii. Both the British and the Dutch agreed to divide the Malay Archipelago
into two spheres of influence:
1. The Malay Peninsula and Singapore came under British
influence
2. The East Indies (Indonesia) came under Dutch influence
iii. The Dutch gave up Melaka to the British. In return, the British gave up
Bencoolen to the Dutch.

9
 7.5 Singapore’s Development as a British Trading Settlement

After 1824, because there was no interference from the Dutch, the British were able to
develop Singapore as a trading settlement where trade flourished.
6. The British EIC turned Singapore into a free port where traders could trade without
having to pay taxes on their goods.
7. Singapore developed rapidly to become the centre of British trade with China, the
Dutch East Indies, Siam, Annam and Cambodia.
8. Singapore also became an entrepot for British and Indian products, Chinese tea and
silk, and for goods from the Malay Archipelago..
9. In the first 20 months, about 3,000 ships called at its harbour.
10. The population increased from 16,000 inhabitants in 1824, to more than 80,000 by
1850. More than half of the new settlers were Chinese immigrants.

10