Rise of Temasek

1. Before I begin…
• Items traded by the different merchants
before the 14th Century.
• Why Maritime Kingdoms were able to prosper
before the 14th Century.

2. Today you will learn:
Reasons for the Rise of Temasek in the
14th Century

3. How does one
assess that a
country has risen?
Thinking point
Reasons for the Rise of
Temasek in the 14th Century
We base our assessment on a set
of criterion, primarily WEALTH &
POPULATION.

4. Reasons for the Rise of Temasek in the
14th Century (p58-60)
A) Fall of
the
kingdom of
Srivijaya
B) Temasek
as an
entrepot
C)Monsoons
on Temasek
The above reasons
contributed to the increased
in WEALTH & POPULATION.

5. • Srivijaya had controlled
trade in Sumatra
• In the 13th century, the
kingdom collapsed due
to persistant raids from
the Chola empire, an
empire in India.
• As a result, traders
shifted their activities
from the Sunda Straits
to the Straits of
Melaka- The route was
also nearer to China
Reason A - Fall of the Kingdom of Srivijaya (p58)

6. Artefacts from the Kingdom of
Srivijaya

7. • Entrepot – meant that Temasek
acted as a regional centre for
the collection and distribution of
goods
• Traded in speciality goods that
came from Temasek’s rich
hinterland
• Acted as midway meeting point
for traders from the Middle East,
India and China to exchange
their goods
– Traders did not have to travel
long distances to each other’s
countries to trade
Reason B - Temasek as an entrepot (p59)

8. Reason C – Advantages of Monsoons (p60)
Monsoon winds enabled traders to sail from
their own countries to different ports in Asia
Traders found Temasek to be a convenient
location to carry out trade while waiting for
monsoon wind patterns to change.
The rise of the “Middlemen”
– Agents of traders stationed in Temasek
– Collected goods from one group of traders
and exchanged them for goods from
another group` of traders.
How did the rise of
middlemen
contribute to the rise
of Temasek?
A typical ship from
the 14th century

9. Illustration
Temasek
Middlemen

10. In Closing
Take a notepad each and pen
down:
i. 3 reasons for the rise of
Temasek.
ii. 2 criterion to assess the rise
of a nation.
iii. 1 thing you are still unsure
about.
• Stick notepad on the table
before you leave.