Temasek
Encyclopedia
Temasek was the name of an early city on the site of modern Singapore
. From the 14th century, the island has also been known as Singapura, which is derived from Sanskrit
and means "Lion City". Legend has it that the name was given by Sang Nila Utama
when he visited the island in 1299 and saw an unknown creature, which he mistook as a lion.
While the early history of Singapore is obscured by myth and legend, some conclusions can be drawn from archaeological
evidence and from written references by travellers. Archaeology points to an urbanised settlement on the site by the 14th century. Allusions by travellers give some evidence that there may have been a city or town present as early as the 2nd century. At its height, the city boasted a large earthen city wall and moat
; many of the buildings were built with stone and brick foundations. Remains of old pottery, coins, jewellery and other artifacts have been found, with many of these artifacts believed to be imported from various parts of China
, India
, Sri Lanka
, and Indonesia
. These are sometimes seen as evidence of the city's status as a regional trade centre. An aquatic route which is part of the larger Silk route
, passes through Temasek.
From the 7th to the 13th centuries, the island of Singapore was controlled by the Srivijaya
empire based in Sumatra
. By the emergence of Temasek as a fortified city and trading centre in the 14th century, the Srivijaya empire was in a long period of decline. The city was conquered by the Majapahit empire in 1401 and changed hands several times before coming under the influence of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. After the fall of Malacca to the Portuguese
in 1511, the island came under the control of the Malay Sultanate of Johor.
Other institutions that bear the name:
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
. From the 14th century, the island has also been known as Singapura, which is derived from Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
and means "Lion City". Legend has it that the name was given by Sang Nila Utama
Sang Nila Utama
Sang Nila Utama was a Srivijayan prince from Palembang who founded the kingdom of Singapura in 1324. He was officially styled as Sri Maharaja Sang Utama Parameswara Batara Sri Tri Buana...
when he visited the island in 1299 and saw an unknown creature, which he mistook as a lion.
While the early history of Singapore is obscured by myth and legend, some conclusions can be drawn from archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
evidence and from written references by travellers. Archaeology points to an urbanised settlement on the site by the 14th century. Allusions by travellers give some evidence that there may have been a city or town present as early as the 2nd century. At its height, the city boasted a large earthen city wall and moat
Moat
A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that surrounds a castle, other building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices...
; many of the buildings were built with stone and brick foundations. Remains of old pottery, coins, jewellery and other artifacts have been found, with many of these artifacts believed to be imported from various parts of China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka, officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka is a country off the southern coast of the Indian subcontinent. Known until 1972 as Ceylon , Sri Lanka is an island surrounded by the Indian Ocean, the Gulf of Mannar and the Palk Strait, and lies in the vicinity of India and the...
, and Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. These are sometimes seen as evidence of the city's status as a regional trade centre. An aquatic route which is part of the larger Silk route
Silk Road
The Silk Road or Silk Route refers to a historical network of interlinking trade routes across the Afro-Eurasian landmass that connected East, South, and Western Asia with the Mediterranean and European world, as well as parts of North and East Africa...
, passes through Temasek.
From the 7th to the 13th centuries, the island of Singapore was controlled by the Srivijaya
Srivijaya
Srivijaya was a powerful ancient thalassocratic Malay empire based on the island of Sumatra, modern day Indonesia, which influenced much of Southeast Asia. The earliest solid proof of its existence dates from the 7th century; a Chinese monk, I-Tsing, wrote that he visited Srivijaya in 671 for 6...
empire based in Sumatra
Sumatra
Sumatra is an island in western Indonesia, westernmost of the Sunda Islands. It is the largest island entirely in Indonesia , and the sixth largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 with a population of 50,365,538...
. By the emergence of Temasek as a fortified city and trading centre in the 14th century, the Srivijaya empire was in a long period of decline. The city was conquered by the Majapahit empire in 1401 and changed hands several times before coming under the influence of the Sultanate of Malacca in the 15th century. After the fall of Malacca to the Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
in 1511, the island came under the control of the Malay Sultanate of Johor.
Singapore's national honours
The Republic's two most important national honours are titled Bintang Temasek (The Star of Temasek for acts of exceptional courage and skill or exhibited conspicuous devotion to duty in circumstances of extreme danger) and the Darjah Utama Temasek (Order of Temasek, for outstanding and exceptional contributions to the country).Other institutions that bear the name:
- Temasek Life Sciences LaboratoryTemasek Life Sciences LaboratoryTemasek Life Sciences Laboratory , a beneficiary of Temasek Trust, is a non-profit life sciences research organization located within the campus of the National University of Singapore. TLL is affiliated with the National University of Singapore and the Nanyang Technological University, Singapore....
, at National University of SingaporeNational University of SingaporeThe National University of Singapore is Singapore's oldest university. It is the largest university in the country in terms of student enrollment and curriculum offered.... - Temasek Laboratories, at Nanyang Technological UniversityNanyang Technological UniversityNanyang Technological University is one of the two largest public universities in Singapore with the biggest campus in Singapore and the world's largest engineering college. Its lush 200-hectare Yunnan Garden campus was the Youth Olympic Village of the world's first 2010 Summer Youth Olympics in...
- Temasek PolytechnicTemasek PolytechnicTemasek Polytechnic is the third polytechnic to be set up in Singapore. The polytechnic was established on April 6, 1990. With a 30 hectare campus overlooking the scenic Bedok Reservoir in the eastern part of Singapore, TP's campus places particular emphasis on the preservation of the natural...
- Temasek Junior CollegeTemasek Junior CollegeTemasek Junior College is a prestigious junior college located in the Eastern region of Singapore and is considered as one of the top five colleges in Singapore....
- Temasek Secondary SchoolTemasek Secondary SchoolTemasek Secondary School is an autonomous secondary school in Singapore and serves Secondary One through Five. It was founded in 1980 sharing a campus with Bedok South Secondary School at Upper Changi Road. In 1995, the school attained autonomy...
- Temasek TowerTemasek Tower8 Shenton Way , formerly The Treasury and Temasek Tower, is the sixth tallest skyscraper in the city of Singapore, with at . It is currently the tallest cylindrical building in the world. Built in 1986 as Treasury Building, it has 52 stories and is one of the prominent buildings in the business...
External links
- A History of the Lion City - Chapter from an online textbook.