Penang History
How it all Began
Penang History. Penang was originally a part of the Kedah Sultanate. The Chinese refered to it as Binlang Xu. The locals named it after the betel nut or "pinang" in Malay.
It was also called Pulau Ka-Satu or "First Island" by the early settlers. It was also called "Pearl of the Orient" or "Pulau Mutiara".
The Coming of the British
During the 18th century, the British were very keen to establish a naval port along the lucrative spice and opium route.
Captain Francis Light
On 11th August 1876, Captain Francis Light of the East India Company, took possession of the the Island of Penang from Sultan Abdullah, the ruler of Kedah, with the agreement that they were required to provide the sultanate protection from Siamese and Burmese forces.
However, Light had acted without the consent of the East India Company when he promised military protection. Thus, the British never honored the agrement.
When the Sultan attempted to regain the island, he was defeated, and had to ceed part of the mainland on the peninsula, to the British. That piece of land on the peninsula was named Province Wellesley, after the Duke of Wellington, Arthur Wellesley.
Payment of Honorarium Till This Day
A treaty was sighed by the Sultan and the British in 1781. An honorarium of 6,000 Spanish dollars per annum was paid to the Sultan. It was later increased to 10,000 dollars. The Malaysian Federal Government continues to pay to the state of Kedah RM10,000 annually to this day.
Fort Cornwallis
Fort Cornwallis, named after the Lt. General Marquis de Cornwallis, was built at the landing site of Francis Light to defend the island from attack.
Francis Light named the island Prince of Wales Island, in honor of Prince George, the heir of Great Britain. The Union Jack was raised and it represented the begining of British rule in what later became known as Malaya.
The Prostestant Cemetary
Light served as the first Superintendent of the Prince of Wales Island until his death at the age of 54. He died on 21st. October 1794, probably due to malaria. He was buried at the Protestant cemetery at Northam Road (now renamed Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah). He was survived by Martina Rozells, a local Eurasian of Portuguese descent.
The early settlers were affected by malaria, earning it the reputation "the White Man's Grave".
Straits Settlement of Penang, Melaka and Singapore
It was the capital of the Straits Settlement which comprised of Penang, Melaka and Singapore.
The economy boomed during the 19th. century under the powerful British Empire. It was linked to many important ports and became one of the most important and busiest port of call in the region.
It became the centre of export for rubber, tin and many other commodities. It witnessed spectacular development and progress.
Georgetown Becomes a City
In 1957 Georgetown became the first city in Malaysia to attain a city status.
It was a duty free island until 1969.
It later became the largest electronics manufacturer in Asia.
Georgetown a UNESCO World Heritage Site
On 7 July 2008, George Town was formally recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Being recognized as having a unique architectural and cultural townscape without parallel anywhere in world.
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war museum Not rated yet
It was at Bukit Batu Maung, on the southern part of Pulau Pinang that the battle against the invading Japanese army was lost. In the 1930, a formidable …
war museum Not rated yet
It was at Bukit Batu Maung, on the southern part of Pulau Pinang that the battle against the invading Japanese army was lost. In the 1930, a formidable …
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