Raffles finding Singapore

• Sir Stamford Raffles sailed with his assistant, William Farquhar, to Saint John’s island

• At 28 January 1819, the two of them arrived at Singapore

• They believed that Singapore was a suitable place to be the third British port in the Malay Archipelago

Reason why Sir Stamford Raffles chose Singapore

• Natural Harbor• Sufficient supply of drinking water• Absence of the Dutch• Strategic location

Natural Harbor

• Singapore was suitable for ships to anchor as it had a deep harbor

• Singapore was protected by Peninsular Malaya and Indonesia and could offer protection to the British ships from stroms

Sufficient supply of drinking water

• Sufficient supply of water could help make a new settlement

Absence of the Dutch

• The Dutch settlement in Singapore was absent

• This would make it easier for the British to set up their trading settlement

Strategic location

• Singapore was located at the southern entrance of the Straits of Malacca . This make it an important position on the trade route between the East and the West

• It’s commanding position help the British break the Dutch trade monopoly in the Malay Archipelago as both place could monitor the Straits of Malacca. The entrance of the Straits can help control the ports which gives the British a chance to control the entire passageway to the Malay Archipelago as the trading ship sailing between India and China will sail close to the Malay Archipelago when the want to leave or go there

• Singapore was located near to various trading center in Java and other part of the Malay Archipelago which attract traders to trade by the region. This gives the British a chance to break the Dutch trade monopoly

Problem faced by Raffles to set up a settlement and Raffles solution to the problem

• Singapore was under the control of the Dutch indirectly

• Succession dispute in the local political situation

Singapore was under the control of the Dutch indirectly

• Singapore belonged to Johor-Riau Sultanate which was under control of Sultan Abdul Rahman

• Bugis and the Dutch supported the Sultan which mean that the Sultan was under control of the Dutch

• Raffles knew that the Dutch will never give in to set up a trading settlement

• Raffles take the succession dispute as a chance for him to conquer Singapore by taking lots of soldiers in January 1819 to fight

• He asked Tengku Hussein and the Temenggong to sign a treat in 1819 with the British so that they could set up a settlement on Singapore

Succession dispute in the local political situation

• When Sultan Mahmud of Johor died in 1812, his elder son, Tengku Long was absent

• Tengku Abdul Rahman, the younger son, who had the support from Bugis and the Dutch, was made as the ruler

• Raffles installed Tengku Long as the rightful Sultan of the Johor Riau Sultanate to make the British claim in Singapore authentic .

• He promised to suport him as the Sultan and also protect Sultan Hussein and the Temenggong when they are in danger

• Sulatn and Temenggong were promised to get a large amount of payment; they got $5000 and $3000 respectively every year

Summary

Sir Stamford Raffles sailed with his assistant, William Farquhar, to Saint John’s island and reached at 28 January 1819. They believed that Singapore was a suitable place to be the third British port in the Malay Archipelago. Natural Harbor, sufficient supply of drinking water, absence of the Dutch and strategic location are the factors that made Raffles think Singapore is a suitable place to be the third British port in the Malay Archipelago. The Dutch controlling Singapore indirectly and succession dispute in the local political situation are problems faced by Raffles to set up a settlement