Dig deeper into the captivating history of British monarchs in Southeast Asia in this engaging video! Join us as we delve into the intriguing narratives of how British influence shaped the region. From the colonial era to present-day relations, we explore the significant events, monarchs, and their impact on Southeast Asian countries. Gain a comprehensive understanding of this fascinating historical journey and its relevance in today's interconnected world. Don't miss out on this enthralling exploration of the British monarchy in Southeast Asia. Subscribe now to our channel for more exciting historical content!

Video Transcript / Subtitles:( AI generated. About AI subtitles » )

* AI ("Artificial Intelligence") subtitles on Tagalog.com are generated using "Whisper" by OpenAI (the same company that created ChatGPT and DallE2). Results and accuracy may vary.
* The subtitles do include errors occasionally and should only be used as a tool to help with your listening practice.
* You can request this website to create a transcript for a video if one doesn't already exist by clicking the "Request AI Subtitles" button below a video. Transcribing usually takes 30-40% of the length of a video to complete if there are no other videos in the queue. For example, a 21 minute video will take 7-8 minutes to transcribe.
* Running a super fast cloud GPU server to do these transcriptions does cost money. If you have the desire and financial ability, consider becoming a patron to support these video transcriptions, and the other tools and apps built by Tagalog.com

So upon his coronation, King Charles III ascended to the throne as the King of the United Kingdom and the head of the British Commonwealth.

And he is the first new monarch to hold these offices in over 70 years.

This meant that Charles III has additional roles and responsibilities in many parts of the world,

in places where the British monarch remains the head of state of former colonies,

or at least the nominal head of the Commonwealth, of which so many countries are members.

And perhaps unknown to many, Southeast Asia is one such region where Charles III will have a complicated role amongst many nations,

with deep historical ties to Britain.

And in today's video, we will look at the chronology of English and British monarchs

and the roles they played in Southeast Asia over the centuries, from the 1600s to the present day.

Mabuhay, or in Kapampangan, Luwid Kayo!

Welcome back to my channel to another history video.

It's me, Kirby Arroyo, your friendly Pinoy historian.

And if you are new to my channel and you like learning about history, culture, and everything in between,

from the Philippines, Southeast Asia, and beyond,

don't forget to like, share this video, comment down below, and please subscribe.

But before we continue with today's topic, here's a few reminders.

Today's video is just a brief overview of the British Crown and the British Empire in Southeast Asia,

between the 1600s to the present day.

So check out the links below for a list of sources and recommended readings to learn more.

And also, if there's anything that I missed or anything that you want to add,

please let us know in the comments below.

Let us all learn from one another.

And for those of you who would like to support my channel and my research,

please be my patron on Patreon, be a member of my YouTube channel,

or get copies of any of my books, coloring books, and ebooks,

or any of the merch linked down below.

Now, back to our topic, back to the English and British monarchs in the history of Southeast Asia,

let's start with the formidable Virgin Queen, Elizabeth I.

Now, although English knowledge of Southeast Asia was only beginning to emerge at the time,

as you know, the Europeans first began exploring beyond India into the East Indies

and the South China Sea, or what is now Southeast Asia,

the first English monarch who could be said to have played a role in Southeast Asia

was Queen Elizabeth I, who ruled England between 1558 and 1603.

Elizabeth's long reign saw the first emergence of a desire amongst England's colonial theorists

and mercantile community to begin building an overseas empire,

one which would make England into a great nation,

just like what Spain had become with its vast territorial empire in the Americas and the Pacific.

Thus, it was that in the 1600s that the English East India Company was established in London

and given a royal charter by the Queen.

The following year, the company sent an expedition under Sir James Lancaster aboard the Red Dragon,

which visited the East Indies, or what is now Southeast Asia,

and returned with a very rich bounty therefrom.

And this allowed the East India Company to begin setting up trading stations

on the islands of Bantam and Java, in what is now Indonesia,

to manage the English involvement in the lucrative spice trade between Southeast Asia and the world.

