CHAPTER 1

THE EXPANSION OF EUROPEAN

INFLUENCE IN THE EAST

“O you believe! Eat not up your property among yourselves

unjustly except it be a trade amongst you, by mutual
consent. And do not kill yourselves (nor kill one another).
Surely Allah is Most Merciful to you.”
(An-Nisaa:29)
1
OFF
1.1 THE INDUSTRIAL REVOLUTION
At the beginning of the 16th Century, Portuguese, Spanish,
Dutch, British and French came to the East to trade.

In the 18th Century, the

Industrial Revolution Machines were invented.
began in Europe.

More goods could be

produced in a shorter
time and at cheaper
prices.
2
OFF
1.2 RIVALRY AMONG EUROPEAN POWERS
Asia was seen by Europeans as
• a market to sell manufactured goods
• a place to get raw materials

3
1.2 RIVALRY AMONG EUROPEAN POWERS
Europeans needed a port of call along the India-China trade route.

A place to A place to
harbour ships obtain food
supplies
Reasons why
European traders
needed port of call
in the East
A place to A place to
repair ships conduct trade

4
1.2 RIVALRY AMONG EUROPEAN POWERS

Rivalry occurred when all the European powers wanted to be

the supreme power in the East.

Anglo-French Rivalry in Because of this, British

India looked for a new
strategic naval base in
Southeast Asia

In 1784, Sir Francis

Light suggested Penang
Sir Francis Light 5
OFF
1.2 RIVALRY AMONG EUROPEAN POWERS

However, Penang did not become a naval base because…

Unsuitable trading centre; Unsuitable as dockyard;

too far north of Malay invention of steamships that
Archipelago could sail against wind

Lack of High
skilled administration
manpower costs; too
many high-
salaried
officials
6
OFF
1.2 RIVALRY AMONG EUROPEAN POWERS
Kew Letters of 1795 – allowed
Anglo-Dutch Rivalry British to take over Dutch
possessions, in order to prevent
French from seizing them

British occupied Java in 1811.

Stamford Raffles was Lieutenant-
Governor of Java

Stamford Raffles Java returned to Dutch in 1816

Founding of Singapore led to rivalry 7

OFF
1.2
British continued looking for a suitable port in Southeast Asia.
Stamford Raffles landed in Singapore in 1819 and signed a treaty
with the Temenggong.

The Story behind the treaty

8
OFF
1.2

In return Sultan Hussein gave the British permission to set up

a settlement in Singapore. 9
OFF
1.2 RIVALRY AMONG EUROPEAN POWERS

The Treaty of London 1824 (Anglo-Dutch Treaty)

The Dutch claimed The British were

that Singapore was unwilling to give up
under their control Singapore

To avoid war, the Treaty of London was signed. This divided the
Malay Archipelago into British and Dutch zones of influence. 10
1.2 RIVALRY AMONG EUROPEAN POWERS

The Treaty of London 1824 (Anglo-Dutch Treaty)

11
1.2 RIVALRY AMONG EUROPEAN POWERS

The Treaty of London 1824 (Anglo-Dutch Treaty)

Terms of the treaty: 1) Commercial

• Holland allowed to retain spice trade
monopoly over the Moluccas only
• Dutch treaties on tin for Perak and
Selangor cancelled
• Most favoured nation treatment

• No trade discrimination
12
1.2 RIVALRY AMONG EUROPEAN POWERS

The Treaty of London 1824 (Anglo-Dutch Treaty)

2) Financial
• Dutch settled debts with British

3) Security

• British and Dutch to co-operate to suppress piracy

13
1.2 RIVALRY AMONG EUROPEAN POWERS

The Treaty of London 1824 (Anglo-Dutch Treaty)

4) Territorial
• No interference in each other’s area

• British and Dutch to hand over ceded territories on 8 March

1825
• Dutch to give Malacca to Britain in return for Bencoolen

• Dutch to cede all bases in India and Malaya to Britain

• Straits of Malacca divided into two zones of influence:

British – North of Singapore; Dutch – South of Singapore 14
CHAPTER 1: SUMMARY The Industrial
Revolution

The Expansion of Rivalry Among

European European Powers
Influence in the
East British Settlement
at Penang
A New Chapter in the
History of Man The Anglo-Dutch
Rivalry
• Discovery of new
sources of power British Occupation
• Invention of new of Java
machines
British Settlement
in Singapore 15
CHAPTER 1: SUMMARY The Industrial
Revolution

The Expansion of Rivalry Among

European European Powers
Influence in the
East British Settlement
at Penang

From 16th Century The Anglo-Dutch

• European powers set Rivalry
up colonial empires
British Occupation
• Anglo-French Rivalry of Java

British Settlement
in Singapore 16
CHAPTER 1: SUMMARY The Industrial
Revolution

The Expansion of Rivalry Among

European European Powers
Influence in the
East British Settlement
at Penang
1786
The Anglo-Dutch
• Founding of Penang
Rivalry
• Unsuitable port of call
British Occupation
• High administrative costs
of Java
• Lack of skilled manpower
British Settlement
in Singapore 17
CHAPTER 1: SUMMARY The Industrial
Revolution

The Expansion of Rivalry Among

European European Powers
Influence in the
East British Settlement
at Penang
18th – 19th Century
The Anglo-Dutch
• Dutch and British
Rivalry
competing for control of trade
• Holland at war with France British Occupation
of Java
• Kew Letters 1795– Britain
to take over Java British Settlement
in Singapore 18
CHAPTER 1: SUMMARY The Industrial
Revolution

The Expansion of Rivalry Among

European European Powers
Influence in the
East British Settlement
at Penang
1811
The Anglo-Dutch
• Stamford Raffles as
Rivalry
Lieutenant Governor of
Java British Occupation
1816 of Java
• Return of Java to the British Settlement
Dutch in Singapore 19
CHAPTER 1: SUMMARY The Industrial
Revolution

The Expansion of Rivalry Among

European European Powers
Influence in the
East British Settlement
at Penang
1819
The Anglo-Dutch
• British possession of
Rivalry
Singapore
1824 British Occupation
of Java
• Anglo-Dutch Treaty:
commercial, territorial, British Settlement
financial and security in Singapore 20