Statement of the Services of Sir Stamford Raffles

Statement Of The Services Of Sir Stamford Raffles by Thomas Stamford Raffles. This primary-source memorial presents Raffles’s own account of his official services as Agent to the Governor-General with the Malay States, from 1810 to his relinquishing command in Sumatra, and the circumstances surrounding his 1824 appeal to the Court of Directors. The work surveys his Java campaign, the administration and reform of Java’s government, the introduction of a land-revenue system, the abolition of slavery where feasible, and the improvements in law, order, statistics, and public works. It also recounts his governance in Sumatra at Fort Marlbro’ and Bencoolen, the Singapore settlement, and the strategic rationale behind British expansion in the East Indies. Throughout, Raffles defends his methods against criticism, emphasizes the benefits of British philanthropy and commerce, cites administrative reports and surveys, and argues for recognition of his public services by the Court and the advancement of British interests in the archipelago.