Think about how this trade relates to Southeast Asia

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Mdm Wee:

Yes, they were in great demand in Europe and trading spices made traders rich. Spices can only grow in warm climates in Southeast Asia

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Mdm Wee:

Yes, spices grow in warmer climate in Southeast Asia. Spices were in demand and valuable so trading them was lucrative for the Europeans

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Mdm Wee:

Good work, the cool climate in Europe made it impossible to cultivate spices. spices were in great demand in Europe and fetched high prices so British came to Southeast Asia

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Mdm Wee:

Yes, the spices were fascinating and magical to the Europeans hence their prices were high. British were interested in Southeast Asia because trading them made a lot of $$ for the British.

• Cinnamon

• Pepper

• Turmeric

• Cardamom

The Europeans think that spices were exotic and magical back then. And because spices do not grow in Europe, the British travelled to Southeast Asia to get them. The Europeans stated to explore the globe further to find more spices and thus the spices became even more expensive and more valuable. They used the spices for flavoring, preserving their food, making perfume, making dyes and sometimes making medicine.

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Mdm Wee:

Great details, Kaira & Clara.

Yes, as the spices seemed magical- their prices were high. This meant that British could make a lot of $$ from spices. and the place to get spices was Southeast Asia.

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Mdm Wee:

Valid points. The high demand and uses of spices jacked up the price of spices. Hence, trading spices made traders rich. Since Southeast Asia was the region spices were cultivated, the British were very interested in SEA,

Spices found were very highly prized so the British would come to Asia to explore more about spices.

The colourful and fragrant aromas of spices was very exotic and magical to the British.

The British came to Asia to get spices and it can be used for flavouring and preserving their food. It can also be used to make perfumes, dyes and medicine.

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Mdm Wee:

Valid points! Spices were precious and whoever traded them could become rich.

Yes, it's not easy to cultivate spices in Europe so the British were interested in Southeast Asia and its spices.

• Spices do not grow in colder climates where the Europeans live.

• The Europeans were inspired to use the colourful and fragrant aromas from the spices to use them for flavouring, preserving their food, perfume, dyes and sometimes for medicine.

• They make food taste great.

• The Europeans could only get spices from Asia, Middle East and North East Africa.

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Mdm Wee:

Good points. the points showed why spices were valuable and expensive. whoever traded spices could become rich. hence, the British were very interested in Southeast Asia

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Mdm Wee:

Good points and details, girls.

yes, the British wouldn't want to miss out the lucrative spice trade. spices had many uses and its value jacked up because spices were fascinating and magical for the Europeans. Southeast Asia is where spices could be cultivated.

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Mdm Wee:

Yes, due to the myth and demand for spices, their prices were high and whoever traded them, made a lot of money. Since spices were cultivated in Southeast Asia, many British were interested in Southeast Asia.

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Mdm Wee:

Yes, the high demand for spices in Europe made their spices here. whoever traded spices became rich. hence, the British were very interested in Southeast Asia.

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Mdm Wee:

Yes, good points. Spices could only be cultivated in warmer regions like Southeast Asia. Spices were in high demand in Europe, hence prices were high. The British wanted to trade spices so they came to Southeast Asia

The spices were also very sought after, thus the British wanted possession of them as they were affordable.

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Mdm Wee:

Yep, spice trade was lucrative, whoever traded them, made a lot of money. Naturally the British would be interested in Southeast Asia as this is where the spices were grown.

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Mdm Wee:

yes, valid points.

Spices were in high demand in Europe. hence their prices were high. Spice trade was very profitable. Naturally the British would come to Southeast Asia to trade spices to make money...

• Back then, China was the only place tea was produced and grown

• For 3 centuries, China restricted trade with the West (aka the Europeans)

• They would beg the Chinese empire to take some British products in exchange for tea. But they refused.

• In the end, they traded opium for the tea, which was highly wanted by the Chinese at that time. There was an estimation of 12 million Chinese addicted to opium!

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Mdm Wee:

Yes, the Europeans loved spices as spices had many uses. The demand for spices was high enabling those who traded spices to make a lot of money. Hence, the British were very interested in Southeast Asia and the spice trade.

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Mdm Wee:

Valid points. Since spices weren't readily available in Europe, the demand and value for spices went up. whoever traded spices made a lot of money and the British traders wouldn't want to miss the opportunity in Southeast Asia.

