Download 3 reasons for a third british port

• Why the British needed a new trading
settlement in this region
• Why Singapore was chosen
• How Raffles succeeded in establishing a
trading settlement in Singapore
• 1818 - Lord Hastings,
Governor-General of
India, gave approval
to Sir Stamford
Raffles, LieutenantGovernor of
Bencoolen, to
establish a trading
station at the
southern tip of the
Malay Peninsula.
• On 29 January 1819,
Raffles landed on the
island of Singapore
after having surveyed
other nearby islands.
• The next day, he
concluded a
preliminary treaty
with Temenggong
Abdul Rahman to set
up a trading post
here
• On 6 February 1819,
a formal treaty was
concluded with
Sultan Hussein of
Johor and the
Temenggong
• 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
Raffles and Farquhar approaching the Temenggong’s residence
Source : SHM - An Interactive Exploration
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
Malay Archipelago : Comprises Malaya, Singapore, Java, Sumatra, Borneo and
the Celebes (Sulawesi). All these and the thousands of smaller islands around
them form what is used to be called the Malay Archipelago or the East Indies.
The Malay Archipelago forms part of a larger region now known as Southeast
Asia.
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?
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
•
•
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.”
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
Moluccas
Bencoolen
Formerly known as Batavia
You must know your geography!
British Reaction to Dutch Monopoly
• Raffles : Believed that this new
settlement should be located
south of Dutch-controlled
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,
Raffles began his search for the
third British settlement
Singapore : From a Fishing Village to a British Possession
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28 Jan 1819 : Raffles, from his ship
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
Source : SHM - An Interactive Exploration
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
“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!
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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
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 10
The Queen will
be proud of me!
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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 : That was the treaty we
saw at the start of the lesson
• 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
• Singapore proved to be a
prized settlement
• By 1820, it was earning
revenue, and three years later,
its trade surpassed that of
Penang
• The second treaty was made with
Sultan Hussein and Temenggong
Abdul Rahman in August 1824, by
which the two owners ceded the
island outright to the British in
return for increased cash payments
and pensions
• With this 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