Quora Answer: How Old is “Singapore” as a Geopolitical Concept?

The following is my answer to a Quora question: “How old is “Singapore” as a geopolitical concept?”

The old Kingdom of Singapura was founded by Sang Nila Utama in 1299.  It lasted until 1398, when it was sacked by the forces of the Sri Vijaya successor state, the Majapahit Empire.  They were led by Hayam Wuruk, their king at the height of its power.  Singapura was a Hindu kingdom then.

The last king of Singapura was Parameswara.  He fled north, and founded Melaka.  He converted to Islam and became Sultan Iskandar Shah.  When the Malaccan Sultanate fell to the Portuguese in 1511, his dynasty founded the Johor Sultanate, which also ruled Singapore.  It could be argued that the current Johor royal family are the descendants of the original Hindu kings of Singapore.

This makes Temasek, Singapura or Singapore, a lot older than most people, even Singaporeans realise.  It was always a strategic port, even from its earliest days, and fought over by the powers of the era, from the Kingdom Ayuthia and Majapahit, to the British and the Dutch, and later the Japanese.

The name “Singapura” is derived from the Sanskrit words for “lion” and “city”.  This was Anglicised to “Singapore”.  700 years later, Singapore is still known as “the Lion City”.