Ans:

• Many British wanted Chinese tea from China but China had restricted its trade with the West. As many Chinese craved opium, the British decided to grow opium poppies in India there they processed it in factories on a colossal scale which was shipped to China and sold to smugglers which profits the British traders bought Chinese Tea.

The India would fall into the British territory. The company also reigned supreme in other Asian and African countries, colonising many areas to extend the British Colony. The British got a foothold in a country that was a gateway between East and West.

The East India Company was set up to foster and expand trade in the East Indies and Far East. It eventually took over the reins of the government of the areas where it traded. The company reigned supreme in India and other Asian and African countries, colonising many areas and expanding the British empire.

• During the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company was the most profitable corporation created at that time,

• In 1602, it cornered the booming spice market and pioneered trade routes between Asia and Europe. The company had a lot of power, this power could be abused and used to create war, etc.

• The British had great demand for Nutmeg, which was only produced in Indonesia. And because of the power that the Dutch had, they could seize control over the producers of Nutmeg in Indonesia and become rich as they would increase prices and gain even more money and power.

In the past, tea was only made in China. However, China had restricted trade with the West for three centuries. The British had a liking to chinese tea and offered to trade British products for chinese tea. Even though China had banned the use of Opium, more than 12 million people ignored the ban and became addicted. Drugs made in India were shipped to China illegally and secretly sold to smugglers.

2. Might be able to come to an agreement with local rulers

3. Singapore could achieve every advantage of geographical and local which they could desire

• The Malay Archipelago, which was a good trading centre in Southeast Asia in the early 19th century, they were rich in natural resources like spices which were sold at low prices. The Europeans wanted to exploit this market as they could get a lot of money.

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Mdm Wee:

Good question!

it depends. sometimes, the Europeans merely negotiated with local kings and rulers like offering them $ or protection through a treaty, and the land/country goes to the Europeans. Europeans will take over and rule.

other Europeans might use force or violence to make local rulers submit to Europeans' demands. As Europeans were more advanced (firearms) they defeated the local rulers in Southeast Asia easily. Since the locals lost the fight, they had to give the Europeans whatever they demanded.

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Mdm Wee:

When it came to trade and making money and acquiring territories... they were rivals. Everyone loves money right?

However, they did sign the Anglo-Dutch Treaty in 1824 to cooperate and divide the region between themselves. Dutch took East Indies (Indonesia) while British had Singapore and Malaya. Dutch and British realised they needed each other because France was their common enemy in Europe.

• Sir Stamford Raffles were impressed by Singapore’s sheltered harbour and accessible drinking water.

• They found out that they were able to come to an agreement with local rulers on 15 February 1819.

• The Karimun Islands had a rocky island and inhospitable harbour which was a disadvantage. After visiting Singapore, they decided that it was much better there and therefore decided to set up a port there instead.

They were impressed by Singapore’s sheltered harbour and accessible drinking water.

They thought they might be able to come to agreement with local rulers.

They wanted to ensure that the dutch monopoly of south-east asian trade does not spread too much. as the malay archipelago had lots of natural resources, and the center of trade, britain wanted to have a trade port there as spices were sold at cheap prices at malay archipelago, gaining a greater source of income for the GREAT BRITSH EMPIRERERER.

There was a strait near singapore, and so boats easily crossed it. as that strait was the straits of malacca, a main trading strait, Singapore was a strategic spot to set up a british port. As it was near many dutch ports, they could curb the dutch monopoly of SEA.

as the dutch charged high prices or the ships to go through, the british see singapore as a free of charge lace for their ships to go through, and thus id was more opular than a dutch port there.

t was important to sustain the lucrative trade route with india and china.

As singapore was in SEA, the british technically had control over some of SEA instead of the dutch.

PEnang and bencoolen were too far, thus they are not a good location. thus they looked for a better geographical location (singapore)

ehehehehhehehehehehehe

Singapore was in a good location and the previous island they wanted to choose was to rocky. Singapore was sheltered, has accessible drinking water and the British thought that they would be able to agree with the locals there easily to sign an agreement.

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Mdm Wee:

potential in terms of setting a port. Singapore's location allowed the British to control the sea routes leading to India, Middle East and Europe and to China too.