King James VI of Scotland succeeded the childless Elizabeth I as King of England in 1603.

He would rule England, Scotland, and Ireland as the first British monarch in history.

And during his reign, English overseas colonial activity expanded dramatically,

with the first permanent settlements established in North America

around what are now Virginia and New England.

Now, in Southeast Asia, these years saw the English East India Company

continuing to send out small fleets annually to trade in the East Indies.

These were very lucrative, though they had to contend with foreign aggressors,

like the Portuguese and the Dutch,

who had already established themselves in the region in the 1500s.

And they were anxious to keep competition out.

Thus, for instance, we find the East India Company fighting a Portuguese contingent

at the Battle of Suwali in the Indian Ocean back in 1612,

when the shipping routes to Southeast Asia became a battleground in the Spice Wars.

Meanwhile, the East India Company established its first trading stations

and bases in the Bengal region of India in 1615.

And British expansion in India would provide the basis

for a further eastward expansion into the region we now call Southeast Asia

in the decades and centuries to come.

Now, the reign of Charles II, who ruled from 1660 to 1685,

is notable in terms of English and British activity in Southeast Asia,

because this was a period of pronounced tension between England

and the Dutch Republic for the dominance of world trade.

Now, much of this concerned the Atlantic trade,

but some of it actually related to Southeast Asia,

particularly the control over the nutmeg and mace trade from the island of Rhone.

England would eventually emerge victorious in the Anglo-Dutch Wars.

But while the Dutch lost their territories in North America

and their dominant position as the major mercantile power of Europe,

they retained control of much of the East Indies,

particularly what are now the islands of Indonesia.

James II succeeded his brother Charles in 1685,

but it would be a brief reign because he was removed from power in 1689

due to his adherence to the Roman Catholic faith.

Now, despite the brevity of his tenure,

his reign is actually notable in terms of English involvement in Southeast Asia

for the Anglo-Siamese War, which broke out in 1687.

And this was effectively a clash between the English East India Company

and the Kingdom of Siam or Ayodhya in what is now Thailand.

And it was a war over trading rights in the region

and the pirate attacks on the English merchants traveling to and from the Spice Islands.

Now, the war eventually fizzled out as both Ayodhya and England

were hit by their own civil wars back at home in the late 1680s.

The first half of the 18th century or the 1700s

saw little change in the effective functioning of British involvement in Southeast Asia.

But the reign of George II from 1727 to 1760 was important in one way.

The last years of his reign saw the English East India Company

and its famous commander, Robert Clive,

begin making a series of astonishing military conquests across the subcontinent of India.

And this formed the basis for the rapid expansion of the British rule

across India and the surrounding regions in the decades that followed.

And as British rule expanded in India,

their designs on Southeast Asia became more ambitious.

The long reign of George III between 1760 and 1820

was immensely important in the history of British involvement in Southeast Asia.

For instance, in the 1770s, the English East India Company instructed

one of their senior explorers and employees, Captain Francis Light,

to form new trade links with the Malay Peninsula

as the company sought to expand their trade eastwards into Southeast Asia.

Captain Francis Light subsequently came upon the island of Penang

off the northwest coast of the Malay Peninsula

and recommended that it should be colonized.

Now, this plan was duly initiated in 1786

with the town of Georgetown established here,

forming the first major British colonial enclave in Southeast Asia

and beginning the British conquest of Malaysia.

The Napoleonic Wars allowed the British to interfere with the Dutch colonies in Southeast Asia.

And in 1811, the British captured the island of Java.

And finally, in 1819, a British colonial official,

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles,

began establishing a trading settlement on the island of Singapore,

marking the beginnings of the present-day independent city-state of Singapore.

Now, for my Filipino subscribers,

it was also during this reign that

the British invasion and occupation of Manila in 1762 occurred

during the Seven Years' War,

marking a pivotal moment in the region's history,

one that left a lasting impact on the Philippines.

