How was Singapore born?

Historically, the birth of the Lion City Singapore has been full of twists and turns, but through the fog of time and space, we can still see a main line of integration of Eastern and Western cultures. It can even be said that it is precisely because of Only with the tacit cooperation between the Chinese and the British can this small island next to the Malacca Strait become one of the world's transportation hubs. Raffles' problem

In 1819, the ambitious Stamford Raffles came to Singapore. The order he received was to build this small island at the southernmost tip of the Malay Peninsula. The British The reason why the authorities chose the 38-year-old Raffles to take on the big job was because he was obsessed with Eastern culture and had already learned a lot of knowledge under the protection of the East India Company. They believed that he could cope with various local difficulties. However, the reality was that The assumptions of the British colonial authorities, or of Raffles himself, were far more complex.

Due to the arrival of the British, many people came to Singapore after hearing the news. Singapore has entered a period of rapid development opportunities. To sum up, there are three reasons for Singapore’s rise:

Stanford Lai Stamford Raffles

First, the location is excellent. Singapore is located at the strategic point of the Malacca Strait, where ships trading between the East and the West generally berth, supply and trade, and has the potential to become a major port.

Second, the business atmosphere is strong. Singapore Island is a port without a hinterland and can only expand to the sea. It has a natural advantage in conducting maritime trade.

Third, abundant human resources. Singapore has very few indigenous people and has enough space to accommodate new residents, attracting speculators, adventurers and intellectuals from all over.

However, in addition to its unique advantages, Singapore also has its own hidden dangers. First of all, being an important maritime channel is bound to be accompanied by the ravages of pirates. Secondly, Singapore is an immigrant society. People from different countries, ethnic groups and backgrounds live together, which will inevitably cause various problems. Communication barriers, cultural prejudices, and wealth will all become factors that cause internal problems within society. The cause of conflict. In Singapore at that time, foreign threats such as piracy were not a concern, and the most serious crisis occurred internally.

Early Map of Singapore

After a long period of thinking, Raffles realized that in order to get Singapore out of trouble, it was necessary to establish new management rules and reshape new businesses. order. To solve these two problems, he had to rely on the management experience he learned from the East India Company on the one hand, and the Chinese who had the strongest commercial power in the area on the other. New management rules

Raffles believed that new management rules must be presented in a visible way, such as architectural styles and the division of urban space, so he made urban planning the first step to implement. project.

In the ten years after the British arrived in 1819, both sides of the Singapore River were developed. According to Raffles's plan, the right bank became the government residence and a large number of public buildings were built, while the left bank served as a functional area. , built shops and warehouses, known locally as "godowns".

Singapore’s urban planning in 1822

At the beginning of the 19th century, modern political concepts had not yet become popular, and concepts such as equality would not appear in the colonies. Therefore, Raffles’ management order , in fact, it wants to imitate the "pyramid" political system of British India, with the British as the manager, and other groups receive different status and treatment according to their importance and role. For example, most Chinese are engaged in business and have strong economic strength. Many The Chinese gained recognition and favor from the British colonial authorities, and also had considerable say.

In order to strengthen the ruling structure, Raffles constantly changed the positioning of urban areas and frequently allocated space to different groups to demonstrate the authority of the management order. In addition, Raffles and his followers built straight roads and stone buildings in an attempt to simulate British cities and allow Singaporeans to psychologically adapt to British management rules.

After a long period of practice, Raffles achieved his goal, and Singapore did produce a "pyramid"-style social stratification.

Most of the various groups live independently and live in peace with each other, but they don't communicate much. Simply put, they live their own lives and do not interfere with the river. Although there is some indifference in the social atmosphere, it is undeniable that for Singapore, such a social structure is safe and stable, with everyone performing their duties and everyone doing their best.

Singapore Chinese and Malays

After bringing new management rules to the Singapore colony, Raffles began to reshape the local business order, and a large number of Chinese were reemployed. Buddhists know that Singapore is not only an achievement of the British but also of the Chinese. The British opened up sea routes with large ships and provided the foundation for Singapore's development. However, it was the Chinese compradors, merchants and brokers who made Singapore prosperous because they were familiar with Asian customs and customs, could speak English fluently, and could communicate with each other without any obstacles. Communicate with British and other Asians. Reshaping the business order

The main force of Raffles in reshaping Singapore's business order is the Chinese. This is not a subjective choice, but fully considers Singapore's economic reality.

