A Map of the Kingdoms of Siam and Cochin China

This large map shows modern Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Laos and Cambodia. It was published to illustrate John Crawfurd's diplomatic journey from Bangkok into the Siamese States in Northern Malaysia as far South as Queda (the modern Kedah Sultanate).

It was during this mission that John Crawfurd concluded the negotiations with the Sultan of Johor allowing the British East India Company to establish the Straits Settlements on the Island of Singapore. These negotiations had been initiated by Stamford Raffles in 1819 and concluded by Crawfurd in 1824, sealing the "Crawfurd Treaty". During his mission, Crawfurd also kept in constant touch with his superiors in the British East India Company and his findings influenced the terms of the Anglo-Dutch Treaty (also known as The Treaty of London) in 1824, regulating European spheres of influence in the Far East.

Crawfurd was sent on another important mission to Burma (Myanmar) in 1826 and upon its successful conclusion, he returned to Scotland where he began a forty year career in writing, cataloguing and lobbying as well as becoming a prolific producer of pamphlets. He stood for parliament unsuccessfully several times on a platform with a radical agenda for the time including universal suffrage. He was an authority on Far Eastern affairs, with his opinion being sought for a diverse collection of matters including the areas for settlement in Australia and the viability of the Singapore Dollar as an independent currency. In 1868, the last year of his life, he founded and became the first president of the Straits Settlements Association, a lobby established to protect and promote the interests of the colony. The Association lasted until the end of World War II when it was renamed as the Singapore Association. SL [SEAS5030]