​Temasek

Who were the COlonial Powers?

 

Towards the end of the 15th Century, some of the Europeans entered the Southeast Asian Maritime territory and started setting up shop. Of course when they first came, there were already kingdoms here, like the Melakan Sultanate and the Siam Kingdom. Conflicts often resulted. 

 

First it was the Portuguese. Hailing from Portugal, these colonialists fought the Melakan Sultanate and forced the Melakan Sultanate to flee and shift to Johor in 1511.

 

Then came the Dutch, who displaced and ousted the Portuguese from power in 1606.
 

Finally, as you have seen in the case of Sir Stamford raffles, the British came into the scene in the 1800s, with the fighting for ports with the Dutch culminating in the taking over of the Port of Singapore.

 

Click on the links below to find out more about the rise and fall of each colonial power! Remember, knowledge is power, and will help you make better decisions when the time comes...