In the 1820s, many British people went to Singapore out of curiosity. They found that they seemed to have entered a parallel time and space. In this port island country, people of various cultural backgrounds lived together peacefully. *, and tacitly live in a fast-paced way, even when compared with Europe, the level of prosperity here is not inferior.

Early Chinese in Singapore

Local Malay ships, Chinese junks, and European tall ships were moored in the port. Goods from the East and the West were exchanged and traded here. Yes or no. Government officials, garrison and business leaders are undoubtedly British, but in Singaporean society composed of Chinese, Parsee (Zoroastrian), Bengalis, Malays and Javanese, the Chinese are undoubtedly the most powerful.

First of all, Chinese are everywhere in Singapore’s economic life.

Miss Isabella Bird, a 19th-century traveler, once said: The areas where Europeans make up the majority are dull and lifeless, which is incompatible with the bustling Chinese world. A stark contrast. The Chinese world she refers to actually refers to Singapore. The Chinese here are hard-working, self-disciplined, and good at seizing business opportunities. For example, Chinese shops have long opening hours, and their shops remain open at night when others are closed.

In addition, the Chinese are not picky when doing business. They can not only support large businesses, but also run small shops. They sell fruits, vegetables, fast food, or set up stalls on the street to shave customers' heads. Some people work as carpenters, blacksmiths and other craftsmen. It can be said that Chinese businessmen fill every corner of Singaporean society. Of course, the Chinese group that Raffles had to rely on the most were compradors.

Secondly, the powerful comprador.

The early Chinese compradors in Singapore were not unscrupulous businessmen without moral integrity in the context of contemporary China, but messengers who served as communication hubs between the British colonial authorities and Singaporeans. For the British, the Chinese comprador has become a model businessman in the East in a unique way. He is usually very reliable, mild-tempered, always calculating, and getting richer year after year, becoming a force that cannot be ignored. The implementation of economic decisions had to take into account the suggestions of Chinese compradors.

Finally, the Chinese run the banking business.

Banks are the basis of economic activity. In Singapore at that time, British businessmen (mostly Scots) opened companies called agency houses to handle trade matters. Later, based on this, British businessmen and foreign banks began to establish branches in Singapore. These established banks are only for Europeans, servicing the London, Singapore and European markets. But they ignored the needs of a large number of local people, so local Chinese also opened banks. The Chinese had a close relationship with customers and had no prejudice or discrimination, so they quickly established a localized financial industry. Chinese banks and British banks each performed their own functions, with the former acting as an intermediary between local producers and customers, while the latter providing access to London and world markets.

East India Company

To sum up, since the Chinese are distributed in various fields of Singapore’s economy, Raffles continued to promote Chinese as compradors and clerks, and some even became Sheriffs and judges. Raffles relied on the power of the Chinese to hand over part of the decision-making power to the Chinese, and successfully rebuilt the business order. British businessmen and officials came and went, working with Chinese compradors to lay the foundation of Singapore's business culture. The tacit cooperation between the Chinese and the British

The birth of Singapore, the Lion City, can be said to have been built brick by brick by the Chinese community under the design of the British Raffles. The tacit cooperation between the Chinese and the British , making Singapore, a small place where British and Chinese people live together, connected with the world.

The Chinese dominate business and the British dominate politics. The two complement each other but do not compete. Commercial success enables both parties to continue to make profits and achieve a win-win situation. Both parties are satisfied with the status quo.

The Raffles Statue in Singapore

From a historical perspective, Singapore can be said to be very lucky. The Portuguese and the Dutch, who were the first to establish their presence in Asia, did not colonize this small island. The two maritime empires failed miserably in the end. Instead, the British who "caught the evening market" seized control of Singapore. To be honest, the role of the British in colonial history was not glorious. For them There are far more criticisms than praises, but at least in Singapore, they have built an island into an international port.

Of course, the achievements of the British are inseparable from the cooperation of the Chinese. The British governance experience and the intelligent and hard-working characteristics of the Chinese have jointly turned Singapore into a model city full of business enthusiasm. At this point, we can conclude that the birth of Singapore is the result of the cooperation between the Chinese and the British, and can be called a typical case of cultural exchange and integration between the East and the West.

References:

"History of Singapore" Constance Temple

"History of Malaysia" Andaya

"The Latest World" Colonial History》Dayan Guixiong