Year 1 History Notes (Textbook Edition) SJI

Year 1 History Notes Chapter 1: FromTemasek to Singapore (1299-Early1800s) Background682SrivijayaemergesasthedominantkingdomintheMalayArchipelago. 1025ThedeclineofSrivijayabeganwiththeinvasionbytheCholaKingdominIndia. 1299AccordingtoSejarahMelayu,SangNilaUtama,alsoknownasSri Tri Buana,arrivesinTemasekandrenamestheislandSingapura. 1400Parameswara(alsoknownasIskandarShah),aprincefromPalembang,establishesatradingportatMelaka. 1490s-1500sEuropeanvoyagesofdiscoveryandeconomicexpansionresultinthegrowingconflictbetweentheEuropeanmaritimecountriesextendingintoAsia. 1511MelakafallstothePortuguese. 1528TheMelakaSultan’sson,SultanAlauddinRiayatShahII,establishestheJohorSultanate. 1600s-1640sConflictbetweentheDutch,SpanishandPortugueseinSoutheastAsiaintensifiesastheycompetefortradeandcolonies. 1619TheDutchestablishapermanenttradingbaseinBatavia(present-dayJakarta). 1641MelakafallstotheDutch. 1699TheJohorSultan,MahmudShahII,isassassinated,plungingtheSultanateintopoliticalcrisis.

HowdidSingapore’sGeographicalLocationaectitsconnectionswiththeRegionandtheWorld?- SingaporeispartofSoutheastAsia,whichliestothesouthofChinaandtheeastofIndia.- Thesetwolargecountrieswerehometooldandinfluentialcivilisationswhichtradedextensivelythroughouttheregionandbeyond.- Forexample,Chinesegoods,suchassilkandceramics,wereindemandasfarawayasEurope,whereproductsfromSoutheastAsia,suchasspices,scentedwoodandshells,werehighlyvaluableinChinaandIndia. Duringancienttimes,themostimportanttradelinkbetweenthecivilizationsofAsia,theMiddleEastandEuropewasthenetworkoflandroutesknownastheSilkRoad.ThisrouteconnectedChinathroughCentralAsiatotheRomanEmpire,whichcontrolledmuchoftheMiddleEastandEuropeforcenturies. (SilkRoad) However,thisroutebecamelesssafefortravellersduetotheincreaseddangeranddicultiesoftravellingviathemaritimeroute. Inresponsetothis,manytradecentresemergedinSoutheastAsia,TravellersfromChina,India,theMiddleEastandSoutheastAsiawhopassedthroughthisregionwouldstopatvariousportsto:- Pickupitemsfortrade- Acquiresuppliessuchasfoodandwater- Repairtheirships- Waitforthefavourableweatherconditionsbeforecontinuingontheirjourneys Overtime,thewealthgainedfromtradeallowedsomeoftheseportstogrowintosmallkingdoms,alsoknownasmaritimekingdoms.TwoexamplesinSoutheastAsiawereSrivijayaandtheMelakaSultanate.

SingaporeliesotheSoutherntipoftheMalayPeninsula,alongawaterwayknownastheStraitsofMelaka. ShipssailingfromChinatoIndiawouldhavetopassthroughtheStraitsofMelakaasthequickestroutetotheirdestination(bysea).This:- Reducedamountandcostofsuppliestheyneeded,suchasfoodandwater- Reducedriskofpirateattacksandaccidents Otherroutesthroughtheislandfurthereast,inwhatistoday’sIndonesia,wouldtakealongertimetocomplete. Singapore’slocationalsoallowedittobenefitfrommonsoonwinds,whichareseasonalrain-bearingwinds.Inthedaysofsailingships,journeysbyseawerealmostutterlydependentuponwindpatterns.ThesouthwestmonsoonsblowfromJunetoSeptember,whilethenortheastmonsoonsblowfromDecembertoMarch. CountrieswitheconomicinterestsinAsiawouldplace