British policy towards the Chinese in the Straits Settlements: protection and control, 1877-1900 (with special reference to Singapore)

Abstract

This dissertation is basically an examination of the development and formulation of British policy, in terms of protection and control, towards the ethnic Chinese in the Straits Settlements during the third quarter of the nineteenth century. An attempt is also made to evaluate that policy. The British had established themselves in the Straits primarily for commercial and economic objectives and had encouraged large scale Chinese immigration as a means of developing their newly acquired possessions. However as soon as the Chinese population reached a significant number problems of a complex nature emerged. The colonial authorities had had little experience in governing an alien population whose customs, traditions, systems and methods they had no conception of. There was cause for concern when it was realised that unless the Chinese were governed in an effective and knowledgeable manner, they could pose a threat to British presence in the area. One result of this concern was the establishment of the Chinese Protectorate which in general proved to be an especially effective government agency of control. Another result was the establishment of the Chinese Consulate which was conceived originally as a valuable ally in the containment of unruly Chinese elements. The irony of this assumption was that the consulate's activities developed to the detriment of British interests and became suspect. A major part of this study is the analysis of British reaction to the problems posed by the Chinese. A successful British policy would have had far-reaching implications and importance but the issues involved were only partially resolved and the situation was to deteriorate in the 1920s and 1930s.