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SINGAPORE'S BUSINESS WAS SUCCESSFUL AND HAD MANY ECONOMIC CONNECTIONS WITH THE WORLD BEFORE 1819.

From examining the sources such as the gold armlet found at Fort Canning Hill as well as broken shards of pottery and ceramics, there existed traders from other parts of the world coming to Singapore to trade before 1819. These sources tell us about the economic connections Singapore had with India, China and other  parts of Southeast Asia most probably due to the rise of Temasekwhich was caused by the fall of the kingdom of Srivijaya, the role  of temasek an entrepot, the advantages of monsoons to temasek and the role of sang utama and the orang laut - and the pull factors of Singapore which were the geostrategic location,better job and business opportunities and better job prospects. The gold armlet resembled a Hindu God, which is evidence that it probably belonged to an Indian trader.The broken pottery and ceramics were probably produced in China as pottery making originated from China, which is evidence that it probably belonged to a Chinese trader.

SINGAPORE ALSO HAD MANY POLITICAL  CONNECTIONS WITH THE WORLD AND WAS PROTECTED AND CONQUERED BY MANY.

From examining the sources such as the Nagarakertagama which is a Javanese Court Poem and the Sejarah Melayu or Malay Annals, it tells us that Singapore was conquered and protected by many due to Singapore's weakness as a country.

"He found Temasek a successful port although a vassal of the King  of Siam"

Evidence from Source 2

This told us that the Majapahit Kingdom became the protector of a weaker country which was Singapore, establishing a political  connection with the Majapahit Kingdom.

"The island of Tumasik was under the protection of the Majapahit  Kingdom in the 14th century.."

Evidence from Source 1

This tells us that Singapore was once conquered by Siam, establishing a political connection with Siam.

SINGAPORE HAD MANY CULTURAL  EXCHANGES TAKING PLACE AND CULTURAL CONNECTIONS WITH THE WORLD.

From examining the sources such as the broken stem cups and the Sri Lankan coins found at Fort Canning, we can infer that Singapore had many cultural exchanges taking place and  probably exchanged ideas about traditions,clothing and with countries such as Sri Lanka and China. Broken stem cups originated from China and Sri Lankan coins originated from Sri Lanka.China may have influenced Singapore through the exchange of ideas about pottery and ceramics, allowing cultural exchanges to take place.Sri Lanka may have influenced Singapore about the  coins and their type of currency, allowing cultural exchanges to  occur.

In a nutshell,Singapore had many  economic, political and cultural  connections with the world before 1819 due to its successful business which was caused by  pull factors,weakness as a   country and the desire for cultural exchanges.

Credits:https://infogram.com/what-was-singapore-like-before-1819-1gl8e208qqjzpod

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At the time when Sir Stamford Raffles came , there were less than one hundred small houses and huts at the mouth of the river ; but the Temenggong’s house was the large one. About thirty families of Orang     Laut (sea people) also lived in boats a little way up the river. There were few Malays who lived near , their huts facing the sea. Malay Peninsula drawn around 150 by Ptolemy of Alexandria , a Greek geography who lived in Egypt . He drew this map using information gathered from sailors and Traders who had returned from the region . Ptomely called the Malay Peninsula ‘Aurea Chersonesus’

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There were trades links between Europe,India and China even before the 1st century. People from these country travelled using overland routes such as the Silk Road,They even traded some items like gold frankincense and spices.
This source suggests that the coins were used here in Singapore for payment, a form of economic activity, in the 14th-15th centuries and with the presence of economic activity between Singapore and China, Singapore shared an economic connection with China in the 14th-15th centuries.

Early Singapore was wealthy as it was ruled by rich countries and  traders were brought to Singapore to trade easily by the monsoon winds, hence trading could happen between Singapore and other countries such as China and Malaysia, so Singapore became a wealthier country through trading of goods.They also traded Saffron,aloe vera,cotton,pistachio nuts and ivory from the Middle East

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I can infer that in 1819,the absence of harbour defence led to the hill being used for a military role.The evidence is the governor’s residence was demolished, and a fort with an arms store,barracks and a hospital was built.The fort was completed in 1861,and was named Fort Canning after Viscount Charles John Canning,who was then Governor-General and the first Viceroy of India.   A military headquarters known as Headquarters Malaya Command Operations Bunker was then built with underground rooms serving as operations centre.[14]Under the British Army, it served as the headquarters of the Singapore Base District until the spread of World War II into the Asia Pacific in 1941.

