Kingdom of Singapura Kerajaan Singapura | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1299–1398 | |||||||||||||
Parameswara (Iskandar Shah) | |||||||||||||
| History | |||||||||||||
• Founding of Temasek by Sang Nila Utama | 1299 | ||||||||||||
• Siege by Siamese forces | 1330 | ||||||||||||
• Siege by Majapahit under Parameswara to the Malay Peninsula | 1398 | ||||||||||||
| |||||||||||||
| Today part of | Singapore | ||||||||||||
Part of a series on the |
||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| History of Singapore | ||||||||||
 | ||||||||||
|
Early history (pre-1819)
|
||||||||||
|
British colonial era (1819–1942)
|
||||||||||
|
Japanese Occupation (1942–1945)
|
||||||||||
|
Maria Hertogh riots | 1950 | |||||||||
| Second Legislative Council | 1951–1955 | |||||||||
| Anti-National Service Riots | 1954 |
| Hock Lee bus riots | 1955 |
| Pulau Senang prison riots | 1963 |
Singapore portalThe Kingdom of Singapura (
The historicity of this kingdom based on the account given in the Parameswara (or Sri Iskandar Shah) to be a historically attested figure in his role as the first ruler of the Malacca Sultanate.[3] Archaeological evidence from Fort Canning Hill and the nearby banks of the Singapore River has nevertheless demonstrated the existence of a thriving settlement and a trade port in the 14th century, corroborating the eyewitness testimony of Yuan dynasty sojourner Wang Dayuan concerning the settlements of Long Ya Men and Ban Zu upon Temasek.[4]
The settlement developed in the 13th or 14th century and transformed from a small trading outpost into a bustling center of international commerce, facilitating trade networks that linked the Malay Archipelago, India, and the Yuan dynasty. It was however claimed by two regional powers at that time, Ayuthaya from the north and Majapahit from the south. As a result, the kingdom's fortified capital was attacked by at least two major foreign invasions before it was finally sacked by Majapahit in 1398 according to the Malay Annals, or by the Siamese according to Portuguese sources.[5][6][7] The last king, Parameswara, fled to the west coast of the Malay Peninsula to establish the Malacca Sultanate in 1400.
The name Singapura is derived from
Some scholars believe that Sang Nila Utama and the story of its founding to be fictional, and a number of alternative suggestions for the origin of the name of Singapore have been given. For example, it has been proposed that the name Singapura was adopted by
The only comprehensive account of Singapore's history in this era is the Malay Annals. These were written and compiled during the height of the Malacca Sultanate and re-compiled in 1612 by the court of the Johor Sultanate. It is the basis for accounts of its founding, the succession of rulers and its decline. As no specific date is given in the Malay Annals, the chronology of the history of the Kingdom of Singapura as set out in the Malay Annals is calculated from the date of death of Parameswara given in the Ming Veritable Records.[1] While various aspects of the accounts of the Malacca and Johor sultanates given in the Malay Annals are relatively accurate, the same can not be said for the Kingdom of Singapura for which there is little corroborating evidence for large part of its accounts. Historians are therefore generally in doubt over the historicity of the kingdom as described in the semi-historical Malay Annals,[3][13] nevertheless some consider Singapura to be a significant polity that existed between the decline of Srivijaya and the rise of Malacca.[14][15] Some also argued that the author of the Malay Annals, whose purpose is to legitimise the claim of descent from the Palembang ruling house, invented the five kings of Singapura to gloss over an inglorious period of its history.[12] However, Iskandar Shah/Parameswara, the last ruler of Singapura and founder of the Malacca Sultanate, is a figure that could be considered factual.[12]
Accounts of Singapura in its final years are also briefly given in Portuguese sources, such as those by
Portuguese sources named Iskandar Shah as Parameswara's son, Chinese
The only first-hand account of 14th-century Singapore may be the descriptions of a place named Danmaxi (generally identified with Temasek) written by Wang Dayuan in the Daoyi Zhilüe, a record of his travels. It indicates that Temasek was ruled by a local chief during Wang's visit around 1330,[21] however the word used (酋長, "tribal chief") by Wang indicates that the ruler may not have been independent, rather he was a vassal of another more powerful state.[22] Wang also mentioned that the Siamese attacked the fortified city of Temasek with around 70 ships a few years before he visited, but Temasek successfully resisted the attack which lasted a month.[17] Other settlements on the island recorded by Wang are Long Ya Men (identified with Keppel Harbour) and Ban Zu (possibly a transcription of Pancur, or a sacred spring on Fort Canning Hill); the exact relationship between these settlements is unclear.[citation needed]
Although the existence of the kingdom as described in the Malay Annals is debatable, archaeological excavations on
The primary source concerning the history of the rulers of Singapura are the Malay Annals, and the rest of this section is mainly built upon reconstructions from its text, although corroborating evidence is scarce and its polemic nature suggests against literal interpretations of this chronicle.
