By Jermaine Wong (2015)

History PPA & Unit 2 Notes

Claim Clear
Evidence Relevant
Explanation Accurate
Connection/Conclusion Precise

o Use evidence purposefully

o Claim + Evidence + Explanation = Conclusion (L3: 4-5m)

Connections

Common Goal (alliance, friendship, ties, interdependence)

o Every part must function

Economic
o Trade:
• Impact: Growth of maritime kingdom, Srivijaya - territories, resources

Political (from economic)

o Tribute missions
o Overlord-vassal relations

*Find evidence for each bullet point in connections*

1. How did Temasek come to be connected to the connected to the region
and the world?
2. Do connections always lead to change?
3. Can countries survive without connections?

Fall of the Silk Road:

1. More dangerous – bandits
2. Lack of water (& other resources)
3. Discovery of alternative maritime trade route
 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

Effect on Southeast Asia:

o Life in SEA was uneventful before maritime trade route (Maritime Silk Road)
o More interaction = More connections = More trade
o Gave rise to the Srivijayan empire, a maritime empire (Change leading to
more change)
• Palembang became an important port – strategic location, leadership,
trade

Things needed to expand a country’s territory:

o Technology – weapons
o Military – army
o Resources – food, water, etc.
o Leaders – government

Srivijaya
o Limited resources – infertile land; dependence on trade
o Wealth from trade – powerful navy (military) to build an empire
o Nurtured political connections with Tang and Song dynasties; extended ties
to Bengal, Middle East – more trade
o Monopoly (control) of trade

Temasek
o Part of Srivijayan empire
o Other stronger kingdoms had advantage over it
o Was not allowed to grow as it may have become more powerful than
Srivijaya

Rise of Temasek:
o Fall of Srivijaya (attacks from India – lost territory with ports and resources,
traders preferred direct trade with ports in Eastern Java) in the 13th century

Change in China’s Maritime Trade Policy:

o China did not place premium on trade initially
o Song government lifted ban on Chinese private ships from venturing
abroad
o Chinese ships could trade directly with ports in SEA – eroded
importance of Palembang as an entrepot port
 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

What makes Temasek attractive?

o Good geographical location
o Exclusivity of products
• Tin
• Hornbill casques
• Textiles (cotton, patola)
• Porcelain
o Openness to trade from other parts of the world
o Sheltered from natural disasters
o A place with much potential

 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

History Unit 3 Notes

Why are some places more attractive than others (SEA)?

Reasons for Europeans to Colonize Southeast Asia:

o Three G’s – Gold, God, Glory
o Four C’s – Curiosity, Collaboration, Commerce, Conflict
v Why God? The Crusades: More Christian countries meant the Europeans
did not have to go through the Muslims for various things as there were
many Muslim countries then
o Competition amongst European powers – conflict

Social Reasons – God:

o To spread their religion (beliefs)
o To spread their culture
o To spread their “superior” way of life

Economic Reasons – Gold:

o To strengthen the economy by increasing wealth – trade
o To gain control of various trade routes for more efficient trade

Political Reasons – Glory:

o To bring glory to their country
o To be rewarded by their country

Why did Singapore become connected to the British Empire?

Reasons for the Founding of Singapore:
o Importance of China Trade
o Importance of Malay Archipelago Trade
o Nature of Britain’s existing ports in SEA
o Singapore’s natural attributes

Problems the British Faced in SEA:

o Competition from other European powers (e.g. Dutch, Portuguese)
o Existing ports (in Bencoolen and Penang) were not advantageous to the
British
o How to attract the Chinese – the British wanted Chinese goods – opium
from India
 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

Solutions Proposed:
o Establish another port – Singapore
o Make British ports tax-free to attract more traders

Assumptions:
o Third port found would be the ultimate remedy
o There would be another port in SEA the British could control

Implications:
o Conflict with the Dutch (and the Portuguese) as they had widespread
control and influence in SEA

Reasons for Founding of Singapore:

o Strategic geographical location
• International maritime trade route
• Monsoon winds
• Near resources
• Able to compete with other ports

Importance of China Trade:

o Tea – tax reduction when importing tea from over 100% to 12% = cheaper
tea to sell for a higher profit = more import of tea = tea in higher demand
o Challenges:
• Britain’s relationship with China was not very good as the Chinese
did not want to trade with the British because the Chinese did not
want any goods from the British
• British had to pay the Chinese with silver
o Solutions:
• The British smuggled Indian opium to China, making its headway in
China – Opium was in demand and a cheaper alternative to silver
• Straits produce from the Malay Archipelago

