british’s need to break dutch monopoly singapore’s geographical location singapore’s natural...
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How Raffles set up a trading settlement in Singapore
Recap: Why Singapore was chosen to be a British port
British’s need to break Dutch monopoly Singapore’s geographical location Singapore’s natural harbour
How was the British able to secure it as a trading port?
Succession dispute in the Johor-Riau Sultanate
Sultan Mahmud had two sons: Tengku Hussein Long (older) and Tengku Abdul Rahman (younger)
1.
2.
When Sultan Mahmud passed away in 1812, only Tengku Abdul Rahman was present.
Malay traditions stated that the dead sultan could only be buried after the new sultan had been appointed. The Bugis chiefs and the Dutch, who held influence in the Johor-Riau Sultanate supported Tengku Abdul Rahman being the new Sultan. They held a coronation ceremony to make him the new sultan.
3.
Those who supported Tengku Hussein were not pleased but they could not do anything about it.
4. Tengku Hussein went to live in Riau.5
.
In 1818, the Dutch signed a treaty with Sultan Rahman that stated that his empire (which included Singapore) would be under Dutch control.
How did the British secure SG?
When Raffles wanted to sign a treaty with the Temenggong of Singapore (that would allow the British to establish a fort on the island), the Sultan would have to approve.
However, Britain did not want to offend the Dutch. How could they set up a trading settlement in Singapore?
Raffles smuggled Tengku Hussein into Singapore and on 6 February 1819, proclaimed him the rightful Sultan of Johore.
Raffles, the Temenggong and Sultan Hussein signed the Treaty of 6 February 1819 which confirmed Singapore as a British possession.
Treaty of 6 February 1819
In return for an annual payment of 5,000 Spanish dollars to the Sultan and 3,000 Spanish dollars to the Temenggong, the EIC was to have the sole right to build a factory on Singapore island
The Sultan was not to allow any other power to settle in Singapore.
Half the duties collected from any native ships using Singapore were to go to the Sultan and Temenggong.
After the treaty
Raffles returned to Bencoolen, leaving Major William Farquhar as the first British Resident of Singapore.
What happened to the Malay kings?
By 1825, Sultan Hussein had signed away many of his rights to the British.
By the end of the 19th century, the Sultan’s family had lost almost all authority in Singapore, and become unknown to the people.
The Temenggong, on the other hand, enjoyed the support of the Malay population. When he died in 1825, his son, Ibrahim, continued to establish a relationship of trust with the British. Ibrahim’s son, Abu Bakar, took over in 1862 and negotiated with the British to take on several positions in the British government. He was eventually appointed Sultan of Johor by the British in 1885.
Reaction of the Dutch
British: needed the Dutch in the event of a common enemy.
Dutch: in debt to the British as it had borrowed heavily from them during the war.
The Dutch protested strongly against the foundation of Singapore, but did not take military action.
Both Holland and Britain had been involved in fighting France in the Napoleonic Wars (1793 – 1815) and neither wanted to start another war. Both wanted to settle their differences by peaceful means.
Discussions began in 1819 and by 1820 the Dutch had agreed that the British would remain in SG. In 1824, the Anglo-Dutch treaty was signed.
Singapore’s trade (1819 – 1824)
No import or export duties, apart from a few small local changes.
Only free port in the Malay Archipelago until 1819.
Annual trade totaled over 13 million Spanish dollars by 1823.
Free from government monopoly: merchants were free to trade in all goods (unlike Dutch ports)
By 1823, the port was international.
Treaty of June 1823
Why?1819 Treaty did not give the island to Britain.
Raffles signed a further treaty which stated:Britain was to have control of the entire island.
Treaty of August 1824
Why?Singapore was still under the sovereignty of the Sultan.
John Crawfurd organised another treaty: The Sultan and Temenggong agreed to cede to the East India Company “the island of Singapore, together with the adjacent seas, straits and islets to the extent of ten geographical miles from the coast of the said main island of Singapore”.
Anglo-Dutch Treaty 1824 a) By the drawing of an imaginary line
through the Straits of Malacca and south of Singapore, the area was divided into a British "sphere of influence" and a Dutch "sphere of influence". Each country would have commercial control within its own area and agreed not to interfere in the affairs of the other country's "sphere of influence".
b)The Dutch agreed to cede all their bases in India and the Malay Peninsula to Britain.
c) The Dutch accepted the British possession of Singapore.
d)Britain ceded Bencoolen to Holland, and Holland gave Malacca to Britain.
Effects of Anglo-dutch treaty 1824
British and Dutch spheres of influence confirmed:
Treaty made official what was already in existence
The Dutch were to win control of the East Indies, the British came to dominate the Malay Peninsula.
Anglo-Dutch treaty of 1824 meant that Singapore could develop as a trading settlement without the interference from the Dutch.
By 1832, SG had replaced Penang as the centre for the Straits Settlement.
Effects of Anglo-Dutch treaty 1824
The end of the Johore Empire: The decline of the Johore Empire has
been happening for some time, the treaty just confirmed it.
Effects of Anglo-Dutch treaty 1824
Anglo-Dutch Relations: Improved in Europe; but there were difficulties
in the East. Rivalry between Dutch and British officials and
merchants still existed. For many years to come, there were complaints from the British that their trade was being hampered by the Dutch.
Relations between Dutch and British officials were so poor that the agreement to act together against piracy was never put into effect.