1299 is based on the stories of the Malay kingdom as recorded in the Sejarah Melayu, or the Malay Annals, often hailed as an important literary work of the Malay world.
Penned in the Malay classical form of the hikayat, this 17th century manuscript comprises a series of episodes and anecdotes about the Melaka court and its continuation in the Johor court. It begins with the story of Sang Nila Utama, a prince from Palembang, and records the genealogy and reign of the descendant kings. Like most hikayats of royal genealogies, Sejarah Melayu has the purpose of legitimising the rule of a king, namely, the Sultan of Johor. The use of fantastical stories and legends is also thought to embolden the sacred nature of the king.
The Lion
According to the Malay Annals, Sang Nila Utama (also known as Sri Tri Buana) and his charges set sail from Bintan in the Riau Islands for the white sandy shores of Temasek.
While venturing inland for sport, Sang Nila Utama saw a strange animal that seemed to move with great speed. It had a red body, a black head, a white breast and a strong build. Having been told that it resembled a lion, an auspicious sign, Sang Nila Utama decided to establish a city there, giving it the name Singapura, or “lion city”. Historians note that the sighting of the lion was likely a way to explain Sang Nila Utama intention to re-establish the “lion-throne” and his divine authority as “Lord of Three Worlds”, and to shift his divine and historic ancestral line from Palembang to Singapore.
Fort Canning Hill
A recurrent landmark across all three animated shorts is Fort Canning Hill, otherwise known to nineteenth-century Malays as Bukit Larangan or “Forbidden Hill”, because of the spirits of the old rulers they believed to still roam the hill. This hill would have been the ideal symbolic representation of the Mount Patola of Avalokitesvara for Sang Nila Utama to relocate his “lion-throne”.
Badang the Strongman
Another story featured in 1299 is that of Badang the strongman. According to one version of the folklore, Badang was a slave who acquired supernatural strength by eating the vomit of a water spirit he caught. His strength caught the attention of King Seri Rana Wikrama, who appointed him as the commander of his army. Later, Badang bested the champion of a rival kingdom in South India when he hurled a heavy rock from the king’s palace to the mouth of the Singapore River. The rock is today known as the Singapore Stone, fragments of which are on display at the National Museum of Singapore.
The Garfish Attack
The legend of the child who saved Singapore from a relentless attack by shoals of garfish is also said to have given two places in modern Singapore their names, Tanjong Pagar (“fenced cape”) and Bukit Merah (“red hill”). When news of a garfish attack reached the king, he ordered his men to form a “human wall” to stop the garfishes from reaching inland. This resulted in huge casualties, until a child suggested to the king constructing a wall made from plantain stems instead. The plan worked to perfection and the attack ceased with little lives lost. That place came to be known as Tanjong Pagar. Sadly, the king’s advisers feared that the child could one day outwit the king. They thus ordered for the killing of the child on a hill. It is said that the child’s blood turned the soil crimson, and the hill was named Bukit Merah.
Iskandar Shah and the Fall of Singapura
Last is the story of Iskandar Shah, the last king of Singapura. After ruling for three years, Shah had to abdicate his throne in 1389. His fall was attributed to an act of revenge after he publicly humiliated one of his concubines. Her father, a royal minister, opened the city gates for the neighbouring Majapahit Empire to invade Singapura.
The Malay Annals tell of a fierce battle where ‘so many were killed that blood flowed like a river and flooded the fort of Singapore onto the sea shore’.
Shah was forced to abandon his port-city to incoming Javanese forces. He fled north through the jungles to the mouth of the Bertam River. There, he established a new port-city called Melaka.
Credit is often given to Sir Stamford Raffles when it comes to the establishment of modern Singapore. However, behind the scenes, Major William Farquhar also helped to lay the groundwork for this fledgling trading post to flourish.
The British first arrived on Singapore’s shores on 28 January 1819. On 6 February 1819, Raffles and Farquhar signed a formal treaty with the Temenggong and Tengku Long. At that time, many inhabitants comprising Orang Laut, the Temenggong’s entourage and Chinese workers were already present on the island. The signing of this treaty allowed for a British trading post to be officially established in Singapore.
Farquhar and His Contributions to Singapore
As the first Resident of Singapore, Farquhar came up with pragmatic ways to generate revenue while maintaining a free port. This included the provision of gambling, alcohol and opium den licenses. Farquhar also harnessed his strong reputation as a good administrator and his understanding of the practices of a traditional Malay port – a skill he developed from his time in Melaka as its Resident. His popularity attracted large numbers of Melakans to come to Singapore for trade.
Farquhar also welcomed the Bugis Chieftain Arong Bilawa, who had fled from the Riau Islands after clashes with the Dutch. Bilawa brought along a group of 500 Bugis to settle in Singapore, and soon the island became the centre of Bugis trade in the western part of the Malay Archipelago.
Farquhar’s Dismissal and Departure
However, Farquhar’s method of governance rankled Raffles, who was upset with the continued presence of slavery and debt bondage, irregular land allotment, and Farquhar’s apparent favouritism towards his own family members. Raffles was also displeased that Farquhar had allowed the Malay chiefs including Sultan Hussein and the Temenggong to retain certain rights.
But Farquhar challenged Raffles’ claims and made known his contributions in developing Singapore as a trading settlement. Unmoved, Raffles dismissed Farquhar in 1823. Upset over his firing, Farquhar returned home to Scotland.
Until this day, this dispute has not been resolved. While Farquhar was eventually promoted to the rank of Major-General in 1837, he never found the justice he sought. He died on 11 May 1839. On his gravestone, it is written that he ‘founded’ Singapore.