While the British occupation of Manila was, you know, pretty short,

lasting only two years,

it was characterized by a brutal and exploitative regime

that saw the pillaging, looting, and plundering of Manila's wealth and cultural heritage.

The British forces were notorious for their indiscriminate violence

against the local population,

resulting in a legacy of resentment and trauma

that persisted long after the British had left.

The invasion also disrupted the social and economic fabric of the region,

causing lasting harm to local communities.

Thus, the legacy of the British occupation of Manila

is a reminder of the impact of colonialism

and the ongoing need to address the historical injustices

inflicted upon colonized people.

So if you want to learn more about this topic,

check out my series, my two-part series

on the British occupation and invasion of Manila.

And, you know, find out the answer what it would've been like

if the Philippines remained a British colony.

But for now, let's jump back in time, back to the 1800s.

The son of George III became King George IV in 1820,

and his would be a brief reign,

lasting only until 1830,

as he was already 57 years of age at the time of his accession.

However, it was also notable in terms of British colonization in Southeast Asia

for the First Anglo-Burmese War which broke out in 1824

and ended in 1826,

with the Burmese Empire effectively relinquishing control

of much of the coastal region of Burma or modern-day Myanmar

southwards towards Thailand to the British Empire.

Now, one of the most famous British monarchs in history

was none other than Queen Victoria.

It is hard to underestimate the significance of the reign of Queen Victoria,

who ruled the British Empire for over six decades,

between 1837 and 1901.

So what exactly was her involvement in Southeast Asia?

At the very outset of her long reign,

British efforts to expand into Southeast Asian markets and East Asian markets,

you know, to offload excess opium from India,

which by the late 1830s was almost entirely

under the control of the English East India Company,

led to a war with the Qing Dynasty of China.

And the First Opium War between 1839 and 1842

saw the British forcing China to open its ports,

leading to the British annexation of Hong Kong,

which they began developing as their main port and base in the region.

And then, as Victoria's reign matured,

the European powers and the United States

entered into a new age of aggressive imperialism,

in which they began a race to conquer and annex

all of those parts of the world which remained outside of Western control.

Britain was in a position to consolidate its control over the region,

although Siam remained one of the few non-European nations in the world

which avoided direct colonial rule.

And we can talk more about this in future videos,

so let me know in the comments below.

British Malaya was created as a new colony in 1867.

Elsewhere in the East Indies,

the North Borneo Chartered Company was founded in 1881

with the goal of securing the rights to exploit

the natural resources of North Borneo.

And thus, trading concessions and charters were acquired

from the Sultan of Sulu and the Sultan of Brunei.

And so, for decades to come,

North Borneo would be ruled as a semi-private colony

by the North Borneo Chartered Company.

Although, with some oversight from the British government.

Three years later in 1884,

the British government acquired a stake in the territory of Papua,

which covered much of the southeast of the island of New Guinea.

And it was formed into an official colony in 1888.

Through all of this,

the British acquired extensive access to oil,

teak,

timber,

and rubber deposits across Southeast Asia.

It is also worth noting that the impact of the British Empire in Sabah

and the Sultanates of Sulu and Brunei

is marked by numerous and complicated consequences.

The British legacy in North Borneo

has resulted in colonial-era land grabbing,

artificial borders,

and the blatant disregard for the rights

and the sovereignty of the indigenous peoples in the region.

These actions have contributed to the ongoing tensions

and have perpetuated unresolved conflicts in the region,

affecting millions of native and indigenous people today.

The legacy of British colonialism in North Borneo

has led to deep-seated resentment and grievances

among the affected communities,

highlighting the long-lasting detrimental impact

of colonialism and imperialism across Southeast Asia.

And if you are new to my channel,

I also have a series of videos

about the history behind the dispute over Sabah.

Digging deeper into the untold history of North Borneo,

the Sultanates of Brunei,

the Sultanate of Sulu,

and many more.

So if you haven't seen it yet,

make sure to watch it after this video.

But for now, back to our topic.

