A Journey into
Singapore’s Past
While the earliest known historical records of
Singapore are shrouded in the mists of time, a third
century Chinese account describes it as "Pu-luo-chung",
or the "island at the end of a peninsula". Later, the
city was known as Temasek ("Sea Town"), when the first
settlements were established from AD 1298-1299.
During the 14th century, this small but strategically-
located island earned a new name. According to legend,
Sang Nila Utama, a Prince from Palembang (the capital
of Srivijaya), was out on a hunting trip when he
caught sight of an animal he had never seen before.
Taking it to be a good sign, he founded a city where
the animal had been spotted, naming it “The Lion City”
or Singapura, from the Sanskrit words “simha” (lion)
and “pura” (city).
The city was then ruled by the five kings of ancient
Singapura. Located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula,
the natural meeting point of sea routes, the city
served as a flourishing trading post for a wide
variety of sea vessels, including Chinese junks,
Indian vessels, Arab dhows, Portuguese battleships,
and Buginese schooners.
The next important period in the history of Singapore
was during the 19th century, when modern Singapore was
founded. At this time, Singapore was already an up and
coming trading post along the Malacca Straits. It was
also then when Great Britain started to see the need
for a port of call in the region. In particular,
British traders needed a strategic venue to base the
merchant fleet of the growing empire, and to forestall
any advance made by the Dutch in the region.
The then Lieutenant-Governor of Bencoolen (now
Bengkulu) in Sumatra, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles,
landed in Singapore on 29 January 1819 after a survey
of the neighbouring islands. Recognising the immense
potential of the swamp-covered island, he helped
negotiate a treaty with the local rulers and
established Singapore as a trading station. Soon, the
island’s policy of free trade attracted merchants from
all over Asia and from as far away as the Middle East
and the US.
In 1832, Singapore became the centre of government for
the Straits Settlements of Penang, Malacca and
Singapore. With the opening of the Suez Canal in 1869
and the advent of the telegraph and steamship,
Singapore's importance as a centre of the expanding
trade between the East and West increased tremendously
between 1873 and 1913. Its prosperity attracted
immigrants from around the region. By 1860, the
thriving country had a population that had grown from
a mere 150 in 1819 to 80,792, comprising mainly
Chinese, Indians and Malays.
But the peace and prosperity of the country suffered a
major blow during World War II, when it was attacked
by the Japanese on 8 December 1941. Once regarded as
an impregnable fortress, Singapore fell under the
Japanese invasion on 15 February 1942. It remained
occupied for the next three and half years.
When the Japanese surrendered in 1945, the island was
handed over to the British Military Administration,
which remained in power until the dissolution of the
Straits Settlement comprising Penang, Melaka and
Singapore. In April 1946, Singapore became a Crown
Colony.
In 1959, the growth of nationalism led to
self-government, and the country’s first general
election. The People’s Action Party (PAP) won a
majority of 43 seats and Lee Kuan Yew became the first
prime minister of Singapore. In 1961, Malaysia
proposed a merger between Singapore, the Federation of
Malaya, Sarawak, North Borneo and Brunei to foster
closer ties. A referendum held in Singapore in 1962 to
vote on the merger with Malaysia showed the people’s
overwhelming support for it. Following that, Malaysia
was formed in 1963 and comprised of the Federation of
Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and North Borneo (now Sabah).
However, the merger proved unsuccessful, and less than
two years later on 9 August 1965, Singapore left
Malaysia to become an independent and sovereign
democratic nation.
Today, you can learn about Singapore’s rich historical
heritage by visiting many of the national monuments,
museums and memorials located around the city. On your
trip here, remember to take a walk along one of the
many heritage trails or visit the well-known
landmarks.
Take a look at some of the indoor activities you can
enjoy when you’re visiting Singapore.
