History of Indians in Singapore

The History of Indians in Singapore refers to the patterns of ethnic Indian migration and settlement in Singapore from 1819 to the present day. It also includes the social and political history of the Indian community in Singapore during this period.

Pre-colonial antecedents

Ancient India exerted a profound influence over Southeast Asia through trade, religious missions, wars and other forms of contact. Pre-colonial Singapore was part of 'Indianized Kingdoms' like Srivijaya and the Majapahit, which formed part of a cultural region known as Greater India. [ Hall, pp. 12-24]

Prior to the spread of Islam, Singapore and the rest of the Malay World, was Hindu-Buddhist. One of the most extensive and enduring Indian influence in Malay culture is the vast number of Indian loan words in the Malay language. Indian influence is also seen in symbols and mythology associated with ancient Singapore. The name 'Singapore' is derived from a Sanskrit term meaning 'Lion City'. The Sejarah Melayu or Malay Annals describe the Malay prince who founded Singapore - Sang Nila Utama - as being a descendant of Alexander the Great and an Indian Princess. [ Low, Cheryl-Ann Mei Gek, 'Singapore from the 14th to 19th Century' in Miksic & Low (2004) p.14] Meanwhile, the royal and sacred associations of Fort Canning Hill, the seat of ancient rulers, are related to the Hindu Mount Meru concept. [ Low, Cheryl-Ann Mei Gek, 'Singapore from the 14th to 19th Century' in Miksic & Low (2004) p.15]

Archaeological digs have unearthed Hindu-Buddhist artefacts from the pre-colonial period. In 1822, John Crawfurd documented the ruins of a Hindu or Buddhist temple on Fort Canning Hill. [ Low, Cheryl-Ann Mei Gek, 'Singapore from the 14th to 19th Century' in Miksic & Low (2004) p.16] Singapore's two most important pre-colonial artefacts are the Singapore Stone, which is inscribed with an Indic script, and a gold armlet bearing the motif of a Hindu 'kala' head. [cite news|last=Lim|first=Wei Chean|title=Singapore's Treasures|publisher="The Straits Times"|date=2006-01-31]

Colonial period: 1820s-1950s

Migration and settlement

Tamil Muslim traders pioneered the settlement of Serangoon in early 19th century. [ [http://littleindia.com/news/123/ARTICLE/1267/2005-11-12.html Tamil Muslim traders pioneered Serangoon settlement] ] Indian contact was rekindled from 1819 to World War II, when both India and Singapore were under British colonial rule. Unlike earlier forms of contact, this led to mass migration and, eventually, the formation of a large, settled and distinct population. By 1824, Singapore's first census counted 756 Indian residents, or about 7% of the total population. [Turnbull, p.27.]

Initially, Indian immigrants were predominantly adult men who came from India to find work, serve military duties or prison sentences for several years before returning home. There was a constant flow of Indians in and out of the city, keeping the local community fairly transient. [Turnbull, p.37.] [ Lal, p.179.] The influx of Indians in the half century after 1819 led to a brief period when Indians, for the first and only time, overtook the Malays to become the second largest ethnic group. In 1860, they formed 16% of the population. [Turnbull, pp.36-37.] However, their number then fell from 13,000 that year to 12,000 in 1880, or 8.7% of the population. [Turnbull, p.96.] After this, the proportionate size of the Indian community in colonial Singapore was fairly stable, fluctuating between 7.7% and 9.4%. From the early 20th century, Indians began to settle permanently in greater numbers.

The chart below compiles data from various sources to show the evolution in the relative size of Singapore's Indian community. [For data from 1931 to 2004, refer to Lal, p.188.] [For the number of Indians from 1888 to 1931, refer to Netto, p. 15.] [For Singapore Resident population figures from 1901 to 2006, refer to http://www.singstat.gov.sg/pubn/reference/yos/statsT-demography.pdf] [For population data from 1824 to 1888, refer to Turnbull, p.27 and p.96.]

Notes

References

*cite book|last=Hall|first=D.G.E.|title=A History of South-East Asia|edition=4th ed.|location=London|publisher=Macmillan Press|year=1994 (pbk.)
*cite book|last=Lal|first=Brij V. (gen. ed.)|coauthors=Peter Reeves (exec. ed.) & Rajesh Rai (asst. ed.)|title=The Encyclopedia of the Indian Diaspora|location=Singapore|publisher=Editions Didier Millet in association with National University of Singapore|year=2006|isbn=9814155659 (hbk.)
*cite book|last=Miksic|first=John N.|coauthors=Cheryl-Ann Low Mei Gek (gen. eds.)|title=Early Singapore 1300s-1819: Evidence in Maps, Texts and Artefacts|location=Singapore|publisher=Singapore History Museum|year=2004 (pbk.)
*cite book|last=Netto|first=Leslie (ed.)|title=Passage of Indians: 1923–2003|location=Singapore|publisher=Singapore Indian Association|year=2003|isbn=981048531X
*cite book|last=Turnbull|first=C.M. (Mary)|title=A History of Singapore, 1819–1988|edition=2nd ed.|location=Singapore|publisher=Oxford University Press|year=1989|isbn=0195889436 (pbk.)

ee also

* 1915 Singapore Mutiny
* Greater India
* Indian National Army (INA)
* Indians in Singapore
* Indianized kingdom