British knew that traders from East and West would pass Singapore during the shipping journey. Ships needed to rest to replenish food and water, at the same time, trade. hence Singapore was perfect for this.

It was harboured by drinking water

Sir Stamford raffles also needed a new harbour

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Mdm Wee:

1. Singapore's location is good. middle of East and West and many ships/traders traveling to these regions needed to stopover to rest, refuel or replenish goods. they would also trade. hence, Singapore's location is an excellent spot for British port.

2. they bought and sold goods at higher prices to traders from everywhere. that was how they made money. later the British companies helped to re-export goods too, to make money

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Mdm Wee:

Lol. Between 16th to 19th century- there was no Samsung. Bibimbap not Europeans' interest. Also Korea is in East Asia... 'too far' for the Europeans. Korea was also under China's influence...

Singapore would make a good port for the British because traders from anywhere were likely to pass and stopover in SG

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Mdm Wee:

Back in the past, before World War 2 (1945), people in SG were not 'Singaporeans' but immigrants. Immigrants from India, China, Malaya, East Indies, Middle East etc.

As immigrants, they only wanted jobs or trade. They would eventually return to their homelands.

Hence, the people in SG didn't mind British rule. They had no attachment to Singapore.

However, after 1945, some people decided to see SG as their forever home, they started pressurising the British to leave SG so that the people could rule SG themselves.

British rule in SG was never violent. Overall, the British did not exploit SG that much or treat the people here cruelly. although there were riots to kick the British out, the British introduced changes for SG to become 'independent'.

Phew- that whole chunk is S2 History :P

• How long did the British take to travel to Singapore?

• Isn’t it troublesome to have a port so far away from England?

• How long did it take for Singapore to blossom into a productive trading port?

• Other than the places that the British was said to have considered as a trading port in the video, what other places were considered? Why weren’t they chosen instead? What were the flaws of those places?

• Was Singapore really the best place to establish a trading port?

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Mdm Wee:

1. Depends- by sail: about a year, from Europe, past South Africa to India and Southeast Asia. By steamship, with a few months

2. The British did have ports in England for trading in Europe. However, if they wanted to come to Asia to trade, then it made sense for them to have ports in Asia

3. I don't have exact time frame, but I would think within the first few years... because British made SG a free port with free trade

4. Karimun was considered... but too rocky. they did consider locations in Indonesia, but out of bounds as the Dutch were in control. As for places like other parts of Malaya- there would not be many ships or traders passing by.

5. YES. It is right smack in the middle of Europe/Middle East and Asia. Ships that wanted to travel from one region to the other would pass SG. SG was safe also. sheltered from storms, tsunamis etc.

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Mdm Wee:

Dutch- East Indies (Indonesia)

British- Malaya, Singapore, Burma (Myanmar)

French- Indochina (Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia)

Spain- Philippines

1. They were pried that the dutch would extend their control over all of johors territories, sabotaging their trade routes with china.

2. they wanted to take the karimun islands but then the governor general bannerman of penang was angry and insisted that karimun islands was his territory and told them to leave. so they left and found singapore, which was suggested by one of farquhar’s men, daniel ross.

3. in singapore, there was a sheltered harbour and easily available drinking water and was suitable for people, but the karimun islands were rocky and inhospitable, leading them to pick singapore as a port after learning that the island was not under dutch rule and had nice locals.

singapore had an excellent location along the maritime silk road

Reason 2

it was easy for traders to stop by with goods

Reason 3

it was easy to compete with other ports under the control of the dutch

2) Singapore is habitable unlike the other island that Farquhar favoured

3) The geographical location of Singapore is ideal and is between India and China, along the Straits of Melaka.

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Mdm Wee:

They were competing for trade and territories- hence they were 'fighting'. Not physical fighting. Both countries were 'allies' as they had a common enemy at that time: France.

later, they settled their rivalry with the 1824 Anglo-Dutch Treaty to divide the region. British would take SG and Malaya while the Dutch would take East Indies.

The British needed to set up a port in South East Asia (SEA) to facilitate the trading of British traders in SEA, and Singapore was in between India and China. Hence, traders would pass by Singapore on their way to trade with India/China.

Penang and Bencoolen were also too far away, making them unsuitable in the eyes of the British. Hence the British looked for a better geographical location and found Singapore.