<P> In 1818 , Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles was appointed Lieutenant Governor of the British colony at Bencoolen . Raffles believed that the British should find a way to challenge the dominance of the Dutch in the area . The trade route between China and British India passed through the Malacca Strait , and with the growing trade with China , that route would become increasingly important . However , the Dutch had tight control over the trade in the region and intended to enforce the exclusive rights of its company ships to trade , and that trade should be conducted at its entrepot Batavia . British trading ships were heavily taxed at Dutch ports , stifling British trade in the region . </P>
<P> In 1818 , Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles was appointed Lieutenant Governor of the British colony at Bencoolen . Raffles believed that the British should find a way to challenge the dominance of the Dutch in the area . The trade route between China and British India passed through the Malacca Strait , and with the growing trade with China , that route would become increasingly important . However , the Dutch had tight control over the trade in the region and intended to enforce the exclusive rights of its company ships to trade , and that trade should be conducted at its entrepot Batavia . British trading ships were heavily taxed at Dutch ports , stifling British trade in the region . </P>
why did raffles establish a settlement in singapore
why did raffles establish a settlement in singapore
to challenge the dominance of the Dutch in the area
to challenge the dominance of the Dutch in the area