The Idea of Singapore

The following sections are included:

• CONTENTS
• FOREWORD
• ABOUT THE MODERATORS

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• The evolving place of history in Singapore
• No use for history
• Reconsidering history with the benefit of hindsight
• History with purpose: Nation-building
• History with purpose: Legitimising a system of governance
• Singapore’s straight-arrow trajectory, beginning with Raffles
• Beyond the best fit line: Edges and nuances
• Singapore’s colonial history
• Postcolonial writing of Singapore’s colonial history
• Recalibrating the starting point of Singapore’s history
• The pre-1819 narrative
• 14th-century Temasek
• The Melaka sultanate
• The Shahbandar’s office
• Competition around the waters of Singapore
• The Johor sultanate
• Conclusion
• Question-and-Answer Session: Moderated by Mr Yatiman Yusof

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Rajaratnam’s “global city”
• Forms and drivers of early globalisation in Southeast Asia
• Trading zones and maritime cities
• Colonial port city par excellence: Flows and circulations
• Networks, circulations and new knowledge practices
• Religious and commercial networks
• Knowledge production
• Conclusion
• Question-and-Answer Session: Moderated by Mr Kwa Chong Guan

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Port cities and hinterlands
• Singapore: Entrepôt trade and the Asian hinterland
• Staple port and the Malayan hinterland
• Hinterland found and lost
• Changing nature of hinterlands
• The future of port cities
• Question-and-Answer Session: Moderated by Professor Chua Beng Huat

In my last lecture, I referred to Singapore as a port city, both in terms of functions and instincts. At various times in history, Singapore has been described as emporium, trading hub and cosmopolis. How would I describe Singapore today? Most obviously, it is a country. More accurately, it is a sovereign nation state. Invariably, Singapore has been called a city-state, and increasingly, a global city-state…

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• Decolonisation
• Nationalism and modern states
• Dialogue with Professor Wang Gungwu
• Question-and-Answer Session: Transcript of Dialogue with Professor Wang Gungwu, moderated by Mr Janadas Devan

The following sections are included:

• Introduction
• How well do we know our history?
• The importance of historical consciousness
• The centrality of context
• Capriciousness of contingencies or chances
• Expanding our historical imagination
• Conclusion
• Question-and-Answer Session: Moderated by Professor Kwok Kian Woon

The following sections are included:

• Bibliography
• Index