A History Of The Bugis Immigrants
GENERAL INFORMATION OF BUGIS IMMIGRANTS
- The Bugis immigrants who were traders were forced to leave their homeland due to poverty and starvation which are due to overpopulation and natural disasters. People were experiencing hunger in their homeland and could not earn enough money to feed their families. As a result, they looked for a better life elsewhere. Also, due to frequent rebellions the people left their homeland to seek a more peaceful life. Due to Singapore being safe and there being several good job prospects the Bugis immigrants were attracted to live in Singapore. The good geographical location of Singapore , the free immigration policy and the free port status attracted more Bugis traders.
- The Bugis people worked as traders and they came as maritime traders. They worked as rice farmers, traders or fishermen. The Bugis had close ties with the Arab and Indian trade networks in southeast Asia.
- There were 7 million Bugis people. The Buginesese’s diet consists of mainly rice , maize, fresh chicken, vegetables, fruit and coffee. On festive occasions goat is served as a special dish. The Bugis established a settlement in an area that extended from kampong Glam up to the Rochor River. This settlement was called Bugis town. Their living conditions were not too bad either.
- In 1847, Makassaar was converted to a free port and the lifting and the growing dominance of Western ships increased competition for the Bugis traders. As a result, of charges in Sea trade, Bugis lost their dominant maritime trading position
- The Bugis immigrants felt happy living in Singapore as they were greater job opportunities with higher wages and better living conditions that attracted people to come to Singapore.
Why did Bugis Traders come to Singapore?
The Bugis were originally farmers and their involvement in maritime activities only began in the 18th Century.this was in response to the Dutch capture of the port of Makassar, which cut the bugis off the trade in the surrounding areas.The Bugis were forced to travel by sea to other parts of the Malay archipelogo.
The jobs that the immigrants did in Singapore
The Bugis merchants had a virtual monopoly over trade with the eastern island of the malay archipelogo.
Diary:
Today:7 August 1955
Besides Bugis Town, there was also a sizable Bugis community that settled at Kampong Bugis along the estuaries of the Kallang and Rochor rivers. Other ethnic communities such as the Orang Laut (“sea people” in Malay), Baweanese and Palembang Malays also lived along the fringes of these two rivers. There are many people here especially from my origin. So far I seem to be having a good life. Basically, our diet consists of rice, maize, fish, chicken, vegetables, fruit and coffee. On festive occasions, goat is served as a special dish. See you soon diary.
Today:7 August 1955
Dear diary,
Today is my day of reckoning. At last, I have landed in this great unknown land of Singapore. Conditions on the ship was hard and I am lucky to be out alive, to say the least. Many of my other shipmates and even my fellow Bugis traders fell ill and died. Oh! 400 of us came to seek great lives but only 200 have made it alive to this country. I hope to get good trading opportunities here. I am a Bugis trader and I just wish to get good jobs here. See you soon diary.
Dear diary, Today: 14 August 1995
I haven't updated you for a rather long time and I shall do the following amendments. First of all, I am happy to say that at last I got the job of a trader in a small Bugis trading company. The job conditions are rather difficult and life here is tough. But here, I never go hungry. Only at my homeland, I go hungry. I like this place as there are higher wages with better living conditions. This is the reason why many people have come to Singapore. When I came here, I figured out that there were actually much more Bugis living here than I actually thought. they established a settlement in an area that extended from Kampong Glam up to the Rochor River. This settlement became known as Bugis Town. By 1822, the area was comprised of large compounds that were owned by 20 prominent Bugis merchants and their followers. In 1823, the Bugis were asked to relocate their town to make way for an Arab kampong (“village” in Malay). A new Bugis Town was subsequently established at Kampong Rochor in what is today the area between Lavender Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station and the Crawford housing estate.
I haven't updated you for a rather long time and I shall do the following amendments. First of all, I am happy to say that at last I got the job of a trader in a small Bugis trading company. The job conditions are rather difficult and life here is tough. But here, I never go hungry. Only at my homeland, I go hungry. I like this place as there are higher wages with better living conditions. This is the reason why many people have come to Singapore. When I came here, I figured out that there were actually much more Bugis living here than I actually thought. they established a settlement in an area that extended from Kampong Glam up to the Rochor River. This settlement became known as Bugis Town. By 1822, the area was comprised of large compounds that were owned by 20 prominent Bugis merchants and their followers. In 1823, the Bugis were asked to relocate their town to make way for an Arab kampong (“village” in Malay). A new Bugis Town was subsequently established at Kampong Rochor in what is today the area between Lavender Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) station and the Crawford housing estate.
Besides Bugis Town, there was also a sizable Bugis community that settled at Kampong Bugis along the estuaries of the Kallang and Rochor rivers. Other ethnic communities such as the Orang Laut (“sea people” in Malay), Baweanese and Palembang Malays also lived along the fringes of these two rivers. There are many people here especially from my origin. So far I seem to be having a good life. Basically, our diet consists of rice, maize, fish, chicken, vegetables, fruit and coffee. On festive occasions, goat is served as a special dish. See you soon diary.
The End
in the past before Singapore gained independence in 1965
Done by: Naveen, Neeraj, Rushaan, Zhen Hao, Raaseth
