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The Reasons for British Intervention in Malaya: Review and Reconsideration

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  24 August 2009

E. Chew
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Extract

The publication of Dr. C. D. Cowan's Nineteenth Century Malaya in 1961 was a significant landmark in the historiography of British intervention in Malaya. His view of the reasons for intervention has shown signs of becoming the newly orthodox view of a well-known crux in Malayan historical interpretation, being given prominence in a number of recent Malayan history books. After studying the London records, he came to the conclusion that “the decision to take some action in Malaya, and if necessary to intervene in the affairs of the states, was provoked not by conditions in the Peninsula, nor by any consideration of British economic interests there, but by fear of foreign intervention.” This conclusion has since been supported by another student of the Colonial Office side of things, Dr. W. D. MacIntyre, and seems to relegate previous interpretations to the limbo of historiographical curiosities.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Southeast Asian History , Volume 6 , Issue 1 , March 1965 , pp. 81 - 93
Copyright
Copyright © The National University of Singapore 1965

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References

1. (London, Oxford University Press, 1961). Hereafter, Cowan. This book was an expansion of a Ph.D. thesis on ‘The Origins of British Political Control in Malaya, 1867–1878’ (London University, 1956).Google Scholar

2. Cf. Winstedt, R. O., A History of Malaya, Revised (Singapore, Marican, 1962), 222Google Scholar; Kennedy, J., A History of Malaya (London, Macmillan, 1962), 156–157Google Scholar; Ryan, N.J., The Making of Modern Malaya (Kuala Lumpur, OUP, 1963), 111–120Google Scholar; Gullick, J.M., Malaya (London, Benn, 1963), 35Google Scholar; and Moorhead, F. J., A History of Malaya, Vol. II (Kuala Lumpur, Longmans, 1963), 165–168.Google Scholar

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6. Swettenham, , British Malaya (London, 1906), 132Google Scholar; The Real Malay (2nd ed., London, 1907), 4, 5, 7–9Google Scholar; Footprints in Malaya (London, 1942), 30–32.Google Scholar

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9. Ibid. For Kimberley's attitude to the German threat in 1870, see MacIntyre, 55.

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19. Ibid.

20. Ord to Herbert (Private), 24/10/1872; Herbert's minute thereon (CO 273/60).

21. Minute by Kimberley (22/12/1872) on Ord to Kimberley, 6/11/1872 (CO 273/61).

22. See the minutes by Knatchbull-Hugessen (6/1/1873) and Kimberley (8/1) on Ord to Kimberley, 11/11/1872 (CO 273/61).

23. Wrongly stated by Campbell to be that for 1873. Campbell to Kimberley, 28/6/1873 (CO 273/74).

24. Campbell's Report, ibid.

25. Minute by Kimberley (7/7/1873) on Campbell's Report, ibid.

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29. See Knowles, M. I., thesis cit., 120–122Google Scholar. Cowan, , 167Google Scholar, fn. 74, discounts the importance of Read's telegraphic interests.

30. Who in fact used the pseudonym ‘An Old Resident’ when he wrote his memoirs, Play and Politics (London, 1901).Google Scholar

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32. Enclosed in letter cit. in fn. 31. Italics mine.

33. The Times, 12/7/1873, 12; cit. in Cowan, 168, fn. 76; MacIntyre, 65, fn. 77 Osborne had served in the Straits and wrote My Journal in Malayan Waters, published in London in 1857 (not in 1837 as Parkinson wrongly footnotes, 113, fn. 1).

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37. Ibid., Knatchbull-Hugessen's minute (22/7).

38. Cf. MacIntyre, , 66Google Scholar, for a perceptive glance into Knatchbull-Hugessen's mind.

39. Cowan, , 173, 174Google Scholar, writes that only after detailed memoranda on the situation in Malaya had been prepared in mid-August did Kimberley realise this.

40. See Kimberley's comments on margin of draft letter, Herbert to Lambert & Co., 5/7/1873: “F.O. have nothing to do with Salangore if, as I think, it is not connected in any way with Siam” (CO 273/74).

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42. Kimberley's minute (22/7) on S. Clarke to Herbert, 18/7/1873 (CO 273/74).

43. Ibid.

44. Herbert to S. Clarke, 5/8/1873 (CO 273/74; Parl. Pap. C. 1111, 28).

45. Memo, by Macdonald, 15/8/1873, and Kimberley/s detailed comments thereon, dated 31/8/1873, attached to the correspondence with S. Clarke.

46. See Coombs, D.The Gold Coast, Britain and the Netherlands, 1850–18174 (London. OUP, 1963), 127–131Google Scholar; and Drus, E. (Ed.), Kimberley's Journal, Camden Miscellany, XXI (London, 1958), 39–42.Google Scholar

47. Kimberley's note on draft letter, Herbert to S. Clarke, 5/8/1873.

48. The petition was not forwarded till 10 July because Ord's intention lo lay it personally before Kimberley was frustrated by the postponement of Ord's leave. Ord to Kimberley, No. 188 of 10/7/1873 (CO 273/07; Parl. Pap., C. 1111, 28–32).

49. Ibid., concluding paragraph.

50. Minute by Cox (28/8) on Ord to Kimberiey, 10/7/1873, (CO 273/07). Italics mine.

51. Ibid., original emphasis.

52. Minute by Herbert (29/8), ibid.

53. Minute by Kimberley (31/8/1873) on Orel to Kimberley, 10/7/1873, ibid.

54. Kimberley to Ord, 23/9/1873 (CO 273/67).

55. Cowan, , 169.Google Scholar

56. See above, fn. 6.

57. Kimberley to Gladstone, 10/9/1873 (Gladstone Papers, Add. MSS. 44225/103), cit. by Cowan, 169, and MacIntyre, 67.

58. Ibid., cit. by MacIntyre, loc. cit.

59. Kimberley to Clarke, 20/9/1873 (Pail. Pap. C. 1111, 38, 39).

60. Kimberley to Clarke, No. 259 of 29/11/1873., (CO 273/74).

61. There seems to be a certain ambivalence in Cowan's view (cf.169, 175, 264, 268). He seems to assign prime significance to this factor, and then to disclaim that it had this priority among the other factors.

62. Minute by Cox. 6/4/1874 (CO 273/75).