1st Edition
Singapore – Two Hundred Years of the Lion City
Two hundred years after Singapore’s foundation by Stamford Raffles in 1819, this book reflects on the historical development of the city, putting forward much new research and new thinking. It discusses Singapore’s emergence as a regional economic hub, explores its strategic importance and considers its place in the development of the British Empire. Subjects covered include the city’s initial role as a strategic centre to limit the resurgence of Dutch power in Southeast Asia after the Napoleonic Wars, the impact of the Japanese occupation, and the reasons for Singapore’s exit from the Malaysian Federation in 1965. The book concludes by examining how Singapore’s history is commemorated at present, reinforcing the image of the city as prosperous, peaceful and forward looking, and draws out the lessons which history can provide concerning the city’s likely future development.
1 Introduction: Situating Singapore’s Success, Anthony Webster and Nicholas J. White; PART ONE: SINGAPORE – GROWTH, TRADE & ECONOMY; 2 The origins of Singapore’s economic prosperity, c. 1800-1874, Atsushi Kobayashi; 3 Made in Singapore: ‘Good Steady Scotsmen’, the Lion City and London, 1820s-1870s, G. Roger Knight; 4 Trade, Finance, and the ‘Anglo-Dutch’ International Order in Southeast Asia: the Case of the British Eastern Exchange Banks, 1870-90, Tomotaka Kawamura; 5 Singapore, Global City ante litteram in early 20th century Southeast Asia, Valeria Giacomin; 6 Singapore during the World War II Japanese Occupation, Gregg Huff and Gillian Huff; 7 The Economics of Singapore’s Exit from Malaysia, Nicholas J. White; PART TWO – SINGAPORE – POLITICS, CULTURE & IDENTITY; 8 Singapore, the Straits Settlements & the Politics of Imperial Commerce, 1819-1867, Anthony Webster; 9 Mediators, Migrants and Memories of Colonial Singapore: The Life and Legacy of Seah Eu Chin, Stan Neal; 10 Liverpool in the relational remaking of Singapore: Global city routes and Malay seafaring mobilities, Tim Bunnell; 11 Experts in the Making of Singapore, Kah Seng Loh; 12 ‘The Gibraltar of the East’? Singapore and other fortress colonies during the Second World War, A.J. Stockwell; 13 Temasek, Singapore, and Modern National Identity Construction, John Miksic; 14 Stamford Raffles and James Brooke: Colonial Legacies and (post)colonial tourism?, Donna Brunero
Biography
Anthony Webster is Professor of History at Northumbria University, UK.
Nicholas J White is Professor of Imperial and Commonwealth History at Liverpool John Moores University, UK.
