Sec 1 / Year 1 History

Source-Based Question

Refer to the accompanying source and answer the question.

INFERENCE = BASIC OBSERVATION

Study Source A

What does Source A tell you about the trading activities of the British in
the Far East? Explain your answer.

2 OBSERVATIONS = 2 INFERENCES

Source A: An excerpt from the website of a Southeast

Asian study about the British trading activities in the Far
East in the 19th century. [PROVENANCE]
Singapore was developed from a quiet fishing village into a thriving
trading center with the help of Sir Stamford Raffles in 1819. The British had
established their stronghold in Southeast Asia in the 18th century when
the East India Company (EIC) wanted to secure and protect their
India-China trade. They were worried that the Dutch would encroach into
their trade territories one day and Raffles firmly believed that the British
were in need of a better port to enhance their presence in the region. This
led to the British establishment in Singapore after Raffles signed a formal
agreement with Sultan Hussein, the ruler of Johor, and the Temenggong
on 6 February 1819. [A SINISTER DEVELOPMENT] Within a short time,
Singapore had surpassed Penang in trade revenue for the EIC.
TEMENGGONG = CHIEF OF SECURITY

1. SINGAPORE = CAME UNDER THE RULE OF THE JOHOR SULTANATE

= THE SULTANS [KINGS] OF JOHOR RULED SINGAPORE.
2. JOHOR SULTANATE CAME UNDER THE DUTCH! = SINGAPORE
CANNOT BE TOUCHED BY THE BRITISH. BRITISH CANNOT TOUCH
SINGAPORE….UNLESS…THEY WANTED TO RISK A WAR WITH THE
DUTCH!!!
3. RAFFLES WANTED TO GET SINGAPORE AND ATTAIN SINGAPORE
AT ALL COST!!!! DESPERATE! DECIDED TO FIND A
SOLUTION….STARTED TO PLOT….THINK OF A STRATEGY.

OPPORTUNITY FOR RAFFLES = JOHOR SULTANATE WAS RULED BY A

SULTAN [YOUNGER BRO] ELDER BRO COULD NOT GET ALONG WITH
THE YOUNGER BRO. FAMILY PROBLEM! ASIAN SOCIETIES, ELDER
SIBLINGS WILL GET THE THRONE. ELDER BRO [HUSSIEN] WAS NOT
HAPPY. > RAFFLES DECIDED TO VISIT ELDER BRO HUSSEIN > I WILL
GIVE YOU $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ AND POWER [YOU WILL BE
RECOGNISED BY THE BRITISH AS THE TRUE SULTAN OF JOHOR!] IN
EXCHANGE, SULTAN HUSSIEN WILL CEDE SINGAPORE TO THE BRITISH!
SULTAN HUSSIEN GLADLY GAVE SINGAPORE TO THE BRITISH! RAFFLES
RISKED A MASSIVE WAR WITH THE DUTCH!!!!
Type your answers in the space below:

Source A tells me that the trading activities in the Far East could have contributed
significantly to the wealth of the British. The source states that the British “wanted to
secure and protect their India-China trade’ from the Dutch and ‘were worried that the
Dutch would encroach into their trade territories one day”. This shows us that the
British wanted to leverage [TAKE ADVANTAGE OF] and exploit them to their advantage
and would ‘secure’ and safeguard their interests in the region. This means that the
trade in the Far East should be lucrative and the British may have perceived it as their
cash-cow. From my contextual knowledge, I know that the two European colonial
powers, the British and the Dutch, were competing for resources in the Far East region.
The British would colonise Singapore in 1819. Also subjected to British colonialism
were Malaya, Brunei and Burma (Myanmar) which added to the economic and political
power and prestige of the British. Thus, Source A tells me that the trading activities in
the Far East could have contributed significantly to the wealth of the British.

SINGAPORE + MALAYA + BRUNEI + BURMA [MYANMAR] = BRITISH COLONIES IN

SOUTHEAST ASIA! = CASH-COWS FOR THE BRITISH!

Source A tells me that the British engaged in an aggressive trade competition

with the mighty Dutch in the Far East. The source states that, “they were worried
that the Dutch would encroach into their trade territories one day as Raffles
firmly believed that the British were in need for a better port to enhance their
presence in the region”. This tells me that the British face stiff competition from
their European rivals, the Dutch for territories and resources. The word ‘worried’
tells me that the Dutch presence in the Far East and their intentions to expand to
gain territories raised the insecurities of the British in the Fast East. From my
contextual knowledge, I know that the Dutch and the British were great colonial
powers who had similar objectives to colonise the territories in the Far East for
their economic and political purposes. The Dutch had great presence in the
Malay Archipelago in the 17th century and Malacca also came under the Dutch
control for the longest time from 1641 to 1825. Thus, Source A tells me that the
British engaged in an aggressive trade competition with the Dutch in the Far
East.
Source A tells me that the trading activities of the British in the Far East
were to reassert their dominance in the region towards the rising power of
the Dutch in the area. From Source A, it states, ‘The British had
established their stronghold in Southeast Asia in the 18th century when
the East India Company (EIC) wanted to secure and protect their
India-China trade.’. This suggests that the British wanted to ensure their
lucrative India-China trade without any disruptions from the Dutch, as the
Dutch were occupying many locations in the Malay Archipelago and would
likely threaten the future of British trade in the Far East. Thus, Source A
tells me that the trading activities of the British in the Far East were to
reassert their dominance in the region towards the rising power of the
Dutch in the area.

Source A tells me that the trading activities of the British in the Far East
were to get more profit from the trade in the Malay Archipelago. From
Source A, it states ‘...Raffles firmly believed that the British were in need of
a better port to enhance their presence in the region.’. This suggests that
the current British port in the Malay Archipelago, located in Bencoolen,
was not conveniently located near the strait traffic in the maritime trade
route between India and China and that the British wanted to cash in on
the extremely profitable trade nearer to Malacca. As a result, Raffles
started looking for a port that was more strategically located than
Bencoolen. Thus, Source A tells me that the trading activities of the British
in the Far East were to get more profit from the trade in the Malay
Archipelago.