Importance of Malay Archipelago Trade:

o Straits produce (i.e. spices, coffee (Java), tin, ivory, etc.) – British goods
were popular in the archipelago, but not in China, and could be traded for
the goods the Chinese sought after from the archipelago – archipelago
goods exchanged by the British for goods (i.e. tea) from China
 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

Importance of India-China Trade:

o India-China trade was significant in the founding of Singapore as it made the
British interested in SEA, which led them to choose Singapore as its port in
order to establish British control in sea

o Claim: British interest in SEA increased, hence the British wanted a port
along the India-China trade route
o Evidence: SEA lies in between India and China and Singapore lies at the tip
of the Malay Peninsula
o Explanation: As such, having Singapore would mean that the British traders
would now have access to China trade

Checking of Work:
o Is the claim made valid? i.e. does it address the demands of the question?
o Does the claim show a good understanding of cause and effect?
o Does the explanation show good understanding of the context in which the
events took place?
o Is historical knowledge used precisely and clearly to support claim?
o Is the explanation well structured?

British Need For a New Port:

o Unsuitability of Penang and Bencoolen as British ports:
• Penang: Dutch port was Melaka and traders would stop there as it
was nearer if they were sailing down the Straits of Melaka – to stop
at Penang, they would have to turn in using a ship that relied on
Monsoon winds and lose precious time
• Bencoolen: Dutch port was Batavia and traders would stop there as
it was along a straighter route
 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

Raffles and Farquhar (cont. of History Unit 3 Notes)

Significance
o Change:
• Impact
• Period of change (short / long term)

o Whilst many initiatives (ideas) that improved Singapore were Raffles’, it was
Farquhar who actually implemented those ideas (action)

Stamford Raffles’ Ideas:

o Free Port: Trade without taxes except for opium and liquor
o Free Trade: Trade anything without Slaves

William Farquhar
o Governed Singapore whilst Raffles was away
o Instructed by Raffles to maintain the free port and free trade policy no matter
what
o Given the task without any resources or support
o Had to resort to vice (e.g. opium, prostitution, gambling, liquor) in order to
earn money to pay the police and the others working for him
o Dismissed by Raffles on the grounds that he did not follow instructions –
was he really wrong?
o Did Farquhar bring about change? Was this change long-lasting? – he
helped to develop and change Singapore into a flourishing settlement

What Did He Do as Governor?

o Attracted many immigrants who could work to maintain economic activities
in Singapore
o Used a rewards system to eradicate the pests on the island, making it a
cleaner, better place to live in
o Started a police force to keep the crime rate under control as many violent
crimes took place, making it safer to live here
o Managed to get enough food to support Singapore’s population by
attracting more traders from Melaka to trade their food in Singapore

o Treaty with Sultan: 6th February 1819 – Set up settlement near Singapore
river so Raffles could set up a port but couldn’t develop the whole of
Singapore
o Anglo-Dutch Treaty: 2nd August 1824 – Traded Bencoolen for Melaka
Ø Raffles not in picture anymore
 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

John Crawfurd
o Negotiated another treaty for the British to set up a settlement on the entire
of Singapore, allowing the British to develop Singapore further

o Development of Growth of a Settlement: Leaders or People?

o Is a Country’s Success Pre-Destined?
• No, it could have natural attributes to help it, but the deciding factor
of a country’s success is the actions taken to develop it

Key Understandings – establishing Singapore as a British Colony

o A place’s connections with the world can be formed over time due to a
combination of pre-existing conditions and deliberate actions
o Economic self-interests may result in conflict between countries
o The development of a place (i.e. country) may be shaped by the intrinsic
and extrinsic considerations

o Colonial Powers: Colonizers

o Colonized Country: Colony
 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

History Unit 4 Notes

Significance of Anglo-Dutch Treaty – 1824 Onwards

o Five years of paper war came to an end – Malay Archipelago divided into
two zones
• Spheres of Influence: Singapore and above, British (Melaka =
Good); Islands below Singapore, Dutch (Bencoolen = Not so Good)
o Broke the Johore-Riau Empire

