HISTORY

Singapura, oh Singapura,
Sunny island, set in the sea
Singapura, oh Singapura,
Pretty flower, bloom for you and me

Looking back, it is truly remarkable to see just how far the sunny island of Singapore has come since its early days as a fishing village. Details of the early beginnings of the tiny island are sketchy as there is not much by way of recorded history.

Early History

Singapore was known by various names during the early days. The earliest known written record of the nation was a third century Chinese account describing the island as "Pu Luo Chung". This was transliterated from the Malay name of "Pulau Ujong", i.e. "island at the end of the peninsula". An apt name, indeed, for the tiny island lying to the south of the Malay Peninsula.

The Nagarakretagama, a Javanese epic poem written by Prapanca in 1365, also referred to a settlement on the island as Temasek, i.e. "Sea Town".

The Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals) contained the exciting legend of how Singapore derived its present name. Sang Nila Utama, a prince from Sumatra, landed at the mouth of the present-day Singapore River while seeking shelter from a storm.

Believing it to be a good omen when he sighted an animal he took to be a lion, he decided to stay and establish a settlement on Temasek. He named this settlement Singapura, i.e. "Lion City". By the end of the 14th century, Temasek became generally known as Singapura.

During this period, Singapore was entangled in a conflict between Siam (now Thailand) and the Java-based Majapahit Empire for dominion over the Malay Peninsula. Palembang prince Iskandar Shah, also known as Parameswara, fled to the island after being deposed by the Majapahit Empire. After ruling the island for a brief period, he was forced to flee to Malacca where he founded the Malacca Sultanate.

Singapore remained an important trading port of the Malacca Sultanate. By the beginning of the 19th century, Singapore was under the rule of the Johor Sultanate. The island was administered by the Temenggong, one of the Sultan's senior ministers, who also oversaw Johor.

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