Theoretically the Dutch could have colonized Singapore during the period they controlled the Malayan peninsula, between about 1613 and 1819. But they didn't.
The Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 cemented the status of Singapore as a British possession, carving up the Malay archipelago between the two colonial powers with the area north of the Straits of Malacca, including Singapore, falling under Britain's sphere of influence.
Singapore previously had been under the sovereignty of the British Empire since the early 19th century. After gaining its independence from the British Empire in 1963, Singapore briefly joined the Federation of Malaysia, before breaking away for independent sovereignty in 1965.
Widely recognized as the founder of the port city of Singapore, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles' (1781-1826) path to Singapore wasn't effortless as one might imagine; and the recounting of his contribution would not be accurate without mentioning the other founder – William Farquhar (1774-1839), a native born Scotsman.
On 6 February 1819, Stamford Raffles, Temenggong Abdu'r Rahman and Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor signed a treaty that gave the British East India Company (EIC) the right to set up a trading post in Singapore.
British Colonial Period: During the 50 years following Raffles's establishment of his free-trade port, Singapore grew in size, population, and prosperity. In 1824 the Dutch formally recognized British control of Singapore, and London acquired full sovereignty over the island.
Little over 2 months earlier Japanese forces had invaded Northern Malaya. Thanks to their advanced tactics and training, the Japanese advanced with incredible speed pushing the unprepared British back to Singapore in a so-called 'bicycle blitzkrieg'.
Under their charge in the 19th and 20th centuries, the ancient port was revived, attracting a melting pot of immigrants who together with founder Stamford Raffles, and British residents of Singapore William Farquhar and John Crawfurd, helped build a thriving emporium and shape the city we know today.
It promoted opium smoking, which ravaged countless lives in Singapore. Unemployment levels were high, and working conditions were often horrendous. And in the Second World War, Britain utterly failed to defend the colony against invasion by Japan, which subsequently killed countless Singaporeans.
On 29 January 1819, Stamford Raffles, accompanied by William Farquhar and a small entourage arrived in Singapore. His objective was to establish a port and trading station for the East India Company. This is the beginning of the story of modern Singapore. Our founding Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew, held this view.
The Bad. First, the colonial society of Singapore was racist and hierarchical. The whites were first class citizens, the Eurasians were second class citizens and the rest of us were third class citizens. Racism permeated the civil service, the police force, sports and even the social clubs.
At the time of its founding, Singapore was inhabited by a small number of Malay and Orang Laut fishing peoples and about thirty Chinese planters and traders. As Singapore grew as a port and trading centre, workers from mainland China and other parts of the Malay peninsula and Indonesia were brought in.
Dutch colonisation of Asia. Primary Dutch and Portuguese settlements in Asia, c. 1665. With the exception of Jakarta and Deshima, all had been captured by the Dutch East India Company from Portugal.
Netherland territories included Indonesia (1602-1945), Sri Lanka (17th century-1802), the Netherlands Antilles (since 1634), Tobago (1654-1678), Suriname (17th century-1975), Guyana (1667-1815), Belgium (1815-1830), Luxembourg (1815-1867), South Africa (1652-1805), parts of Malaysia (1610-1830), and a part of eastern ...
The VOC governed several colonies in Southeast Asia including Ceylon (now Sri Lanka), the coast of the Coromandel (now part of India), Dutch Formosa (now Taiwan), the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), and also the Cape Colony (now South Africa).
From the city's stunning skyline to iconic landmarks such as Marina Bay Sands and the Gardens by the Bay, Singapore is jam-packed with iconic attractions. The seamless mix of technology, innovation, and natural beauty makes visiting Singapore an unforgettable experience.
Singapore was the foremost British military base and economic port in South–East Asia and had been of great importance to British interwar defence strategy.
On 9 August 1965, Singapore separated from Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign state. The separation was the result of deep political and economic differences between the ruling parties of Singapore and Malaysia, which created communal tensions that resulted in racial riots in July and September 1964.
Singapore Island originally was inhabited by fishermen and pirates, and it served as an outpost for the Sumatran empire of Srīvijaya. In Javanese inscriptions and Chinese records dating to the end of the 14th century, the more-common name of the island is Tumasik, or Temasek, from the Javanese word tasek (“sea”).
Singapore was known in the 13th to 14th century as Temasek, a name also recorded in Chinese sources as Dan Ma Xi, a country recorded as having two distinct settlements – Long Ya Men and Ban Zu. It changed its name to Singapura perhaps towards the end of 14th century.
Singapore became a very rich country by implementing measures such as mandatory allocation of 10% of Singaporeans' salary to a pension fund, creating strategic state-owned companies, limiting the growth of the public service, privatizing loss-making companies, and maintaining a strong currency.
Operation Tiderace was the codename of the British plan to retake Singapore following the Japanese surrender in 1945. The liberation force was led by Lord Louis Mountbatten, Supreme Allied Commander of South East Asia Command.
