Compendia Entries on Singapore and the Straits Region from the 16th to the Early 19th Century

Abstract

Abstract:During the early modern period in Europe, educated circles drew on dictionaries, lexicons, encyclopaedias, grammars, geographies, and cosmographies to understand the world in which they lived. These compendia built on information found in earlier publications of the same sort, supplemented by new details provided by traders and travellers with first-hand knowledge of different parts of the world. This article examines knowledge about Singapore and the Straits region circulating in Europe between circa 1511 and 1819, focusing on compendia entries touching on the Straits region, especially Singapore, Melaka, Johor, and Bintan. It traces the evolution of compendium knowledge as it moves through cycles of accumulation, transformation, and de-contextualization.