By the end of Victoria's reign,

Britain had secured control over its major colonies in Southeast Asia.

As such, there was little of notable significance

in terms of British rule which occurred across the region

during the reigns of Victoria's immediate successors.

Her son, King Edward VII,

and her grandson, King George V.

However, the latter's reign,

which extended from 1910 to 1936,

would be important at a future date

as the British Commonwealth of Nations

was created in 1931,

with George V serving as its first head.

As the decolonization of the British Empire

accelerated in the decades that followed,

numerous nations in Southeast Asia

would end up becoming members of the Commonwealth.

The British presence in Southeast Asia

was fundamentally transformed

during the reign of King George VI,

who succeeded to the throne unexpectedly

after his brother abdicated in 1936

and who reigned until 1952.

The outbreak of the Second World War

and the entry of the Japanese Empire into the war in 1941

saw many of Britain's colonies overrun by the Japanese,

notably Malaysia and Singapore.

While the British government was forced

to give promises to India

that it would take seriously the calls

for India's independence after the war

if India provided extensive support

to the British during the conflict.

Thus, it was in 1947

that India became independent of Britain.

With this, calls for independence intensified

within the other British colonies

across Africa, the Middle East, and Asia.

But it would be during the reign

of George's daughter and successor

that Britain's colonies in Southeast Asia

acquired their own independence.

And so we come to the reign

of Queen Elizabeth II,

Britain's longest-serving monarch

who ruled for over 70 years

from 1952 to 2022.

It was during her reign

that the British Empire was dismantled,

including its territories in Southeast Asia.

Malaysia became an independent state in 1957

as the Federation of Malaya.

While North Borneo and Sarawak

would join later to form

the Federation of Malaysia in 1963.

Now, the city of Singapore

was given internal self-rule in 1959.

And six years later, in 1965,

they acquired full independence.

A decade later, the territory of Papua,

which Britain had acquired

as a colony in 1888,

was made the independent state

of Papua New Guinea.

And finally, in 1997,

Britain handed over

its last remaining colony

facing Southeast Asia to China

when Hong Kong became part

of the People's Republic of China

under the one country,

two systems rule.

At the occasion to mark

the historic return of Hong Kong

to China in 1997,

it was actually Charles,

the Prince of Wales,

rather than Queen Elizabeth II

who represented

the British monarchy in Hong Kong.

And upon the Queen's death in 2022,

Prince Charles became

King Charles III.

And as such,

he became the head

of the British Commonwealth of Nations,

which continues to include

the Southeast Asian nations

of Brunei, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Now, the legacy of British colonialism

in Southeast Asia

is undoubtedly complex and multifaceted.

While the British brought about

significant changes in Southeast Asia,

the British Empire had devastating effects

on the region's people and environment.

British colonial rule

was marked by the exploitation

of natural resources,

by the exploitation of the workers,

and the economic inequalities

across the region,

which have contributed

to Southeast Asia's ongoing challenges

with poverty and development.

The policies of divided rule

employed by the British Empire

only exacerbated

ethnic and religious tensions,

which sadly continue to affect

the political and social dynamics

in the region.

The legacy of British colonialism

and imperialism

also contributed to the marginalization

of local cultures and traditions,

and the exploitations

of the indigenous communities.

Many of our indigenous communities

are still struggling to survive

in the face of globalization

and modernization.

Overall,

the legacy of the British crown

in Southeast Asia

cannot be understood

without acknowledging

the many ways

in which it perpetuated

and reinforced systems of power

and injustices.

That continued to shape

the region today.

And that is it for me today.

So let me know

what you think about today's topic

in the comments below.

And if you like this video

and learned a thing or two,

don't forget to like,

share this video,

comment down below,

and please, please subscribe.

Now, this video will not be possible.

This channel will not exist

without the love

and the support of my patrons,

subscribers,

and viewers like you

throughout these years.

See you next time!

In Tagalog,

I'll see you in the next video.

In Malay,

I'll see you in the next video.

Until then,

goodbye!