Singapore was a bustling trading centre in the 1330s and 1340s since:
- Wang Dayuan's accounts
- Porcelain of late Ming Dynasty found, stuff from other countries of the 13/14th century.
- It is autonomous, specialized town, city or small state intended for trade. Paid occasional tribute.
- Usually a trans-shipment point between different ecological regions.
- Deliberately neutral buffer zone. Did not belong to China, India or Siam.
- Sejarah Melayu
- Old maps, Photographs.
-
Singapore chosen by the British because:
- Good habour
- Excellent supply of water
- Heart of Malay Archipelago
- Penang and Bencoolen not suitable ports
- Dutch not on island
British wants to break Dutch monopoly of trade.
British reached Singapore on 28 January 1819, Farquhar and Raffles met Temenggong on 29 January 1819. Raffles recognised Tengku Hussien as the rightful Sultan and signed a treaty with him and Temenggong on 6 Februrary 1819 that allows British to start a settlement in Singapore.
Dutch protested strongly, but both sides have nothing to gain from a war. Hence they signed the Anglo-Dutch treaty on 17 March 1824. Indeonesia and Bencoolen was placed under Dutch, British has Singapore, Melaka and Penang then.
John Crawford signed a treaty on 2 August 1824 that allowed the British to keep Singapore.
Raffles - fought for Singapore, signed treaty that allowed British to start a settlement
Farquhar - solved problems of Singapore: clearing trees, fortifying Singapore, having sufficient food, policing crime, exterminating pests.
John Crawfurd - signed treaty in August 1824 that allowed British to keep Singapore.
