It is well known that Tamil is one of the official languages in Singapore because of the large population of people of Indian origin who made the island their home over the last few hundred years. But did you know that the very name ‘Singapore’ comes from ‘Singha’ and ‘pura’ (‘The City of Lions’), underlining the country’s India connection? And the earliest reference to this comes from the 13th century.

The 15th century annals of the Malay kings, Sejarah Melayu, tells the story of the founding of Singapore and its connection with a legendary king named Shulan from Kalinga!

One of the most comprehensive accounts of Singapore’s early history is by noted archaeologist and historian, John N Miksic, from the National University of Singapore. In his book Singapore And The Silk Road of the Sea 1300-1800 (2013), Miksic mentions how even historically, the importance of Singapore stemmed from its strategic geographic location, at the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula.

For centuries, the Malay Peninsula, Singapore and the Sunda Islands (in Indonesia) acted as an important confluence of Chinese and Indian cultures in South-East Asia. The winds from the Indian Ocean brought traders from India carrying cottons, muslin, metal-ware and incense, while the winds from the South China Sea brought Chinese merchants trading in silk, damask, porcelain and pottery. Miksic refers to this trade as the ‘The Silk Route of the Seas’.