Jump to content

Sultanate of Singora

Coordinates: 7°12′56″N 100°34′04″E / 7.2155°N 100.5677°E / 7.2155; 100.5677
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is an old revision of this page, as edited by Singora (talk | contribs) at 07:22, 31 January 2014 (→‎Archaeological sites). The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.

7°12′56″N 100°34′04″E / 7.2155°N 100.5677°E / 7.2155; 100.5677

Sultanate of Singgora
1605–1680
Location of Sultanate of Singgora
CapitalSinggora
GovernmentSultanate
Historical eraAyuthaya period
• Established
1605
• Disestablished
1680

The Sultanate of Singora was a port city located on and around the foothills of Khao Daeng mountain, now in Singha Nakhon, Songkhla Province, Thailand. The city was the precursor of the present-day town of Songkhla and flourished briefly before it was destroyed by Siamese troops in 1680.[1][2][3] Singora was known to British and Dutch traders as Sangor and Sangora;[4] contemporary French writers referred to it as Singor, Cingor and Soncourat;[5][6]; Indian, Persian and Arab merchants called it Sing La.[1]

A notable artifact from Singora is the cannon displayed next to the flagpole in the grounds of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, London. The Siamese took the cannon when Singora was destroyed and sent it back to the capital, Ayuthaya. It remained there until it was captured during the Burmese–Siamese war of 1765–1767 and transported to Burma. It was then seized by the British in the third Anglo-Burmese War (1885–1887) and shipped to England. In 1887 it was presented to the Royal Hospital Chelsea. An Arabic inscription on the cannon refers to Sultan Sulaiman Shah, the Persian sultan who ruled Singora from 1619 until 1668.[7][8][9]

History

Singora cannon, Chelsea Hospital, London.
The Singora cannon in the grounds of the Royal Chelsea Hospital, London. The sign in front of the cannon reads "This brass gun, made about 1623 at Singora in Siam and captured by the Burmans at Ayuthaya in 1767, was taken by the British in the 3rd Burmese War 1885-1887. The gun bears inscriptions in Arabic, Malay and Burmese. One of which refers to Sulayman Shah the Victorious King".
The tomb of Sultan Sulaiman Shah, Singha Nakhon
The tomb of Sultan Sulaiman Shah, Singha Nakhon. Sultan Sulaiman Shah ruled Singora until his death in 1668.
Fort 8, Khao Daeng, Singha Nakhon
Fort 8, Khao Daeng, Singha Nakhon. One of six forts located on the mountain, it offers panoramic views of Songkhla.

Singora was founded in 1605 by Dato Mogol, a Persian nobleman who had fled Java to escape colonial oppression. The city was initially a vassal state of Siam and paid tribute to Ayuthaya. From its inception, it was designated a duty-free port and vied with the neighboring Sultanate of Pattani for trade.[2][10]

Early references to Singora appear in British and Dutch sources. A Cottonian manuscript at the British Library, for example, contrasts the taxes levied at Singora with those at Pattani (spelled Patania):

"itt were not amiss to build astrong howse in Sangora which lyeth 24 Leagues northwarde of Patania, under the goverment of Datoe Mogoll, vassall to the King of Siam. (...) this howse willbee found to bee verie Necessarie, for the charges willbee too highe in Patania besides inconveniences there; which charges you shall spare at Sangora: there you pay no Custome, onlie a small gift to Datoe Mogoll cann effect all here"

— British East India Company, A letter of instructions from the East Indian Company to its agent in East India, 1614.[4]

The head of the Dutch East India Company factory in Ayuthaya described Singora as one of Siam's principal cities and an important trading center for pepper.[11][12] In 1622 the Dutch exported more than 500 tons of pepper from Singora.[13] Further benefits accrued from Singora's location: the city had an ideal, natural harbor,[14] and was part of a network of overland and riverine routes that expedited trans-peninsular trade with Kedah.[15]

Dato Mogol died in 1619 and was succeeded by his eldest son, Sulaiman.[16][17]

Independence: 1642

In 1642, in an act that triggered decades of conflict, Sulaiman proclaimed political independence from Ayuthaya and appointed himself Sultan Sulaiman Shah.[2][10] He eradicated piracy and transformed Singora into a prosperous, cosmopolitan entrepôt that not only attracted merchants from Europe but also became the preferred destination in Siam for traders from India, Persia and Arabia.[1][10] In attempts to reclaim Singora, Ayuthaya launched at least four maritime attacks during Sulaiman's reign, some of which were accompanied by Dutch vessels. Each campaign failed; one ended in ignominy when the Siamese admiral "ran away".[18][19][20] To help fend off overland assaults, Sulaiman assigned his brother, Pharisees, to develop the nearby town of Chai Buri in Phatthalung Province.[21]

Sultan Sulaiman died in 1668 [10] and was succeeded by Sultan Mustapha.[22] Singora's military confidence at this time is evidenced by a war it fought with Pattani. Despite being outnumbered four to one, Singora rejected attempts at mediation by the Sultan of Kedah and trusted in its "stout and experienced soldiers" who after years of battle had become skilled marksmen and cannoneers.[23] It was also during the reign of Sultan Mustapha that Greek adventurer, Constance Phaulkon, came to Siam. After arriving in Ayuthaya in the late 1670s, he embarked on a mission to smuggle arms to Singora. His escapade ended in disaster, however, when he was shipwrecked off the coast of Ligor (present-day Nakhon Si Thammarat).[24][25]

Destruction: 1680

In 1679, Siamese King Narai's armada began a final offensive to quash the Singora rebellion. Some of the events were recorded by Samuel Potts, a British East India Company trader based in Singora at the time. In one of his letters he reported on the city's preparations for war:

