- Early history of Singapore
The early history of Singapore refers to the
history of Singapore before 1819, when the British established a trading settlement on the island and set in motion the history of 'modern Singapore'. Prior to 1819, Singapore was known by several names in written records dating back as early as the2nd century , which identified the island as a trade port of some importance. The island was controlled by different kingdoms inSoutheast Asia including theSiam ese,Java nese, andSultanate of Malacca from the14th century and theSultanate of Johor from the 16th century.The first written records of Singapore date to the
2nd century , when the island was identified as a trading post in several cartographic references. The Greek astronomer,Claudius Ptolemaeus , located a place called Sabana in the area where Singapore lies and identified it as a "nominonemporion " or designated foreign trading port, as part of a chain of similar trading centres that linkedSoutheast Asia withIndia and theMediterranean . [cite web|last=Hack|first=Karl |url=http://72.14.209.104/search?q=cache:j06bL5DzxfAJ:www.hsse.nie.edu.sg/staff/kahack/cc%25202.3%2520(Little%2520India).htm+ptolemy+emporion+singapore&hl=en&gl=us&ct=clnk&cd=2&client=firefox-a|title=Records of Ancient Links between India and Singapore|publisher=National Institute of Education, Singapore|accessdate=2006-08-04] A 3rd century Chinese written record described the island of Pu Luo Chung (蒲羅中), probably a transliteration of the Malay "Pulau Ujong", "island at the end" (of theMalay peninsula ). cite web| title = Singapore: History, Singapore 1994 | url = http://inic.utexas.edu/asnic/countries/singapore/Singapore-History.html | publisher = Asian Studies @ University of Texas at Austin | accessdate = 2006-07-07 ]There is record that in 1320, the Mongol sent a mission to obtain elephants from a place called
Long Ya Men (龍牙門 or "Dragon's Tooth Strait"), which is believed to beKeppel Harbour . [ cite web | title = Singapore: Relations with Malaysia | url = http://www.pbs.org/nbr/site/research/educators/060106_15a/ | publisher = Community Television Foundation of South Florida | date = 2006-01-10 ] The Chinese travellerWang Dayuan , visiting the island around 1330, described a small Malay settlement called Dan Ma Xi (淡馬錫, from Malay "Tamasik") containing a number of Chinese residents. The island was apparently a haven forpirate s preying on passing ships. TheNagarakretagama , a Javanese epic poem written in 1365, also referred to a settlement on the island, which it calledTemasek ("Sea Town").The quasi-mythological
Sejarah Melayu ("Malay Annals") contains a tale of a prince ofSrivijaya , Sri Tri Buana (also known asSang Nila Utama ), who landed on the island after surviving a shipwreck sometime during the 13th century. On the island, the prince saw a strange creature, which he was told was a lion. Believing this to be an auspicious sign, he decided to found a settlement called Singapura, which means "Lion City" inSanskrit . However, it is unlikely there ever were lions in Singapore, thoughtiger s continued to roam the island until the early 20th century. cite web
title = Singapore - History
url = http://countrystudies.us/singapore/3.htm
publisher = U.S. Library of Congress
accessdate = 2006-06-18 ] cite web | title = Singapore - Precolonial Era | url = http://countrystudies.us/singapore/3.htm | publisher = U.S. Library of Congress | accessdate = 2006-06-18 ]Recent excavations in
Fort Canning provide evidence that Singapore was a port of some importance in the 14th century [ cite web | title = Archaeology in Singapore - Fort Canning Site | url = http://www.seaarchaeology.com/v1/html/sg/fort_canning.html | publisher = Southeast-Asian Archaeology | accessdate = 2006-07-09 ] , used for transactions between thePhoenicia nsFact|date=July 2007, Malays and Chinese.Following the decline of Srivijayan power, Temasek was alternately claimed by the Majapahit and the Siamese. Its fortifications apparently allowed it to withstand at least one attempted Siamese invasion. Historians believe that during the 1390s, Parameswara, the last Srivijayan prince, fled to Temasek from
Palembang after being deposed by theMajapahit Empire . While these are parallels between the mythical Sang Nila Utama and historical Parameswara, these should be seen as distinct. Notwithstanding Sejarah Melayu legend, the "Singapura" name possibly dates to this period. Parameswara held the island for a number of years, until further attacks from either the Majapahit or theAyutthaya kingdom inSiam forced him to move on toMelaka where he founded theSultanate of Malacca . Singapore became part of the Malacca empire, and once served as thefiefdom of the legendarylaksamana (or admiral)Hang Tuah .During the 16th and early 17th century, it briefly regained some importance as a trading centre of the
Sultanate of Johor . In 1613, Portuguese raiders burnt down the settlement at the mouth ofSingapore River and the island sank into obscurity. It was not until1819 , when the EnglishmanStamford Raffles established a British trading post on the island, that modern Singapore was founded.ee also
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Singapore Notes
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