Sec 2 History Chapter 1: Was there SG before 1819?

Chapter 1: Was there Singapore before 1819?

• 3 sources to determine the answer

• 1. Sejarah Melayu• 2. Wang Dayuan’s

account • 3. Archaeological

discoveries

Sejarah Melayu

• Malay Annals written in 16th Century

• Literary work which covers a period of over 600 years that chronicles the then and now, Genealogies of Rulers in the Malay Archipelago.

Malay archipelago

Situated between the Indian and Pacific Oceans, the group of over 25,000 islands is the largest archipelago by area, and third by number of islands in the world. It includes Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Brunei, East Malaysia and East Timor. The island of New Guinea or islands of Papua New Guinea are not always included in definitions of the Malay Archipelago.

According to Sejarah Melayu

• Singapore was a thriving trading centre under Sang Utama

• Attracted the attention of Majapahit

• War ensued but the locals managed to defeat the troops from Majapahit.

Majapahit

• Towards the end of 14th century, a prince from Palembang overthrew the local ruler and ruled Singapore.

• He was driven out and founded Melaka.

• Singapura declined in importance with the rise of Melaka.

• (Who was the founder of Melaka?)

• THINK!!! Who wrote it? Was it really history as its main purpose was just to trace the origins and descent of Malay royalty? Was it legend? Are we relying on it just for convenience sake to establish or create history in Singapore?

Wang Dayuan

• Chinese merchant from Yuan China who travelled extensively in 14th century.

• Dao Yi Zhi Lue (Description of the Barbarians of the Isles)

• Invaluable record of Chinese overseas

•Reported on Longyamen (Dragon’s Teeth Gate) and Dan-ma-xi (Temasek)•Singapura was a bustling trading centre in the 1330s and 1340s.•Exotic, famous, frequently visited by traders, Chinese settlers and piracy•So, Wang’s records agree with Sejarah Melayu

But…- Sources for the history of Singapore are

so scanty and ambiguous!!!

- Lack of confirmation!!!

- Why was there no mention of Temasek after 14th century?

- Room for debate whether Temasek and Singapore refer to the same place

- Was the mapping accurate? What if it was another place in the Singapore-Riau area?

Archaeological Discoveries

Archaeological Evidence

• Archaeological findings testified that Singapore was a vibrant trading city as early as the 14th century.

• Who brought these things over?• Where were they commonly found? Why?• Implications?• Why was Singapore always described to be a

sleeping fishing village before Raffles’ arrival? • What happened from 14th to 18th century?

Archaeological Discoveries •Fort Canning Hill –Shards of ceramics, stoneware, golden ornaments found.

Istana Kampong Glam

Fort Canning Excavation

Singapore Padang

Fort Canning

Conclusion: Did Singapore exist as a port of trade?

• Yes, because…• It was autonomous, specialized town, city

or small state intended by policy for trade. It only paid occasional tribute too.

• It was usually a trans-shipment point between different ecological regions, i.e. China and India.

• It was often a deliberately neutral buffer zone. It did not belong to China, India nor Siam.