"This King has fortified his City, gunned his Forts upon the hills, making all the provision he can for his defence, not knowing how soon the King of Siam will oppose him"

— Samuel Potts, Samuel Potts at Sangora to Richard Burnaby at Siam, January 22, 1679.[26]

In a letter from August of the same year, Potts wrote that the Siamese fleet had arrived and added "I cannot remain secure where I am".[27] The battles that followed were decisive: Singora was devastated beyond recovery and abandoned.[2][28][29] The aftermath was documented by representatives of the French embassies to Siam in 1685 and 1687. One report told how Singora's "trés bonne citadelle" had been razed after a war of more than thirty years;[14] Diplomat Simon de la Loubere wrote that the war had lasted twenty years and ended when the sultan was captured by a French cannoneer working for the Siamese army.[6]

Archaeological sites

Forts

Fort 5, Khao Daeng, Singha Nakhon
Fort 5 is located high up on Khao Daeng mountain and looks out over Singha Nakhon.

Exploring the ruins of Singora is an adventure for history and archaeology enthusiasts.[30] The remains of fourteen forts can be visited: six of these (forts 4,5,6,7, 8 and 10) are located on Khao Daeng mountain; the others are scattered around the foothills.[31] One of the best preserved is fort 9: it is situated on a small hill and visible from the main road that leads from Singha Nakhon to Ko Yo Island. Fort 8 is also well preserved. It is accessible via a stairway near the Sultan Sulaiman Shah mosque and offers panoramic views of Rat Island and Songkhla. Better views, however, can be had from fort 6 at the top of Khao Daeng. The fort can be reached by ascending a flight of 670 steps that starts near the small archaeological museum. The climb to the summit passes forts 4 and 5. Also on the summit are two pagodas. They were built on the base of fort 10 in the 1830s to commemorate the defeat of rebellions in Kedah (at the time occupied by Siam).[31][32][33]

The tomb of Sultan Sulaiman Shah

The tomb of Sultan Sulaiman Shah enjoys an atmospheric setting in a Muslim graveyard about 1 km north of Khao Daeng. It is housed in a small, Thai-style pavilion surrounded by large trees.[34] The cemetery is mentioned in the Sejarah Kerajaan Melayu Patani (History of the Malay Kingdom of Patani), a Javi account drawn mostly from the Hikayat Patani.[35] The text describes Sultan Sulaiman as a soldier who died in battle and the cemetery as "full of nothing but jungle".[3] The tomb is an object of pilgrimage in the deep south of Thailand, where Sultan Sulaiman is revered by both Muslims and Buddhists alike.[36]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c Thailand: Traits and Treasures, p. 442.
  2. ^ a b c d Choungsakul, p. 45.
  3. ^ a b Syukri, pp. 9-10.
  4. ^ a b Maxwell, pp. 80-81.
  5. ^ Gervaise, p. 61.
  6. ^ a b Loubere, p. 348.
  7. ^ Blagden, pp. 122-124.
  8. ^ Sweeney, pp. 52-53.
  9. ^ Scrivener, pp. 169-170.
  10. ^ a b c d Umar, p. 15.
  11. ^ Ravenswaay, p. 11.
  12. ^ Ravenswaay, p. 68.
  13. ^ Colonial Papers. East Indies (January 11, 1622. Batavia)
  14. ^ a b Jacq-Hergouach, p. 185. Cite error: The named reference "jacq_hergouach" was defined multiple times with different content (see the help page).
  15. ^ Falarti, pp. 147-148
  16. ^ Family history of Sultan Sulaiman Royal Thai Navy Template:Th icon
  17. ^ The sign in front of Sultan Sulaiman's tomb gives the date of his accession as 1619, while a sign near the archaeological museum states that "Datoh Mogal was succeeded by his son, Sultan Sulaiman, in 1620. Sultan Sulaiman was appointed by King Songtham (1610-1628) of the Kingdom of Ayuthaya. Singora under Sulaiman's administration was a famous rendezvous for trading."
  18. ^ Ruangsilp, p. 27.
  19. ^ Ruangsilp, p. 120.
  20. ^ Records of the relations between Siam and foreign countries in the 17th century. Vol. 2, p.19.
  21. ^ The history of Phattalung province Phattalung District Office Template:Th icon
  22. ^ A pamphlet available from the archaeological museum next to Khao Daeng states that "Mustafa, the first son of Sultan Sulaiman, became ruler of Singora in the reign of King Narai B.E. 2211-2223". These dates (from the Buddhist calendar) correspond to 1668-1680.
  23. ^ Records of the relations between Siam and foreign countries in the 17th century. Vol. 2, p. 101.
  24. ^ Ruangsilp, p. 125.
  25. ^ Hutchinson, pp. 3-4.
  26. ^ Records of the relations between Siam and foreign countries in the 17th century. Vol. 2, p.214.
  27. ^ Records of the relations between Siam and foreign countries in the 17th century. Vol. 2, pp. 237-239.
  28. ^ Tarling, pp. 429-430.
  29. ^ The history of Songkhla Songkhla District Office Template:Th icon
  30. ^ Old Town at the Foot of Khao Daeng Hill
  31. ^ a b Singora forts and city walls Thai Ministry of Culture Template:Th icon
  32. ^ The two pagodas Cultural Office, Songkhla Template:Th icon
  33. ^ Ahmat, pp. 98-99
  34. ^ The tomb of Sultan Sulaiman Shah Thai Ministry of Culture Template:Th icon
  35. ^ Montesano, p. 84.
  36. ^ Montesano, p. 20. See also pp. 282-283.

Bibliography

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Sultanate_of_Singora&oldid=593244463"