History Chapter 2

Singapore was a part of Jorhor-Riau Sultanate under Sultan Abdul Rahman, who was the only one who could give permission to the British.

The Sultan was under the control of the Dutch.

The Dutch protested against the British setting up their new trading settlement in Singapore and claimed that Singapore belonged to them indirectly.

Holland was finacially weak after the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, so they could not afford to delcare war on British and both countries would not be able to gain anything from war.

The British East india Company was not happy either .

Both countries reached a peaceful settlement bysigning the Anglo-Dutch Treaty on 17 March 1824.

Was signed in 1819 and Sinagpore became a colony of the British.

The first treaty was singned with Raffles and Sultan Hussein, the second treaty was signed by the Dutch and the Britsih govenment while the thired treaty was signed by John Crawfurd with Sultan Hussein and Temenggong.

William Farquhar became the Resident after Raffles left Singapore.

Problem 1 :
Singapore faced serious crinimal activities.

Solution :
He set up a small police force to bring law and society to Singapore.

Problem 2 :
Singapore was a unknown place to many traders , so only a small amount of traders came here to trade.

Solution :
He invited settlers from Melaka to carrty out trading activites in Singapore.

Set up an office in St. John's Island to promote Singapore as the new trading settlement and to atract ships to use the new port.

Problem 3 :
Singapore faced a shoprtage of food and other materials for construction.

Solution :
He asked his personnel to travel to Melaka to bring back food products.

Also, Malays and Chinese from Melaka realised the problrm of food shortage in Singapore and began to sail there to sell their food produce for quick profits.

Problem 4:
Singapore was infested with pests such as centipedes and rats which brought didiseases and destroyed food.

Solution :
He gave incenitives to anyone who killed these pests.

Problem 5 :
Singapore was not strong in defense.

Solution :
He ordered the army to position and installed guns facing the direction of the sea.

Problem 6 :
The physical environment of Singapore was unfavourable because it was covered with jungles and mangroves.

Solution : He ordered his men to clear the jungle so that they could build proper structures such as huts to house his men.

Europeans came here because of the spice trade.

The Dutch controled a large part of Malay Archipelago, including Java and Melaka.

British established their settlements in Pennang and Bencoolen.

The Dutch and British competed with each other to control the highly profitable sea trade routes in the early 19th century.

The Dutch had dominant control of the trade in the Malay Archipelago due to their ports in strategic locations.

The Dutch enjoyed a trade monopoly in the Malay Archipelago.

The British were worried that if the Dutch continued to extend their monoploly of trade to more areas of the Malay Archipelago, it would disrupt British trade with China.

They were looking out for another port located south of Melaka to challenge the Dutch monopoly.

The Dutch controlled the sea trade routes along both the Straits of Meleka and the Sunda Straits.

Penang was too far north of the Straits of Melaka

-Not useful to control the sea routes of the India-China trade.
-The British were unable to monitor Dutch activities in the region.
-The traders from the Malay Archipelago were also not keen to travel such a long way to trade.
-It was also under the threat of piracy so it failed to protect the British ships that used the Straits of Melaka.

Bencoolen was located on the wrong side of Sumatra.

-Faces the Indian Ocean instead of the Straits of Melaka.
-Was an ineffective trading centre to attract the trade within the Malay Archipelago or control the sea routes.

-The Britiish enjoyed lucrative trade with China.
-They bought tea from China and sold opium to them.

-The British madegood profits by trading with the Malay Archipelago traders.
-They sold their European goods and bought Straits Products such as coffee, bird's nest, rice and spices.
-The British needed a new trading settlement.

Singapore was strategically located in the heart of Malay Archipelago.

Had a natural harbour.

Was sheltered by land masses, thus it was safe and protected ships from stormy weather or violent waves.

Had sufficient supply of water.

There was no presence of Dutch.

British would be able to conrol the sea traffic along the Straits of Melaka.