1843 Wyld Map of Southeast Asia: Burma, Thailand, Malaya, Singapore, Vietnam

This 1843 James Wyld map of Southeast Asia highlights the rivalries between colonial and indigenous powers that defined Southeast Asia for most of the 19th century. The map follows shortly after the First Opium War (1839 - 1842), the founding of Hong Kong, and the beginning of the British China Trade in earnest. It thus underscores Southeast Asia's significance to the British Empire's 19th-century global trade network known as the 'Maritime Silk Road.' Although Wyld intended the map to capitalize on the 'news' of East Asia, this map can also be read as a blueprint for further British Colonial conquest.

A Closer Look

Coverage embraces from Calcutta to Hong Kong and from Darjeeling to Singapore, Sumatra, and Borneo - thus defining Southeast Asia as the primary obstacle to the maritime China Trade. Although the map illustrates a host of regional powers, its focus is on three rival empires: Britain (red), Burma (green), and Siam (blue). Burma suffered massive territorial losses in the First Anglo-Burmese War (1824 - 1826) - which we can see here: Chittagong, Aracan, and Tenasserim have become British. Some of these territories, particularly the Isthmus of Kra, were simultaneously claimed by Siam, but the advocacy here is clearly supportive of British authority.

Other than the maritime province of Tenasserim, Siam, Vietnam, and Cambodia maintained their independence. This was largely because, as this map shows, Siam (Thailand), Cochin-China (South Vietnam), Ton-king (North Vietnam), and Cambodia were bypassed on the last leg of China Trade voyages, where navigators would make a direct line from Singapore to Hong Kong. French colonial armies moved into what would become Vietnam in the late 1850s. Much of Malay also remained independent sultanates. The British did, however, control territory in Penang, Dindings, Malacca, and Singapore and had close relations with most of the Sultanates, particularly the powerful Sultanate of Johor.

Singapore and Hong Kong

During the 19th century, Singapore and Hong Kong experienced similar evolutions. Both cities flourished under British dominion, growing from small, sparsely populated islands into bustling international trade hubs. Singapore acted as a link between India and the recently opened China market. Hong Kong provided a gateway to Chinese markets and a natural transfer point for products moving in and out of China. Neither Singapore nor Hong Kong produced their own products. However, both created environments conducive to internationalism and the blending of cultures.

Publication History and Census

Wyld first issued this map in 1825 to illustrate the theater of the First Anglo-Burmese War. It was updated regularly to reflect changing political conditions through the 1870s. The present example was published in 1843. Despite a long print run and many editions, the map is rare in all states. In OCLC, we see only about 25 holdings of editions from 1825 to 1879 and no examples of the current 1843 edition.