Kingdom of Singapura
Singapore, 1299–1398. Draft, not yet reviewed
The Kingdom of Singapura was a Malay polity believed to have been founded as a Hindu-Buddhist kingdom during the early history of Singapore on the island of Temasek. The historicity of this kingdom based on the account given in the Malay Annals is uncertain. Archaeological evidence from Fort Canning Hill and the nearby banks of the Singapore River has nevertheless demonstrated the existence of a thriving settlement and a trade port in the 14th century. The kingdom's fortified capital was attacked by at least two major foreign invasions before it was finally sacked by Majapahit in 1398 according to the Malay Annals or by the Siamese according to Portuguese sources.
Seat of power: Singapore
No rulers documented for this era yet.
Culture
- The name Singapura is derived from Sanskrit meaning "Lion City".
- The Malays have called the hill Bukit Larangan or Forbidden Hill since olden times.
- In around 1330, the Chinese traveller Wang Dayuan visited the island of Singapore he named as Danmaxi (Temasek).
Picture
It is believed that the Fort Canning Hill area was once the centre of ancient Singapura that thrived in the 15th century.
Image: Michael Coghlan., CC BY-SA 2.0, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.