Government
o Develop country through ideas generated (PPECS)
o Organization to govern a country or settlement
o Ensure survival of the settlement
• Defense (law and order)
• Jobs
• Health Facilities
• Food, Water and Sanitation
• Housing
o Welfare and well-being of the people
• Education
• Leisure

Timeline
o From 1824 onwards, Singapore officially became a colony with John
Crawfurd signing the Anglo-Dutch Treaty
o From 1826 onwards, Singapore was part of the Straits Settlements along
with Penang and Melaka
o From 1867 onwards, Singapore was a Crown Colony as it was the most
prosperous of the three Straits Settlements
• All administrative matters were transferred under the Colonial Office
and Singapore belonged to the Queen of England
• Colonial Office gave instructions to the Governor of the Straits
Settlements (he had the power to veto or reject a proposal the
Legislative Council came up with)
• Governor gave instructions to the Legislative (came up with plans)
and Executive (administrative = put plans into action) Councils
Ø Executive Council consisted of solely the British
Ø Legislative Council consisted of official members (British) and non-
official members (European and Asian traders)
o By 1924, the number of official members in the Legislative Council was the
same as the non-official members
 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

Problems:
o Government was mainly British
• Might not have known what the locals want

What is a Good Government?

o Caters to the needs of the people
o Responds to changes and anticipates change

Justification
o Justify the author’s point with as much historical knowledge (even if you
disagree with the point)
o Who?
o Why?
o Link to the context
Ø Tested in EYA with Historical Comprehension and Inference

Steps to Answer Justification Questions

o Understand the question: Identify the belief or issue
o Infer what the reasons (claims) are
o Support reasons with evidence from the source
o Explain with historical (prior) knowledge based on the context

Source Work
o Source Comprehension
o Source Inference
o Source + Historical Knowledge

Development of Singapore
o Natural attributes (geographical location, deep harbor, etc.)
o Government’s actions (Hastings, Raffles, Farquhar, Crawfurd)

Three Policies (government’s actions)

Free Port + Freedom of Trade

o Avoid “leap in logic” by using a flow chart
Ø Free port (why did it attract traders?) à not be taxed à more profit for them
à more traders would come to Singapore à more trade from all over the
world à major trading port
o Traders had more freedom of trade (could trade a greater variety of goods)
 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

Open Migration Policy

o No restriction on immigration so anyone could migrate in Singapore so
many would be able to come to Singapore, which would mean more
human resources were available
o This would attract more employment and businesses (such as…), which
would increase financial and human capital, making Singapore a major
trading port

Open Migration Policy Disadvantages

o Conflicts between the people (of different races / cultures)
o Overpopulation (stress on infrastructure)
• Pollution (of River)
• Spread of Diseases
o What would the government do?

Atmosphere in Singapore in 1826 – Major Trading Port

o More export and import of goods (trade)
o Wide variety of goods
o Prosperous port
o Many people of different races and cultures

Development of Singapore
o Government/Colonial Power and people respond (with ideas and actions) to
intrinsic and extrinsic considerations (e.g. Dutch monopoly, Suez Canal,
Industrial Revolution, inner and outer harbor)
• Government: Policies
• People: Traders trading along the riverbank of Singapore River
o Government/Colonial Power and people both need to respond

Opening of Suez Canal

o Safer and shorter route to the East
o More people from the west (Europe and America) would want to travel to
China and the Malay Archipelago
o These people would bring their wide variety of goods to trade here
o They would stop at Singapore to restock and refill their supplies, interacting
with other traders and exchanging goods
Ø Singapore became a major trading port
 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

Colonization
o Impacts a country’s development positively or negatively based on the
changes the colonial government brings to the people – How well did the
British govern Singapore?

British Governance
o Rejected the legislation on the ban of opium
• Pragmatic about money: Source of revenue for the government
• Did not care about the people’s welfare: Drove many to debt

Unit 3 Topics
o Reasons for the founding of Singapore in 1819
o Individuals involved in the founding of Singapore
o Roles played by these individuals
o Singapore’s development under her early administrators
o ‘Founder of Modern Singapore’ – Raffles, Farquhar, Crawfurd, Pioneers?

