who is the founder of singapore 1201967199326631 3

8/10/2019 Who is the Founder of Singapore 1201967199326631 3

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chapter twoWho was the founder of

Singapore?


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Lesson Objectives

Factors for the British

choice of Singapore

Problems the British

faced in starting aTrading Settlement in

Singapore

The Importance of the

Singapore Treaty to

the British


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Rivalry betweenthe British and the Dutch

In the early 19thcentury, Europeantrading companiescompeted for economic

profit.

The British had Penangand Bencoolenastrading settlements.

The Dutch controlledMelakaand Java fortrade.


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Rivalry betweenthe British and the Dutch

Why the British weredisadvantaged:

o The Dutch did not allow anyEuropean ships to trade inmost of the Dutch-controlledports except at Batavia.

o The Dutch restricted Europeantraders who stopped atBatavia by charging high portfees and heavy taxes.

o The British trading ports in theMalay Archipelago wereunsuitable for trade betweenIndia and China.


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The arrival of Raffles

28 Jan 1819, Rafflesreached Singaporewaters.

29 Jan 1819, Rafflesand Farquhar met theTemenggong, asenior minister of the

Johor-Riau sultanate.


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Factors for the British choice ofSingapore

Unsuitability of Penang andBencoolen as trading ports

Singapore was strategicallylocatedcentralized, in theheart of the Malay

Archipelago, along the maintrading route between Indiaand China. Suitable as aport due to its:

o Excellent harbouro Plentiful supply of drinking

water

The Dutch were not on theisland.


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Problems the British faced instarting a Trading Settlement (I)

From the Temenggong,Raffles discovered onlySultan Abdul Rahman

could grant the Britishpermission. HOWEVER,the Sultan was under thecontrol of the Dutch, who

would not allow theBritish to occupySingapore.


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How Raffles dealt with the problem

Raffles capitalized onthe successiondispute in the Johor-

Riau sultanate. He recognized

Tengku as the rightfulSultan and obtained

permission from him.


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Problems the British faced instarting a Trading Settlement (II)

The Dutch protested against the tradingsettlement in Singapore.

A paper war began.


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How both parties resolved it

Both sides had their reasonsfor not declaring a wardespite their animosity.

British: Wanted to use

Holland as a strong bufferstate against foreignaggression.

Dutch: Holland wasfinancially weak and could

not afford to wage war. A peace settlement was

eventually signed in 1824(The Anglo-Dutch Treaty).


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Importance of the Singapore Treatyto the British

Gave the British rights to start a tradingsettlement in Singapore, but Singaporewas still a territory controlled by a Malay

Ruler

Broke the trading monopoly of the Dutch inthe region

Facilitated the all important India-Chinatrade


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the controversy.Who exactly should be regarded

as the founder of Singapore?


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Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles

A child of my own,

My new colony

Signed the 1819 treatythat allowed the British tobuild a settlement inSingapore

But left Singapore inhands of Farquharthereafter.


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William Farquhar

Both British Resident andCommandant in Singapore

Cleared jungle and built

basic housing Guarded Singapore

against Dutch attacks

On his tomb, he claimedthat he founded thesettlement in Singapore


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Farquhars Role

Invited people to trade and live in Singapore.

Solved food shortage problem by spreadingnews to Melaka, whose traders brought food

products down. Solved crime and disorder partially by setting up

a small police force

Eliminated the infestation of rats and centipedesby offering cash rewards for every pest killed.


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John Crawfurd

Signed 1824 treatywhich madeSingapore a British

colony. Was resident of

Singapore from 1823- 1826

Set up a court to hearlocal cases.


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And the credit goes to?

The credit for Singapores growth mustgo to those who made it grow, to thepeople who in defiance of all history built a

bustling port on the equator. The Malay Rajas, Straits and Nanyang

Chinese, Bugis, Indians, Arabs,Armenians and the Jews, the Europeansand all those unnamed pioneering settlerswho made Singapore worked.


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Some definitions

Why the fuss? The term founder can beinterpreted differently.

o One who establishes a settlemento One who contributes to the growthpolitically, economically and socially.


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Following the definitions

Under the first meaning, then Raffles is thefounder since he signed the 1819 treaty.

If we take the second meaning, Farquhar

should be given the credit as he builtSingapore in its early years.

Yet others believe John Crawfurd should bethe real founder. On the other hand, Crawfurd

signed the 1824 treaty that granted the Britishcomplete possession of Singapore.


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A comprehensive view

Raffles vision + Farquhars energy + Crawfurdsshrewdness = converted Raffles dreams intoreality.

Without Raffles, Singapore might not exist.

Without Farquhar, the infant settlement mightnot be nursed through its infant years.

Without Crawfurd, Singapore might not haveprospered.

All played a part to make Singapore famous andreputable.

But Raffles fame and reputation remained,

compared to Farquhar and Crawfurd

who is the founder of singapore 1201967199326631 3

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