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

What’s INTERVENTION?
For example:
In 1874, British intervened in Perak on the request of Raja
Abdullah of Perak

[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

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

[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

[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

[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

[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

[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]
Council of
Chiefs: powerful
– could leave out unsuitable candidate
Sultan an old man with experience of government
Raja
Muda
1841-57 Abdullah Ja’afar
Raja
Bendahara
Ali
Raja
Di-hilir son of Sultan
Yusof*
1857-65
Abdullah died
1865-71
Ja’afar died
Ja’afar
Ali
Ali
Abdullah* skipped one post
Ismail*
Yusof,
Abdullah’s son, bypassed
Ismail remained in the same position
Abdullah
*
Contenders to throne when Ali died

[b]
• 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

[b]
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

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

Pangkor Island Meeting, 15 January 1874, on board Pluto:
1. Frank Swettenham settled dispute with the Malay chiefs
2. William Pickering persuaded warring Chinese to accept British mediation
All agreed to disarm and not to break the peace