According to the Iskandar Zulkarnain), took refuge on Bintan Island for several years before he set sail and landed on Temasek in 1299.[31] In this era, Temasek was a small trading outpost and primarily inhabited by Orang Laut seafarers. Historically, these Orang Laut were very loyal to the Malay kings, patrolling adjacent seas and repelling other petty pirates, directing traders to their Malay overlords' ports and maintaining those ports' dominance in the area.[32] These Orang Laut eventually declared him Raja ("king"), and Sang Nila Utama renamed Temasek as "Singapura" and founded his capital around the mouth of the Singapore River.[33]
The area was suitable for a new settlement due to the nearby presence of a spring and a hill. The fresh water from a spring on the hill's slope served both as a bathing place for royalty and, at the base of a hill, a source of fresh water for the populace. The hill (modern-day Fort Canning Hill) itself represented Mount Meru, the seat of the gods in Hindu-Buddhist mythology, which was associated with kingship and divinity in ancient Southeast Asian culture. Building a palace on a hill would have helped Sang Nila Utama to assert his role as a semi-divine ruler.[34]
The king styled himself as Sri Tri Buana, or "The Lord of Three Worlds", indicating authority over the universe.[35] Within a few decades, the small settlement grew into a thriving cosmopolitan city serving as a port of call for richly laden trade ships traveling through the Malacca Straits region. The Malay Annals mention that supplies of workers, horses and elephants were sent from Bintan by the king's adoptive mother, Queen Parameswari of Bintan.[citation needed]
It was during this period that contacts with Yuan dynasty China were established. It was recorded that in 1320, Yuan China sent envoys to Long Ya Men (thought by some to stretch from modern-day Keppel Harbour south to the northwestern side of Sentosa and west to what is today the Labrador Nature Reserve) "to obtain tame elephants", and the natives of Long Ya Men returned with tributes and a trade mission to China in 1325.[36]
Long Ya Men was part of Temasek (the Kingdom of Singapura) according to Chinese traveler Wang Dayuan who visited Temasek in the 1330s and wrote an account of his travel in the Daoyi Zhilüe. He describes Temasek as comprising two settlements – "Ban Zu" (after the Malay word "pancur" or fresh-water spring), a peaceful trading port city under the rule of the king. The second settlement he describes as an area surrounding the "Long-ya-men", which was occupied by ferocious pirates who launched frequent attacks on passing merchant ships. He also notes that Chinese traders lived there, "side by side with the natives". He also mentions some of the trade goods bartered in Singapura: red gold, cotton prints, blue satin, lakawood and fine hornbill casques.[37][38]
The
.jpg)
In 1347, Sri Teri Buana was succeeded by Sri Wikrama Wira. The increasingly powerful Javanese kingdom of Majapahit, the successor of Singhasari, began eyeing the growing influence of the tiny island kingdom. Under the leadership of its ambitious warlord, Gajah Mada, Majapahit started to embark on overseas expansions against all kingdoms of the Malay Archipelago. In 1350, Hayam Wuruk ascended to the throne of Majapahit. The new king sent an envoy to Singapura demanding the submission of the kingdom. Wikrama Wira refused to do so and even sent a symbolic message threatening to shave the Majapahit king's head should he proceed to Singapura.[40]
The furious Majapahit king ordered an invasion with a fleet of 100 main warships (jong) and many smaller vessels under the command of Damang Wiraja.[40][41] The fleet passed through the island of Bintan, from where the news spread to Singapura. The defenders immediately assembled 400 warboats to face the invasion. Both sides clashed on the coast of Singapura in a battle that took place over three days and three nights. Many were killed on both sides and in the evening of the third day, the Javanese were driven back to their ships.[42][43][44]
Sri Wikrama Wira died in 1362 and succeeded by his son,
In 1375, Rana Wikrama was succeeded by his son Sri Maharaja. According to the Malay Annals, the reign of Sri Maharaja was marked with the event of todak (garfish) ravaging the coast of Singapura. A young boy, Hang Nadim, thought of an ingenious solution to fend off the todak by planting banana plants along the shoreline, where they would get stuck whilst leaping out of the water. The king was initially grateful, but felt increasingly envious of the attention the boy's intelligence was garnering, and ordered to have the boy executed.[46]
In 1387, Paduka Sri Maharaja was succeeded by Iskandar Shah, commonly identified as the king
As mentioned in the Malay Annals, the story of the fall of Singapura and the flight of its last king begins with Iskandar Shah's accusing one of his
