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Fast forward to 1819, when the British and more specifically Sir Stamford Raffles of the East India Company looked to establish a new port to challenge the strength of Dutch interests in the region. A learned and enlightened man, Raffles was also known for his interests in history and botany (among many other studies), and his strong anti-slavery point of view. |
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After signing an initial grant with Malay chiefs in 1819, an agreement to claims for the island in 1823, and subsequently a treaty for perpetual title in 1824, control over Singapore was handed to the East India Company and the British. |
