Sir Stamford Raffles, Ideal British Imperialist
Raffles Left More Than His Namesake On The Malay Peninsula
Apr 14, 2009
Sir Stamford Raffles was an ideal British Imperialist. In his brief 45 years, he left a proud legacy for the British Empire in Southeast Asia, from Melaka to Java. The Republic of Singapore bears his influence the most, and arguably, with just cause. His administration and town planning, his tolerance and conservation while working on behalf of the British East Indies won admirers to this day.
Raffles in Melaka and Java
Raffles lived during turbulent times, 1781-1826. Born on the eve of the French Revolution, the son of a slave-trading father, he cut his teeth in British Jamaica and clerked in London's British East Indies Company during the early Napoleonic Wars. Leaning to speak Malay, Raffles was sent to the Malay Peninsula because of the imperial vacuum of that area after the French victory over the Dutch in Europe. The valuable Spice Island trade route was ripe for the picking and Britain wanted to be there before the French and before the Dutch returned.
In Melaka in 1811, Raffles disagreed with the imperial decision to demolish the town. He valued the long history and roots of Melaka and succeeded in preserving the Portuguese Famosa gate and Dutch buildings at least. He also employed Munshi Abdullah to collect manuscripts and flora samples because Raffles "had an insatiable appetite for learning" and wanted to preserve the Malay culture.
While in Java from 1811-1816, Raffles achieved a great deal but not without some setbacks.
- he banned slavery and introduced British land reform, law and justice
- he sent a successful expedition to uncover the 8th century Buddhist temple, Borobudur
- but his wife died and he was accused of not keeping the colony profitable enough
His most enduring monument though was Singapore.
Founding Singapore And Leaving Namesakes
In 1819, Raffles took on the founding of Singapore as a heartfelt project to give Britian ascendancy in the Malacca Straits but not offend Holland. There is a plaque along Singapore's Boat Quay depicting the town planning he undertook in 1822.
- the Singapore River acted as a natural boundary with civic government on the north shore and financial establishments on the south. This continues to this day.
- even ethnic areas were allocated, for instance Chinatown, Arabs by the Sultan's Palace, and Europeans along Beach Road.
- He also built a residential bungalow called Raffles Terrace on what is now Fort Canning Hill, a small rise overlooking the harbour where he and future governors lived.
Raffles was beginning to suffer headaches from a brain tumor and he wrote (the letter is on a plaque on Raffles Terrace) how the scenery and climate from that spot soothed him. Part of the ambience was the first botanical and experimental garden, also begun by Raffles, where nutmeg, cloves, pepper, sugar cane, coffee and tea were cultivated. He even has a plant named after him- the Rafflesia arnoldi which has the largest single flower of any flowering plant.
Singapore in particular owes a great deal to Raffles and has honoured his memory by using his name in countless ways, not least being:
- the elegant colonial hotel, Raffles, where writers like Joseph Conrad, Rudyard Kipling and Somerset Maugham stayed.
- the statue to him near Parliament and visible from the Boat Quay
- a Raffles Law Group and a plaza named Raffles
- streets like Stamford Road, several schools including Raffles Hall of the University of Singapore, which he started.
Sir Stamford Raffles embraced the cultures that he ruled and treated the people, flora and fauna as his stewardship. He put people before profit. Ironically the East India Company confiscated his estate upon his death to repay what they felt was lost in production because of Raffles' abolition of slavery. He may have been an unusual administrator in the British Empire but he was an ideal imperialist.
Raffles Hotel courtyard
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Raffles Terrace
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Raffles Statue
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