Sang Nila Utama and the Founding of Singapura

The story of the man who founded a kingdom and greatly influenced the future of Malaya.

Introduction

Sang Nila Utama was born sometime towards the late 13th century in Palembang, Sumatra. For centuries, the city was the capital of the Srivijayan Empire, a long time superpower in South East Asia. However, by the time of Sang Nila’s birth, the empire was in decline and had been declining since the 11th century.

The empire and its vassals once encompassed most of Java, Malaya, Sumatra, parts of Borneo, Thailand and numerous islands in the east indies. But by Sang Nila’s time, only Palembang and some vassals in Sumatra and Malaya were left. It is this climate, Sang Nila grew up in, one where powerful nations like the Jambi and Singhasari and others were dismantling his nation’s power.

Sang Nila’s Father, Sang Suparba had married the daughter of the Srivijayan King and was given the thrown. This new king had ambitions to rebuild Srivijaya’s lost power, was an avid adventurer and even claimed that he descended from Alexander the Great. Such a mystique likely influenced his son, Sang Nila to strive to be the same.

Likely in his teenage years, Sang Nila witnessed his father strengthen ties with China by marrying off his sister to a Chinese prince. In this era, the…