Singapore history suggests that the name Singapore is derived from the Malay words singa and pura. It has been also said by Malay annals that this name was given by a 14th century Sumatran Malay prince named Sang Nila Utama.
History of Singapore says that first settlement was seen here from the second century AD. Initially, it was outpost of the Sumatran Srivijaya Empire and known as Temasek. During 16th and 19th centuries, it was remained as the part of the sultanate of Johor. It was also set ablaze by Portuguese troops during the Malay Portugal wars in 1613. Thus subsequently the Portuguese held control and the Dutch in the 17th century.
Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles signed a treaty with Sultan Hussein Shah on behalf of the British East India Company to develop Singapore as a trading post and settlement. It became the mark for the start of the island’s modern era and Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles recognized as the founder of the modern Singapore. His statute can be seen today at the location where he first landed at Singapore on 29th January 1819. Singapore became the British crown colony in 1867.
Imperial Japanese army invaded Malay during World War II and defeated British within six days on 15th February 1942 which is known as the British Empire’s greatest military defeat. But, the British repossessed the island on 12th September 1945 a month after the Japanese surrender. Later on, it became the self governing state in 1959. Following the 1962 merger referendum of Singapore, it joined malay along with sabah and Sarawak to form the federation of malaysia on 16th September 1963 but separated just after two years due to some ideological conflicts between the state’s PAP government and the federal Kuala Lumpur government. Eventually on 9th august 1965, Singapore gained sovereignty. Yusof bin Ishak was sworn in as the first President of Singapore and Lee Kuan Yew remained prime minister. |
