(Ancient Singapore will not be written throughout the story, but there will be mentions of it here and there.)
Background information of the chapter(s):
Between the 16th and 19th centuries, the Malay Archipelago was gradually taken over by the European colonial powers, starting with the arrival of the Portuguese (Portugal) in Malacca in 1509. However, the early dominance of the Portuguese was challenged by the Dutch (Netherlands), who had come to control most of the ports in the region and establish a monopoly over trade within the archipelago. In particular, the spices. And then, the region's most important product.
(The Dutch was a greedy fellow)
Other colonial powers such as the British, were limited to a... minor presence.
In 1818, the British didn't let the mere presence of the Dutch affect his goal of becoming the dominant power in the archipelago. He was determined to replace the Dutch and be the one in power for the spice trade. However, the Dutch wouldn't allow that. So, he decided to stifle British trade in the region by forbidding Britain from operating in Dutch-controlled ports or by subjecting him(and other British people) to a high tax. Britain had established ports in Bencoolen and Penang - but they were not suitable for trade. Penang, on one hand, was too far off to protect British traders from pirates. And Bencoolen, on the other hand, was not along the main trading road...
He needed a port that had to be strategically located along the main trade route between China and India and in the middle of the Malay archipelago. But where would he find that?
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The sun burned brightly in the sky, radiating heat onto the tropics of Southeast Asia. Tides crashed into the hull of a boat that was sailed by Britain, who was in search of a third trading port in the archipelago.
"Hmm..." The Country hummed as he searched and searched... before coming across a small island in between Malaya (Malaysia) and Indonesia, which caught his attention.
"That's new." He muttered as he oared the ship towards the island,
Known as Singapore.
This is where the true story begins.
CITEȘTI
Amidst the Thorns. (REMAKE VERSION OF "A Thorn in the Orchids")
Istorice(WORK IN PROGRESS) "Nation is great not by its size alone. It is the will, the cohesion, the stamina, the discipline of its people and the quality of their leaders which ensure it an honourable place in history." - Lee Kuan Yew A remake of my first...
