1.

Why the British needed a new trading

settlement in this region?
2. Why Singapore was chosen?
3. What problems did British face in
starting a trading settlement in
Singapore?
4. Who was the founder of Singapore?

Raffles and Farquhar approaching the Temenggongs

residence

Why the British needed a new trading settlement in this region?

The Dutch and the British in the Malay

Archipelago

Early 19th Century : Malay Archipelago

Dutch controlled most of the Archipelago trade
Because they controlled many areas in the Malay
Archipelago, including Melaka and Java
Dutch did not want other European powers to share in
this trade
Did not allow British or other European ships to trade at
any Dutch-controlled ports except Batavia in Java
Enjoyed a trade monopoly

Why the British needed a new trading settlement in this region?

British Reaction to Dutch Monopoly

British traders : East India Company (EIC)

Despite Dutch monopoly, British manage to establish
two trading post at Penang and Bencoolen
Penang : Stopover point for ships sailing from India to
China
By early 19th century : British trade with China became
very important
British : afraid that profitable China trade would be
affected if Dutch controlled more areas in the Malay
Archipelago. Why?

Why the British needed a new trading settlement in this region?

British Reaction to Dutch Monopoly

Ans : The Dutch would be in a

position to control all sea routes and
force all ships to stop at Batavia

1818 : Sir Stamford Raffles

appointed Lieutenant-Governor
of Bencoolen
He saw how the Dutch were
spreading their monopoly of
trade to more areas in the
Archipelago
Strongly opposed to the Dutch
action

Why the British needed a new trading settlement in this region?

British Reaction to Dutch Monopoly

It is clear that the object of the
Dutch is to control all trade in
the Archipelago. By
controlling the only passes to
the Archipelago, namely the
Straits of Malacca and the
Sunda Straits, they have also
in their power at all times to
disrupt our China trade.

Why the British needed a new trading settlement in this region?

British Reaction to Dutch Monopoly

Raffles : Penang and

Bencoolen not located near
main trading area in the
Archipelago
Thus unable to prevent Dutch
monopoly
A new trading settlement was
needed to compete with the
Dutch
If it was nearer the
Archipelago, it could attract
traders in the region to trade
there

You must know your geography!

Why the British needed a new trading settlement in this region?

British Reaction to Dutch Monopoly

Raffles : Believed that this

new settlement should be
located south of Dutchcontrolled Melaka
This would better protect
the ships as they sailed
along the Straits of Melaka
from India to China
Together with his assistant,
Major William Farquhar,
Farquhar
Raffles began his search for
the third British settlement

Singapore : From a Fishing Village to a British

Possession

28 Jan 1819 : Raffles, from

his ship Indiana,
Indiana saw
Singapore island
Most of the island covered
by jungle
Small group of Malay,
Chinese and Orang Laut
settlers there
Livelihood : Growing fruits
and fishing

Singapore : From a Fishing Village to a British

Possession

Malays : Live in a village;

north bank of Singapore
River
Temenggong in charge
Orang Laut : Settled along
Singapore River
Chinese : Lived near Malay
village; grew gambier

Singapore : From a Fishing Village to a British

Possession

Temasek Old name of Singapore

A trading centre in the 14th
Century
Portuguese burnt down a
settlement at the mouth of the
Singapore River in 1613
Feared that it would be a threat
to them
After that, the island was
forgotten by traders

On Why Singapore was chosen?

At Singapore, I found advantages far superior to
what the other islands had to offer. It is located at
the southern entrance of the Straits of Malacca,
thus, in a commanding position to protect our
ships as they sail from India to China.
It has also been my good fortune to discover one of
the safest harbours in the area. Singapore is
everything we could desire. It will soon rise in
importance and break the Dutch monopoly of
trade in the Archipelago.

PROBLEM!
BIG PROBLEM!
29 Jan 1819 : Raffles, together with
Farquhar, landed on Singapore
Met by Temenggong
Raffles explained his mission
Temenggong agreeable but said that
the island was part of the Johor-Riau
sultanate under the control of Sultan
Abdul Rahman
Only the Sultan could give
permission for a British trading
settlement
One problem : Sultan was under the
control of the Dutch
Raffles knew the Dutch will never
allow the British to occupy Singapore

What problems did British face?

AH. A
SOLUTION!
Temenggong then told Raffles
the story of how Sultan Abdul
Rahman was made sultan
instead of his elder brother
Tengku Hussein, who was the
rightful heir
See comic strip on pg 26

The Queen will

be proud of me!
Plan : Raffles would recognise
Tunku Hussein as the rightful
Sultan
In that way, he could get
permission from this Sultan to
start the settlement
Temenggong sent his men to the
Riau Islands to invite Tengku
Hussein to Singapore
He left secretly so that the Dutch
would not suspect anything
He met Raffles and agreed to be
Sultan
6 Feb 1819 : Treaty was signed

 6 February 1819
Sir Stamford
Raffles & Tengku
Hussein at the
Padang
Tengku Hussein
recognised as the
Sultan of Johor
Treaty : Allow
British to set up a
trading settlement
Sultan - $5,000 a
year
Temenggong $3,000 a year

 The treaty of 6 Feb 1819 only

gave the British permission to
start a trading settlement in
Singapore
They did not own the island yet
Aug 1824 : New treaty
Singapore officially became a
British possession
From then until 1963, Singapore
was under the control of the
British except for a short period
of the Japanese Occupation from
1942 to 1945