Extension of British Interests

MALAYA

Part I: Background

What is imperialism & colonialism?• conquest, control, expansion, rule, exploitation, cultural

transmission

Why do countries go overseas and then expand & control?• first for trade• then to safeguard the benefits of trade• then the idea of trade dimmed, overtaken by

administrative processes

Part I: The British in Malaya

What’s INTERVENTION?

When one country or state interferes in the affairs of another state

For example:

In 1874, British intervened in Perak on the request of Raja Abdullah of Perak

Part I: Reasons for Non-Intervention

[1] EIC’s goal – to maximise profits through peaceful trading only

[2] Loss of monopoly of China trade - EIC’s profits declined due to competition – unwilling to interfere and spend money to settle disputes in Malay States

[3] Busy with India – developing the sub-continent which was quite sufficient for the British

[4] Straits Settlements - only ports-of-call for China trade - they themselves did not have much to offer - administrative cost higher & SS not making money

[5] to continue being friendly with Siam – who all along had interests in Northern Malaya

Part I: Unofficial Intervention

Unofficial Intervention:

It was impossible to stay totally neutral & hands-off• British interests had to be safeguarded

- did not want to lose profits & opportunities - lives of British subjects sometimes at stake - British merchants complained and requested for help - prestige & reputation to upkeep - investments to be protected – Kedah, Perak, Malacca, Pahang, Trengganu, Johore

• would withdraw once the problems were solved

Part II: Reasons for Intervention in Malaya

[1] Industrial Revolution in Britain - need for raw materials & markets - Malaya had plenty of tin - used for canned food in USA - with the China trade waning, investments & new markets elsewhere became more necessary

[2] Opening of Suez Canal - Ferdinand de Lesseps’ engineering allowed for shorter time & distance between West and East - interests grew: European countries/merchants arrived in SEA in an unprecedented flood eg: French went to Siam, Dutch to Aceh, Germans to Malaya - need to protect trade route along Straits of Melaka – though more revenue especially for Singapore – but to be wary also of competitive presence

Part II: Reasons for Intervention in Malaya

[3] Fear of foreign intervention - British feared that Dutch & Germans might colonise Malay States – since these states were ‘free’, did not belong to any power - the Germans were expanding aggressively

- they just defeated France, now they were finding their ‘place in the sun’ – China, S’pore, Malay Peninsula - either to stay ahead or face possibility of losing foothold

“…it would be difficult to justify an objection to the Native States applying for aid to other Powers if the British Government refuses to lend its aid.”

Lord Kimberley

Part II: Reasons for Intervention in Malaya

[4] Change of government in Britain - 1874, Conservative Govt which was more imperialistic, adopted new policy of intervention - new PM Disraeli called to build up the empire

- Lord Kimberley who was the new Secretary of State for the Colonies belonged to a new breed of politicians who believed Britain had a responsibility to spread the benefits of its rule to the world ‘white men’s burden’

“whether any steps can be taken to promote the restoration of peace and order to secure protection to trade and commerce…it would be advisable to appoint a British officer to reside in any of the states”

Lord Kimberley

Sir Andrew Clarke

Part II: Reasons for Intervention in Malaya

[5] Anarchy in the Malay States - succession dispute, wars among Chinese miners, piracy → loss of business, profits, lives, safety, reputation

- British merchants invested a great deal in the Peninsula – and the Chinese were also important to their business

- trade was worth $3m a year – largely from British capital - British, European & Chinese merchants in SS petitioned for British Govt to restore order

Part III: Intervention in Perak

[1] Succession Disputes - Raja Abdullah contested with Raja Ismail for throne - they became involved in Larut Wars

[2] Larut Wars - Chinese secret societies fought over control of tin mines

[3] Piracy

- British vessels were attacked

[a] Succession Disputes

Council of Chiefs: powerful – could leave out

unsuitable candidate

Sultanan old man with

experience of government

Raja Muda

Raja Benda-

hara

Raja Di-hilir

son of Sultan

1841-57 Abdullah Ja’afar Ali Yusof*

1857-65Abdullah died

Ja’afar Ali Ismail*Yusof,

Abdullah’s son, bypassed

Abdullah

1865-71Ja’afar died

Ali Abdullah*skipped one

post

Ismailremained in the same position

* Contenders to throne when Ali

died

Raja Abdullah

• Also known as the rivalry of the Chinese secret societies – basically a series of squabbles between two groups of tin miners that erupted into fierce open warfare

• Tin was discovered in the Larut area in 1848• Investments from the Chinese business community

poured in – later joined by the Western merchants• 5000 Chinese immigrants arrived immediately• The rivalry was mainly due to greed and jealousy –

resulting in the quest to control as many mines in Larut as possible

Part III: [b] Larut Wars

[b] Larut Wars

Ghee Hin

Sang Neng Hakkas

Ho Hup Seah secret society

Abdullah

Yusof

Tan Kim Cheng triad leader from Singapore

WH Read

Hai San

Toa Peh Kong Hokkiens

Go Kwan Cantonese

Ho Seng secret society

Ngah Ibrahim

Ismail

Captain Speedy

Governor of Penang

Governor Andrew Clarke

“a man of sufficient abilities to…show us a good system of government.”

Pangkor Island Meeting, 15 January 1874, on board Pluto: 1. Frank Swettenham settled dispute with the Malay chiefs2. William Pickering persuaded warring Chinese to accept British mediation

All agreed to disarm and not to break the peace