Singapore History: Early Administration and Migration

Vocabulary flashcards covering the early history of Singapore, focusing on colonial administration, social challenges like secret societies, and the causes and types of migration.

Bencoolen

The location where Raffles was Lieutenant-Governor and under whose administration Singapore was placed when established in 1819.

East India Company (EIC)

The organization that formally controlled Singapore from 1824 to 1858.

Crown Colony

The status Singapore achieved in 1867 upon its transfer to the Colonial Office in London.

Coolies

Migrant labourers who often lived in harsh conditions, performed strenuous physical labour, and were frequently in debt for their passage to Singapore.

Secret Societies

Gangs formed by Chinese immigrants that engaged in illegal activities such as opium houses, gambling dens, and prostitution, often leading to territory riots in the 1840s and 1850s.

Chinese Protectorate

A government department established in May 1877 to address problems including secret societies, coolie abuses, poverty, and prostitution.

William Pickering

The first Protector of the Chinese who helped the government manage problems created by secret societies.

Migrants

People who come from other territories or countries to stay in a new location for the long term or permanently.

Push Factors

Unfavourable circumstances, such as overpopulation, natural disasters, or civil wars, that motivate people to move away from their homeland.

Pull Factors

Favourable conditions, including trade, business opportunities, and better job prospects, that attract people to move to a new place.

Free Port Status

A policy in Singapore that meant traders did not have to pay taxes, allowing them to make larger profits than in other regional ports.

Entrepreneurs

A category of migrants involved in business, including traders, street traders, and money lenders.

Samsui Women

Manual labourers from Guangdong, China, recognizable by their bright red headdresses, who worked on construction sites and carried heavy loads.

Money lenders

Individuals or groups, such as the Chettiars or Chinese lenders, who provided credit to Asian businessmen when banks refused to do so.

Craftsmen

A category of skilled migrant labour, with boatmakers being a specific example mentioned.