Raffles, Sir (Thomas) Stamford

Raffles, Sir (Thomas) Stamford
born July 6, 1781, at sea off Port Morant, Jam.
died July 5, 1826, London, Eng.

Administrator in the British East India Company and founder of Singapore.

He joined the British East India Company at age 14, and his hard work won him an appointment as assistant secretary to the government of Penang (in present-day Malaysia). There he undertook an intensive study of the Malayan peoples, and his knowledge allowed him to play a key role in 1811, when the British defeated Dutch-French forces in Java. He subsequently became lieutenant governor there and inaugurated a mass of reforms aimed at transforming the Dutch colonial system and improving the condition of the native population. He was recalled by the company, which deemed his reforms too costly; though he was popular in London (he was knighted in 1816), his authority when he resumed his service in Southeast Asia was severely restricted. Undeterred, he founded the port city of Singapore in 1819 in order to to ensure British access to the China seas; in 1824 the Dutch relinquished all claims to Singapore. Raffles is credited with creating Britain's Far Eastern empire.

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Universalium. 2010.

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  • Raffles, Sir Thomas Stamford — (1781–1826)    As a scholar, colonial administrator, and founder of Singapore, Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles played an important role in creating the British Empire in the Far East. While serving with the East India Company in Penang, Raffles came… …   Encyclopedia of the Age of Imperialism, 1800–1914

  • Raffles,Sir Thomas Stamford — Raf·fles (răfʹəlz), Sir Thomas Stamford. 1781 1826. British colonial administrator who acquired Singapore for the East India Company (1819) and founded a settlement there. * * * …   Universalium

  • Raffles, Sir (Thomas) Stamford — (6 jul. 1781, en el mar, frente a Port Morant, Jamaica–5 jul. 1826, Londres, Inglaterra). Funcionario de la Compañía Inglesa de las Indias Orientales y fundador de Singapur. Se unió a la Compañía a los 14 años y su arduo trabajo le valió ser… …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • RAFFLES, SIR THOMAS STAMFORD —    English administrator, born in Jamaica; entered the East India Company s service, and rose in it; became Governor of Java, and wrote a history of it; held afterwards an important post in Sumatra, and formed a settlement at Singapore; returned… …   The Nuttall Encyclopaedia

  • Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles — noun British colonial administrator who founded Singapore (1781 1826) • Syn: ↑Raffles, ↑Sir Thomas Raffles • Instance Hypernyms: ↑administrator, ↑executive …   Useful english dictionary

  • Thomas Stamford Raffles — Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles Thomas Stamford Raffles Nacimiento 6 de julio 1781 Puerto Morant, Jamaica …   Wikipedia Español

  • Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles — Thomas Stamford Raffles Pour les articles homonymes, voir Raffles. Thomas Stamford Raffles. Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles est un militaire et un …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Thomas Stamford Raffles — Pour les articles homonymes, voir Raffles. Thomas Stamford Raffles. Sir Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles est un militaire et un naturaliste britannique, né le …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Sir Thomas Raffles — noun British colonial administrator who founded Singapore (1781 1826) • Syn: ↑Raffles, ↑Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles • Instance Hypernyms: ↑administrator, ↑executive …   Useful english dictionary

  • Thomas Stamford Raffles — Stamford Raffles Statue in Singapur …   Deutsch Wikipedia

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