The Javanese soldiers engaged with the defenders in a battle outside the fortress, before forcing them to retreat behind the walls. The invasion force laid siege to the city and repeatedly tried to attack the fortress. However the fortress proved to be impregnable.[5][6][50] After about a month passed, the food in the fortress began to run low and the defenders were on the verge of starvation. Sang Rajuna Tapa was then asked to distribute whatever grain left to the people from the royal store. Seeing this opportunity for revenge, the minister lied to the King, saying the stores were empty. The grain was not distributed and the people eventually starved. The final assault came when the gates were finally opened under the order of the minister. Knowing that defeat was imminent, Iskandar Shah and his followers fled the island. The Majapahit soldiers rushed into the fortress and a terrible massacre ensued.[51] According to the Malay Annals, "blood flowed like a river" and the red stains on the laterite soil of Singapore are said to be blood from that massacre.[52][53]
Portuguese sources give a significantly different account of the life of last ruler of Singapura. These accounts named the last ruler of Singapura and founder of Malacca as Parameswara, a name also found in Ming annals. It is generally believed that the Iskandar Shah of the Malay Annals is the same person as Parameswara.Patani.[54]
| Sri Tri Buana (r. 1299–1347) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sri Wikrama Wira (r. 1347–1362) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sri Rana Wikrama (r. 1362–1375) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sri Maharaja (r. 1375–1389) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Parameswara (as King of Singapura r. 1389–1398, as Sultan of Malacca r. 1402–1414) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sultans of Malacca (1402–1513) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Malay Annals provide a well-defined hierarchical structure of Singapura, which was later partly adopted by its successor, Malacca. The highest hierarchical position was the Raja (king) as an absolute monarch. Next to the Raja were the Orang Besar Berempat (four senior nobles) headed by a Bendahara (equivalent to a Grand Vizier) as the highest-ranking officer and the advisor to the King. He was then assisted by three other senior nobles based on the order of precedence namely; Perdana Menteri (prime minister), Penghulu Bendahari (chief of treasurer) and Hulubalang Besar (grand commander).[citation needed]
The Perdana Menteri assisted the Bendahara in administering the internal affairs of the kingdom and usually sat opposite to the Bendahara in the royal court, while the Penghulu Bendahari was responsible for the financial affairs of the kingdom.[citation needed]
The Hulubalang Besar acted as a chief of staff of the army and commanded several other Hulubalangs (commanders), who in turn led smaller military units. The Orang Besar Berempat were assisted by other lower ranking officials titled Orang Besar Caterias, Sida Bentaras and Orang Kayas.[55]
Singapura's rise as a trade-post was concurrent with the era known as
Singapura achieved its significance due to its role as a
The increase in activities by Chinese traders seems especially significant for Singapura and its trade. Wang Dayuan indicated that, by this time, there was a Chinese settlement in Singapura living peaceably with the indigenous population.[58]
"... have the honour of mixing with those of ashes of Malayan kings ..."
— Sir Stamford Raffles, the founder of the British colony of Singapore, on his desire to be buried upon Fort Canning Hill were he to pass away in Singapore[59]
According to the Malay Annals, after sacking Singapura, the Majapahit army abandoned the city and returned to Java. The city would have been ruined and greatly depopulated. The rivalry between the courts of the Javanese and Malay in the region was renewed a few years later when the last king Iskandar Shah, founded his new stronghold on the mouth of Bertam River on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula. Within decades, the new city grew rapidly to become the capital of Malacca Sultanate and emerged as the primary base in continuing the historic struggles of Singapura against their Java-based rivals. The account by João de Barros suggests that Singapura did not end suddenly after the attack by the Siamese, rather Singapore declined gradually when Parameswara's son Iskandar Shah pushed for trade to move to Malacca instead of Singapura.[60]
As a major entrepot, Malacca attracted Muslim traders from various part of the world and became a centre of Islam, spreading the religion throughout Maritime Southeast Asia. The expansion of Islam into interior Java in the 15th century led to the gradual decline of Hindu-Majapahit before it finally succumbed to the emerging local Muslim forces in the early 16th century. The period spanning from Malaccan era right until the age of European colonisation, saw the domination of Malay-Muslim sultanates in trade and politics that eventually contributed to the Malayisation of the region.[61]
By the mid-15th century, Majapahit found itself unable to control the rising power of Malacca as it began to gain effective control of the
The independent
1°18′N 103°48′E / 1.3°N 103.8°E / 1.3; 103.8
| History |
| ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Geography | |||||||
| Politics | |||||||
| Economy |
| ||||||
| Society |
| ||||||
Rajas of Singapura (1299–1398) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
.jpg) |
| .jpg) | |
