Worst Riot in Singapore History. Five Catties of Rice Riot, 1854

Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

While researching the origins of Singapore food, I stumbled upon a little known or forgotten episode in Singapore history - the Hokkien-Teochew riots of 1854. It was the deadliest riot in Singapore history with over 500 people killed in 10 days of fighting.



I had thought that Chinese immigrants from Guangzhou and Fujian in the mid-1800s were only fleeing chaos and poverty in the Qing dynasty's dying days. This was correct in most cases - the majority were just ordinary folks seeking a better life in British Malaya. But, there were also some political refugees such as members of Short Sword Society 小刀会 (known also as Dagger Society or Small Knife Society) after their failed rebellion against the Qing dynasty.



The Qing dynasty violently ended the Ming dynasty in 1644 but Ming loyalists had never given up resistance to Manchu rule (the Qings were Manchurians).


The Small Sword Society 小刀会 (Dagger Society) was founded in Xiamen (Fujian, China) in 1850 by Singapore born, British subject 陈庆真. The Small Sword Society was one of many similar anti-Qing organisations formed by Ming dynasty loyalists since the Ming fell to the Qing nearly 200 years before (in 1644). So, the Small Sword Society was affiliated or at least supportive of brethren organisations like Heaven and Earth Society 天地會, White Lotus Society 白蓮會, etc.



Small Sword Society joined the Taiping Rebellion (1850 - 1864) led by God Worship Society 拜上帝会 to oust the Qing dynasty to establish a Taiping Heavenly Kingdom 太平天国. About 20-30 million people lost their lives during the Taiping Rebellion.

Yu Gardens. Image credit: Wikipedia

In 1853, Small Sword Society captured Shanghai and declared 大明国 Great Ming State based in Yu Gardens. In 1855, the Qing army supported by French, British and American troops destroyed the Small Sword Society forces and re-captured Shanghai.

The founder of Small Sword Society, 陈庆真 was killed in Xiamen in 1851. Some of the Society's remnants fled to Singapore between May and Dec 1853 - about 20,000 came in a fleet of 22 war junks.

Pepper plantation. Image credit: National Archives of Singapore

The Small Sword Society came to Singapore at a time when tensions were already high between Hokkiens and Teochews over control of gambier and pepper plantations as well as in commerce. The Teochews who had long been established in gambier and pepper plantations even before the arrival of Raffles (in 1819) found themselves edged out by newly arrived Hokkiens who were outnumbering the Teochews. Hokkiens were about to eclipse Teochews in the economy and influence.

Image credit: Wikipedia

The spark was a dispute between a Hokkien shopkeeper and a Teochew customer on 5 May 1854. At that time, there was a shortage of rice due to reduced imports from Java (Indonesia). The Teochew customer accused the Hokkien shopkeeper of cheating on weight. Hence, the riot was also called the Five Catties of Rice Riot.

Bystanders jumped in on the dispute according to their dialect identities and matters quickly got out of hand. Hokkien and Teochew factions within the Ngee Heng Society 義興會 took sides. So did fresh off the boat Small Sword Society 小刀会 members. The fighting quickly spread from the city to rural Singapore including Bukit Timah, Paya Lebar and Siglap.


As the situation was widespread and grave, the British authorities mobilised the sepoys (Indian troops under British employ), Royal Marines, and Special Constables (i.e. European volunteers) to support the Police. The Temenggong of Johor also provided 200 soldiers. It took more than 10 days before order was restored. By then, at least 500 people were dead.

After the riots, the British introduced laws to bring societies such as Ngee Heng etc under greater control. The Peace Preservation Act (known also as the banishment act) of 1867 gave the colonial government the power to deport Chinese immigrants convicted of crime. In 1869, the Dangerous Societies Suppression Ordinance required societies to be registered. This ordinance gave the colonial government power to investigate any society that was deemed dangerous to public peace.

The Volunteer Rifle Corps was formed to reinforce the Police.



The Office of the Chinese Protectorate was established in 1877. The job of the Chinese Protector was a difficult, onerous one. He was responsible for matters relating to coolies, prostitution, gambling, venereal diseases, street hawkers, and served as mediator between societies, and between the government and societies. The first Chinese Protector William Pickering narrowly escaped assassination for "interfering in Chinese affairs".

Reference:

Opium and Empire: Chinese Society in Colonial Singapore, 1800-1910

Date: 28 Jun 2020