Raffles returned to Bencoolen soon after the signing of the treaty and left Major William Farquhar in charge of the new settlement, with some artillery and a small regiment of Indian soldiers. Establishing a trading port from scratch was a daunting endeavor. Farquhar's administration was fairly funded and was prohibited from collecting port duties to raise revenue as Raffles had decided that Singapore would be a free port. Farquhar invited settlers to Singapore, and stationed a British official on St. John's Island to invite passing ships to stop in Singapore. As news of the free port spread across the archipelago, Bugis, Peranakan Chinese, and Arab traders flocked to the island, seeking to circumvent the Dutch trade restrictions. During the starting year of operation in 1819, $400,000 (Spanish dollars) worth of trade passed through Singapore. By 1821, the island's population had gone up to around 5,000, and the trade volume was $8 million. The population reached the 10,000 mark in 1824,[24] and with a trade volume of $22 million, Singapore surpassed the long-established port of Penang.[18]

Between the 16th and 19th centuries, the Malay Archipelago was gradually taken over by the European colonial powers, beginning with the arrival of the Portuguese at Malacca in 1509. The early dominance of the Portuguese was challenged during the 17th century by the Dutch, who came to control most of the ports in the region. The Dutch established a monopoly over trade within the archipelago, particularly in spices, then the region's most important product. Other colonial powers, including the British, were limited to a relatively minor presence.[18]

In 1818, Sir Stamford Raffles was appointed as the Lieutenant Governor of the British colony at Bencoolen. He was determined that Great Britain should replace the Netherlands as the dominant power in the archipelago, since the trade route between China and British India, which had become vitally important with the institution of the opium trade with China, passed through the archipelago. The Dutch had been stifling British trade in the region by prohibiting the British from operating in Dutch-controlled ports or by subjecting them to a high tariff. Raffles hoped to challenge the Dutch by establishing a new port along the Straits of Malacca, the main ship passageway for the India-China trade. He needed a third port since the British only had the ports of Penang and Bencoolen. The port had to be strategically located along the main trade route between India and China and in the middle of the Malay Archipelago. He convinced Lord Hastings, the Governor-General of India and his superior at the British East India Company, to fund an expedition to seek a new British base in the region.[18]

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Parameswara also known as Iskandar Shah was the fifth ruler of Singapura.He ruled Singapore for 9 years (1389-1398).Parameswara fled to Singapura when he escaped from Majapahit while they were having a war.Tamagi,the ruler of Singapura  treated Parameswara well.Even though He was treated well by Tamagi,he killed Tamagi shortly afterwards.After Tamagi's death Parameswara also known as iskandar Shah took over Tamagi’s throne and ruled Singapura.The king of Siam heard the news and attacked Parameswara.Parameswara fled north where he founded Melaka.

Sang Nila Utama,the Prince of Palembang named Temasek Singapura.It all started when Sang Nila Utama embarks on a dangerous journey through the sea.Sang Nila Utama's ship was caught in a storm.The Prince of Palembang threw his crown overboard to appease the lord of the sea.After Sang Nila Utama braved through the storm he landed on an island called Temasek at that point of time.Sang Nila Utama and his crew was exploring the island and he saw a big and mean creature.He does not know the name of the creature and ask his crew if anyone knows the name one of the crew said that the animal was called "Singa" or also known as a lion.Inspired by the beast he named the island Singapura.

On 6 February 1819,Sir Stamford Raffles,Temenggong Abdu'r Rahman and Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor signed a treaty that gave the British East India  Company (EIC) the rights to set up a trading post in Singapore

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After examining all the sources found at Fort Canning and Singapore National Museum , there existed rulers such as Sang Utama, as said in the Malay Annals. According to the Malay Annals, Singapore’s legendary founder, Sang Nila Utama, landed in Singapore and named the island “Singapura” after thinking of the lion as an auspicious sign.Source 1: Malay Annals

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Artefact description: This is a story of how Sang Utama had found Singapore and named it “Singapura” and other tales from the 14th century, written in ancient Javanese.

The source suggests that Singapore was under the control of Sang Utama during the 14th century since he named the island.
After examining the gold ornament found at the Fort Canning hill, I can say that Singapore had cultural relations with Indonesia. This is because those from Java brought their culture to Singapore. Hence, the ornament was found in Singapore. The evidence which is this source shows a Kali, an Indian god which was believed in Java, carved out on it .Therefore, it shows the cultural connections Singapore had with Java.

Artefact description: The gold ornament consists of a necklace and a pair of earrings.Thenecklace has a Kali, an Indian God, carved out on it. The ornament dated to the mid-14th century.