SINGAPORE 1755

Before the arrival of the Europeans in the 16th century, Singapore was allegedly referred as Tumasek or Tamsek. But the origin of the word 'Singapore' is quite interesting.

Perhaps it was the 1550s when a bunch of islands to the east of Malaca (today's Malay peninsula) was mentioned as Cape Cincapula by European cartographers. The water bodies encompassing these islands were started to be labeled as Straat Sincapura or Detroit de Sincapour etc. in the 17th century.

Interestingly, the island was referred to as Pulao Panjang or Isle Panjang. In 1670s certain mas also referred a coastal town on the Malay peninsula (still known as Malacca) as Sincapura. By mid-18th century, the island was marked as Sincapora. At the beginning of the 19th century, Malacca is now referred as Malaya and Sincapora is now Sincapore.

By mid-1850s finally the name Singapore appears with a clear demarcation of British colony of Malacca marked on the Malay peninsula. The name doesn't appear to change until for a very brief time during the Second World War when the Japanese renamed the island as Schonanko (or Syonan). The name resumed back to its original after the defeat of the Japanese in 1945.

The East India Company had acquired Singapore in 1819 as a protectorate. And also for a brief time between 1858 to 1867, Singapore was also part of the extended British India. This was the time when British India extended from Aden in the west to Singapore in the east. Between 1867 to 1946, it was part of the Strait Settlements that had pockets of colonies on the Malaysian peninsula. As soon as it achieved independence in 1963, Singapore became part of Malaysia briefly till 1965 when finally in the December of same year, Singapore became an independent republic.

Below is the map of Singapore (referred as Panjang) with adjoining islands dating 1755.