The Life of Sir Stamford Raffles

Demetrius Charles de Kavanagh Boulger

• Publisher: Bonhopai Books
• Year: 2025
• Topic: History
• eBook ISBN:
  9781779791542
• Subtopic: Chinese History
• Index: History

Demetrius Charles de Kavanagh Boulger's definitive biography of Sir Stamford Raffles illuminates the remarkable life and complex legacy of one of Britain's most visionary colonial administrators. Best known as the founder of modern Singapore, Raffles was far more than a builder of empire—he was a scholar, reformer, and humanist whose deep engagement with Southeast Asia helped shape British imperial policy in the region. Boulger chronicles Raffles's rise from modest beginnings in the British East India Company to his roles in Penang, Java, and Sumatra, culminating in the establishment of Singapore in 1819. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Raffles advocated for education, religious tolerance, and the preservation of indigenous cultures—positions that set him apart within the often exploitative machinery of empire. His love for natural history, archaeology, and the arts led to the founding of the London Zoo and the Raffles Library. Yet his career was also marked by personal loss, political opposition, and financial difficulty. Drawing from personal letters, official records, and firsthand accounts, Boulger presents a man both idealistic and pragmatic, whose blend of Enlightenment values and imperial ambition continues to shape Southeast Asian history. This biography is essential reading for anyone interested in colonialism, British diplomacy, and the roots of modern Singapore.

Table of contents

• Title page
• TABLE OF CONTENTS
• DEDICATION
• LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
• MAPS, ETC.
• INTRODUCTION
• CHAPTER I—EARLY LIFE AND FIRST MARRIAGE
• CHAPTER II—PRINCE OF WALES’S ISLAND
• CHAPTER III—MALACCA
• CHAPTER IV—THE JAVA EXPEDITION
• CHAPTER V—THE CONQUEST OF JAVA
• CHAPTER VI—THE BRITISH ADMINISTRATION OF JAVA
• CHAPTER VII—GILLESPIE’S CHARGES
• CHAPTER VIII—RETURN TO ENGLAND
• CHAPTER IX—SUMATRA
• CHAPTER X—THE FOUNDING OF SINGAPORE
• CHAPTER XI—THE LAST RETURN HOME
• CHAPTER XII—CLOUDS AND DEATH