National University of Singapore Press
Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300–1800
9789971695583
Distributed for National University of Singapore Press
Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea, 1300–1800
Beneath the modern skyscrapers of Singapore lie the remains of a much older trading port, prosperous and cosmopolitan and a key node in the maritime Silk Road. This book synthesizes 25 years of archaeological research to reconstruct the 14th-century port of Singapore in greater detail than is possible for any other early Southeast Asian city.
The picture that emerges is of a port where people processed raw materials, used money, and had specialized occupations. Within its defensive wall, the city was well organized and prosperous, with a cosmopolitan population that included residents from China, other parts of Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean. Fully illustrated, with more than 300 maps and colour photos, Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea presents Singapore's history in the context of Asia's long-distance maritime trade in the years between 1300 and 1800: it amounts to a dramatic new understanding of Singapore's pre-colonial past.
The picture that emerges is of a port where people processed raw materials, used money, and had specialized occupations. Within its defensive wall, the city was well organized and prosperous, with a cosmopolitan population that included residents from China, other parts of Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean. Fully illustrated, with more than 300 maps and colour photos, Singapore and the Silk Road of the Sea presents Singapore's history in the context of Asia's long-distance maritime trade in the years between 1300 and 1800: it amounts to a dramatic new understanding of Singapore's pre-colonial past.
440 pages | 6 1/4 x 10 | © 2013
Asian Studies: Southeast Asia and Australia
History: Asian History, Discoveries and Exploration
Table of Contents
Introduction The Archaeology of Singapore: Forgotten Hints
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Chapter One The Three Seas of the Southern Ocean
Chapter Two The Rise of the Island Empires
Chapter Three From the Fall of Srivijaya to the Rise of Singapore
Chapter Four Singapore’s Ancient History, 1299-1604
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
Chapter Five Archaeology in Singapore: History and Interpretation
Chapter Six Products of Ancient Singapore
Chapter Seven Singaporean Imports of the 14th to 16th Centuries
Chapter Eight Beyond Ceramics: Metal, Coins, and Glassware
SINGAPORE IN REGIONAL CONTEXT
Chapter Nine Temasik’s Partners in Java, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and India
Chapter Ten Singapore and Riau
Chapter Eleven Temasik’s Neighbours: Southeast Asian Settlements of the 14th and 15th Centuries
Chapter Twelve Singapore, Johor, Riau
Conclusion Ancient Singapore, Urbanism, and Commerce
List of Tables
List of Figures
Bibliography
Image Credits
Index
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND
Chapter One The Three Seas of the Southern Ocean
Chapter Two The Rise of the Island Empires
Chapter Three From the Fall of Srivijaya to the Rise of Singapore
Chapter Four Singapore’s Ancient History, 1299-1604
ARCHAEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE
Chapter Five Archaeology in Singapore: History and Interpretation
Chapter Six Products of Ancient Singapore
Chapter Seven Singaporean Imports of the 14th to 16th Centuries
Chapter Eight Beyond Ceramics: Metal, Coins, and Glassware
SINGAPORE IN REGIONAL CONTEXT
Chapter Nine Temasik’s Partners in Java, Thailand, Vietnam, Sri Lanka, and India
Chapter Ten Singapore and Riau
Chapter Eleven Temasik’s Neighbours: Southeast Asian Settlements of the 14th and 15th Centuries
Chapter Twelve Singapore, Johor, Riau
Conclusion Ancient Singapore, Urbanism, and Commerce
List of Tables
List of Figures
Bibliography
Image Credits
Index