Singapore’s early immigrants came mainly from the Malay Peninsula, China, the Indian sub-continent and Sri Lanka.
The Malays
The original people of Singapore were made up mostly of Malays from the Malay Peninsula and Archipelago, and included the Bugis. The Malays were largely involved in agriculture or, before Raffles, were camp followers of the Temenggong (Defence Minister) of the Sultan of Johor.
The Chinese
The first Chinese immigrants came from Riau and Melaka (Malacca), many belonging to the distinct Baba community (also known as Straits-born Chinese). In February 1821, the first junk from Amoy, China, arrived and others soon followed.
The Hokkiens from Fujian province formed the largest group. Others included the Cantonese from Guangdong; the nomadic Hakkas or Khehs from northern Guangdong; the Teochews from Shantou; the Kwongsais from Guangxi; the Hokchius from Fuzhou and the Hainanese from Hainan Island. Most of these Chinese immigrants were poor farmers, labourers or craftsmen.
The Indians
The first Indians came from Penang and Malacca. Others migrated from the Coromandel and Malabar coasts of Southern India (mainly from today’s states of Madras and Kerala). They also came from Gujarat, Punjab, Sind, Bengal and Sri Lanka.
The early Indians were mostly soldiers or camp followers; a few were merchants. Labourers were brought in later by the British for construction work. Others worked as clerks, teachers, traders and money-lenders.
The Europeans
Apart from the British, most Europeans came as professionals. They brought their families with them and while many left for home eventually, others settled down and became citizens.
Other Ethnic Groups
These include the Eurasians, who are descendants of Europeans (mainly the Portuguese) who had married Asians. There were also a few Arab families who came as traders and eventually married Malays.
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