July 18, 2019

As part of ‘Seven Centuries in Six Episodes’, a series of talks by renowned historians which complements the Singapore Bicentennial Experience, Associate Professor Peter Borschberg (NUS Department of History) gave at talk at Fort Canning with regard to the centrality of Singapore as a port of call during the 16^th century. Dispelling the myth of Singapore being a ‘sleepy little fishing village’, as many have regarded it prior to the arrival of Sang Nila Utama, Prof Borschberg described Singapore as a flourishing trading hub, from petty merchants that touted their goods to even a famous sea admiral, known as the laksamana and for being one of the four great lords of Melaka, who resided in Singapore. In the words of Prof Borschberg, ‘the curtain never fell on 16^th century Singapore’, and sources portrayed it to be the epicentre of economic activity of Southeast Asian waters during those times.

‘Seven Centuries in Six Episodes’ is part of a larger series of events in line with the SkillsFuture Festival organised by the Singapore Bicentennial Office. Interested parties can register for events here.

Read the full article on Prof Borschberg’s talk here.