History

Question 1

Name of the founder of Singapore

According to the Malays Annals

Answer 1

Sang Nila Utama

Question 2

Date of foundation of Singapore

Answer 2

1299

Question 3

Real name of the Malay Annals

Answer 3

The Genealogy of Kings

Question 4

Ancestor of the Singaporean kings

According to the Malays Annals

Answer 4

Alexander the Great (Iskandar Shah) via an Indian king from when Alex was in India

Question 5

Sang Nila Utama origin

Answer 5

Sriwijayan prince from Palembang

Question 6

Legendary champion of Singapore with supernatural strength

Answer 6

Badang

Question 7

Date of foundation of Melacca

Answer 7

~1400

Question 8

Singapore vs Temasek

Answer 8

City vs island

Question 9

Why would Sang Nila Utama have been invented?

Answer 9

To give legitimacy to Melacca dynasty

Question 10

Title and Name of Singapore’s ruler before Raffles

Answer 10

Temenggung Adbul Rahman

Question 11

Malays who signed the treaty with Raffles (titles and names)

Answer 11

Sultan Husain Shah & Temenggung Adbul Rahman

Question 12

City where Raffles was based

Answer 12

Bengkulu (then Bencoolen), West Sumatra

Question 13

First resident of Singapore (first and last name)

Answer 13

William Farquhar

Question 14

2 main productions of Malaysia in 1900s and respective percentages of world production

Answer 14

Rubber 50%
Tin 30%

Question 15

Singapura in 14th century

Answer 15

Thriving port-settlement on the northern bank of the river and Fort Canning

Question 16

Prefix “Sang” and comparison with another one

Answer 16

“Sang” Malay prefix for high status
“Sri” Buddhist Sanskrit prefix for higher status. Sang Nila Utama will be renamed Sri Xxx

Question 17

Why did Sang Nila Utama go to Temasek

Answer 17

He saw nice beaches during a hunting trip

Question 18

Why did the Malays accept Raffles?

Answer 18

He helped the legitimate heir to become Sultan when his brother has usurped the throne

Question 19

Temenggong

Answer 19

Local ruler, vassal of Sultan

Question 20

Temenggong of Johor

Answer 20

Local ruler of most of Johor and Singapore

Question 21

Iskandar Shah

According to the Malays Annals

Answer 21

The fifth king of Singapore

Question 22

Name of the founder of Singapore

According to the story the Portuguese collected

Answer 22

Parameswara

Question 23

Iskandar Shah

According to the story the Portuguese collected

Answer 23

Parameswara who changed his names when he converted to Islam in Melaka

Question 24

Foundation of Melaka

The 2 versions

Answer 24

By Iskandar Shah who fled the Javanese

By Parameswara who fled the Siamese (the original local ruler of Temasek was a vassal of Siam)

Question 25

Why did Parameswara go to Temasek and what did he do there

Answer 25

Fleeing after failing to overthrow Javanese overlordship (Srivijaya vs Majapahit) Was accepted by Temasek local ruler and then murdered him

Question 26

Where did Parameswara come from

Answer 26

Palembang

Question 27

Why was is shameful to descend from Parameswara

Answer 27

- his murder of the ruler of Temasek - his name which implies a consort of lower rank than his royal wife

Question 28

Why was Raffles in Asia

Answer 28

He was in the British administration in position with the Dutch in Malacca

Question 29

Why was Raffles in Indonesia

Answer 29

When Napoleon took the Netherlands, he had to leave Malacca and took Java from the Dutch and the French

Question 30

Oil in Singapore islands and a date

Answer 30

Shell started storing kerosene on an island in ~1890 [vapo]

Question 31

Use of Singapore defenses during WWII

Answer 31

1- deterred the Japanese from a naval bombing from the sea 2- cannons were turned to face inwards

Question 32

Why didn’t the British expect a Japanese attack from the north

Answer 32

Malaya was covered with jungle with only one road and railway ran from north to south

Question 33

Japanese purge of the Chinese: name and details

Answer 33

During WWII in Singapore, ethnic Chinese were called for screening but then 50,000 [lose] of them were executed Operation Sook Ching

Question 34

When did the Temenggung arrive in Singapore

Answer 34

1811

Question 35

Singapore's population in 1819

Answer 35

150 ppl (Malays arrived with the Temeggung in 1811 and 30 Chinese)

Question 36

Singapore's population in 1820

Answer 36

10,000, mostly Chinese

Question 37

Singapore's population reached 100,000 ppl in

Answer 37

~1870

Question 38

Singapore's population during WWII

Answer 38

1 million

Question 39

Why so few people in Singapore in 1819

Answer 39

In 1600-1800, the port lost its importance as Europeans used other ones

Question 40

How did the British fund the free port

Answer 40

Issuing license for opium, alcohol and gambling

Question 41

Why Bugis people in Singapore

Answer 41

They used Singapore as their base for the western Malay Archipelago

Question 42

Main good coming from the west to Singapore

Answer 42

Cotton

Question 43

The Istana Kampong Glam was built by

Answer 43

The original one: Husain Shah The current one: his son

Question 44

Kampong Glam and the Hajj

Answer 44

Centre for the Hajj industry, in particular because boats going to Jeddah from KG, draining the whole Malay world

Question 45

Dalforce

Answer 45

A volunteer force that resisted the Japanese during the battle of Singapore

Question 46

Singapore and the Temenggong

Answer 46

Singapore was part of his fief

Question 47

Boss of the Temenggong

Answer 47

The grand vizier

Question 48

Had the Temenggongs took control of Johor

Answer 48

The son of Hussein Shah abdicated to a later Temenggong

Question 49

Why Bugis started to move to Singapore

Answer 49

Fire shots during a Bugis wedding misled the Dutch to kill some important Bugis. A big group started to move to the newly founded Singapore. The British concluded that the lack of knowledge of the Dutch of the local cultures was in their favour

Question 50

Japanese treatment of Singapore residents during the occupation

Answer 50

Anti-Chinese purges Europeans sent to Changi prison or the Death Railway

Question 51

First political role of LKY

Answer 51

First Prime Minister of Singapore, still under the British (self-government but not independence)

Question 52

Education of Lee Kuan Yew

Answer 52

Law at Cambridge