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When the financial settlement also failed to
materialize, the Sultan recruited the help of pirates to take
back the island in 1791. Unfortunately, Kedah was defeated and
the shore opposite Penang Island was also attacked by Light. The
Sultan of Kedah, was forced to further ceded a strip of mainland
(on the peninsular) to the British. This strip of land was named
Province Wellesley after the Governor of India (today called
Seberang Perai
- map of Penang). Penang soon became a British colonial
administrative centre.
Located
at the northern end of the Straits of Malacca
(Melaka), the settlement on the island of Penang grew into a port and
trading post during the 18th century,
attracting traders and settlers from far-flung corners of the
world. With trade came immigrants - Chinese, Indians, Burmese,
Europeans, Armenians, Bugis and Arabs, began settling in Penang.
During the 19th century, the East Indian Company opened Penang
to settlers, attracting Asian immigrants such as Chinese and
Indian from Kedah and other Malay States, Siamese, Bugis,
Burmese, Sumatrans, Armenians and many others. Penang was
declared a free port and developed rapidly, serving as a safe
stopover for British ships plying the Straits on the China Trade
route.
Under the British, Penang
together with Malacca
and Singapore
formed a single administrative unit called the Straits
Settlement, administered under the British Colonial Office in
India. Penang flourished and was recognized as a major trading
post for trade in spices, tea, china, and others. The island was
also famed for its clove and nutmeg, and served as a port for
the export of goods such as coconut, rubber and tin from the
surrounding mainland. However Penang lost much of her external
trade with the opening of Singapore in the later years.
In 1941, Penang and the rest of the Malay peninsular fell to the
Japanese, with the Japanese occupation lasting three years until
the British reoccupied Malaya in 1945. Penang stayed under
British Colonial rule until 1957 when it became part of the
Federation of Malaya.
Penang Today
This ingestion and fusion of different races, beliefs and
customs through the centuries have contributed to Penang's rich tradition and culture
today. The administrative capital,
George Town
is today a UNESCO World heritage site, a cosmopolitan city
with multicultural heritage.
Growth of Penang continued steadily into the 1960’s and 1970’s
and the island as a free port was a shopping haven.
Unfortunately, in 1970s, he state suffered a great loss when the
Federal Government withdrew the free port status, the island
struggled to find a new source of income – turning to
manufacturing. The industrialization programme took off with the
establishment of the country’s first Free Trade Zone at Bayan
Lepas and the hub today is a ‘Silicon Valley’ of Malaysia
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Fort Cornwallis
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Islamic Museum, Penang
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Lim Kongsi
(Chinese Clan house)
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Masjid Kapitan Keling
19th Century mosque |
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Nonya
Kebaya (clothings) of the Nyonyas (ladies) |
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Note: The Peranakans or Baba and Nonyas (as sometimes
called to)
refer to early Chinese migrants who came to the Malay peninsular from the 18th
century to 19th century. Some married Malays or are decendents of 'old' Chinese families
who assimilated many cultural practices of the Malays into
their Chinese culture. Though their cultural practices and spoken
dialect differ from that of Chinese, they are administratively not
classified as a cultural group and are classified as Chinese. (Nyonya is spelt Nonya in Singapore) |
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Cultural Heritage of Penang
Heritage sites
of Penang - Photo gallery
Penang Food
Religious
Festivals
Cultural
Festivals
Calendar of
Holidays |
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