Unit 4 Topics
o Reasons for Singapore’s transformation into a major trading port
• Natural attributes (intrinsic)
• Policies implemented by British – Open Migration Policy, Free Trade
and Free Port Policy (ideas and actions of the government)
• Opening of Suez Canal and Britain’s Industrial Revolution (extrinsic)
• Contributions of immigrants – Opium Ban from Lim Boon Keng
(ideas and actions of the people)

o Life in Singapore under the British

• Economy
• Law and Order
• Social Services – Healthcare and Education
• Measures taken by the British government to address any issues
• Effectiveness of the measures
• Responses of the immigrants to the issues
 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

Development of Singapore

People

o Social
• Healthcare
o Tan Tock Seng: Set up Tan Tock Seng hospital
• Education
o La Salle brothers: Set up St. Joseph’s Institution
o Tan Kah Kee: Set up Hwa Chong Institution

Government

o Political
• Legislative Council + Executive Council
• Officials + Non-Officials à Purpose?
o Economic (1824 – 1887)
• Free Port
• Free Trade
• Open Migration
• Town Plan
• New Harbor (in response to Suez Canal)
o Social
• Healthcare (1887 onwards – Public Health Development)
o Hospitals
o Quarantine Law
• Education (1900 onwards)
o School funding
o Queen’s scholarship
• Law and Order
o Chinese secret societies – William Pickering
o Police force

Exam Format (1h 45min / 40%)

o SBQ: Source Comprehension, Inference and Justification (20 marks)
o SEQ: Explain two given factors (15 marks)
 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

History Revision Notes

Europeans’ Race into SEA

o Dutch monopoly of SEA trade areas
o Britain needed a port to rival (Penang and Bencoolen not good enough)
o China Trade Route

Why did they come to SEA? What would be in SEA?

o Commerce and trade
o Gold, God, Glory

Why connections? Potential Benefits:

o For Small Country
• Protection
• Resources
o For Big Country
• Resources
• Manpower (if it goes to war)

Individuals in a Country’s Development

o Set up relationships with other countries
• British established connections with China
o Develop and found countries
• Raffles and Farquhar
o Spread awareness of countries in books, maps, etc.
• Wang Dayuan wrote a book mentioning Temasek

Enduring Understandings
o A country’s connections with the world can be formed over time due to a
combination of pre-existing conditions and deliberate action (from ideas) –
Individuals in a Country’s Development
o Connections can make change possible
o Connections may impact a country’s development negatively or positively
o A country may become irrelevant if it isn’t in a functional connection

o Srivijaya fell because it lacked connections when they were no longer the
middle man in trade between China and Europe
o Temasek fell because Srivijaya fell, causing it to lose connections
 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

Things named after Raffles:

o Health facilities
o Roads
o Malls
o Schools
o Statues

Conclusion about Raffles:

o Important
o Significant in country's development
o Done something major
Ø Founder of Modern Singapore

Significance

How to decide if someone is significant?

o Accomplishments in developing society
o Brought about Change through Connections

Was Raffles really that significant?

Causal-Factor Question

Issue: Why was Singapore an attractive location to Raffles?

Context (EVIDENCE):
o Importance of India-China trade and Malay Archipelago trade
o Bencoolen and Penang were ineffective
o British needed a port
• Anglo-Dutch rivalry (3G's)
• Dutch monopoly

REASONS:
o Singapore had a strategic geographical location
o Singapore had natural attributes
*Do NOT repeat similar points
 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

History Essay Notes

Topic: Reasons for the Founding of Singapore

Format:
o Introduction
• Definitions
• State two reasons
o 1 Reason (CEEC)
st

• Claim
• Evidence A + Explanation
• Evidence B + Explanation
• Connection
o 2 Reason (CEEC)
nd

• Claim
• Evidence A + Explanation
• Evidence B + Explanation
• Connection
o Conclusion

External Factors:
o Geographical location – failure of other ports
o Dutch monopoly
o Malay archipelago trade
o India-China trade

Internal Factors:
o Singapore’s natural attributes

o British interested in China trade – India-China trade

o China not interested in British goods – India-China trade
o British discovered Straits produce to trade with Chinese – Malay
archipelago trade
o Dutch had control over trade – Dutch monopoly
o British needed 3rd port to break Dutch monopoly – Failure of other ports
o Singapore’s natural attributes made it more attractive than other prospective
ports – Singapore’s natural attributes
 By Jermaine Wong (2015)

o Claim should only contain one point (e.g. economic progress, NOT social
AND economic progress)
o No objective language
o Elaborate MORE with specific details – good understanding of context
o So what? Link to question!
o Connection should contain phrase from the question (e.g. With… Raffles
deserves to be called the Founder of modern Singapore)