History
...fles with his associate, Farquhar landed on the island and met the Temmengong. The Temmengong could not give them permission to set up a trading base. Permission had to be sought from Sultan Abdul Rahman and the Johore Riau Sultanate. Also permission was not likely to be granted because the Sultanate was under Dutch control. Raffles became aware of the succession dispute at the time and decided to recognise Tengku Hussein, the elder son of the late Sultan and elder brother to Sultan Abdul Rahman, who had been selected by the Riau chieftains. Raffles offered the plan to Tengku Hussein who accepted the proposal: recognition in exchange for a British settlement in Singapore. The history of Singapore, before the coming of the British is rather sketchy. It seems to be a mixture of myth and fact. However, we have evidence from the writings of Wang Dayuan - a Chinese traveller that Temasek (meaning Sea Town or Sea Port) was a trading centre. At first the Portuguese and later the Dutch were in control of the Malay Archipelago but neither seems to have been interested in Singapore. The East India Company was formed by the British and in the 17th century began to rival the Dutch. Sir Stamford Raffles searched for a good place to set up a port and decided that Singapore was the most suitable place. In 1819, Raffles with his associate, Farquhar landed on the island and met the Temmengong. The Temmengong could not give them permission to set up a trading base. Permission had to be sought from Sultan Abdul Rahman and the Johore Riau Sultanate. Also permission was not likely to be granted because the Sultanate was under Dutch control. Raffles became aware of the succession dispute at the time and decided to recognise Tengku Hussein, the elder son of the late Sultan and elder brother to Sultan Abdul Rahman, who had been selected by the Riau chieftains. Raffles offered the plan to Tengku Hussein who accepted the proposal: recognition in exchange for a British settlement in Singapore. The history of Singapore, before the coming of the British is rather sketchy. It seems to be a mixture of myth and fact. However, we have evidence from the writings of Wang Dayuan - a Chinese traveller that Temasek (meaning Sea Town or Sea Port) was a trading centre. At first the Portuguese and later the Dutch were in control of the Malay Archipelago but neither seems to have been interested in Singapore. The East India Company was formed by the British and in the 17th century began to rival the Dutch. Sir Stamford Raffles searched for a good place to set up a port and decided that Singapore was the most suitable place. In 1819, Raffles with his associate, Farquhar landed on the island and met the Temmengong. The Temmengong could not give them permission to set up a trading base. Permission had to be sought from Sultan Abdul Rahman and the Johore Riau Sultanate. Also permission was not likely to be granted because the Sultanate was under Dutch control. Raffles became aware of the succession dispute at the time and decided to recognise Tengku Hussein, the elder son of the late Sultan and elder brother to Sultan Abdul Rahman, who had been selected by the Riau chieftains. Raffles offered the plan to Tengku Hussein who accepted the proposal: recognition in exchange for a British settlement in Singapore. The history of Singapore, before the coming of the British is rather sketchy. It seems to be a mixture of myth and fact. However, we have evidence from the writings of Wang Dayuan - a Chinese traveller that Temasek (meaning Sea Town or Sea Port) was a trading centre. At first the Portuguese and later the Dutch were in control of the Malay Archipelago but neither seems to have been interested in Singapore. The East India Company was formed by the British and in the 17th century began to rival the Dutch. Sir Stamford Raffles searched for a good place to set up a port and decided that Singapore was the most suitable place. In 1819, Raffles with his ...