Historical Background

Kuala Lumpur's early history started taking shape when the state of Selangor gained eminence in the 16th century with the discovery of tin deposits, a material Western colonialists needed to build their empire. This brought the Chinese and the Bugis (Malays from Macassar) into the state's economics and politics. There, they established themselves throughout the 18th century forming the Selangor sultanate.

Kuala Lumpur (KL) itself was not built until 1857 when miners and traders came in search of tin, and poled upriver to where the Klang and Gombak rivers converge. The Gombak estuary was the highest point upstream that the miners could land their supplies for prospecting tin in Ampang. Others soon arrived, building shelters and opening trading posts. They named the settlement Kuala Lumpur, which means "muddy estuary" in Malay. By the 1860s, the miners' landing place had become a flourishing village. The city's oldest mosque, Jamek Mosque, built in 1908, still overlooks the spot where it all began.

Kuala Lumpur was founded in turbulent times, when fierce rivalries over mining claims and water rights led to civil wars with frequent gang clashes, feuds and murders. Predominantly Chinese, KL was essentially a rambunctious pioneer mining settlement replete with brothels, gambling booths and opium dens. The continuous fighting amongst groups worried the headmen so much they elected a kapitan cina(Chinese captain) named Yap Ah Loy to establish peace and order. He played a major role during the civil wars and continued to direct the affairs of the town until his death in 1885.

In 1881, fire and a flood destroyed the city and by the time of Yap Ah Loy’s death, the town remained nothing more than wooden huts huddled along narrow lanes. Today, Chinatown still suffers from the loss of its original shacks and buildings. However, a few shops on Petaling Street retain an air of the old days, especially a few eateries, incense shops and medicine shops. Several temples built between 1873 and 1906 managed to withstand the test of time including two Chinese temples (Chan See Shu Yuen and Sze Ya Temple) and the highly ornate Sri Mahamariaman Temple. The Central Market and the National Museum shops are great places to buy antiques and artifacts from years past.

In 1882, Frank Swettenham was named Resident (advisor) to Selangor and the settlement began to assume its modern shape as he encouraged local businessmen to build brick houses. Street by street, the old town was pulled down and reconstructed with wider thoroughfares and stone and brick structures while also encouraging the growth of the coffee and tobacco industries. During this time the British erected both a railroad and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and other colonial establishments. These include one of the country's oldest Anglican churches, the Cathedral of Virgin St Mary and the Royal Selangor Club, once the main communal center for the colonial society.

The city's oldest railway station, the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station was built in 1910. Though renovated with air-conditioning and restaurants, it still evokes a colonial ambiance with its Moorish and Edwardian architectural styles. Seven years later, in 1917, the Keretapi Tanah Melayu was erected using similar architecture just opposite its predecessor.

Kuala Lumpur’s development was rapid from this time onwards. By the end of the century, it was the colonial capital of the then newly created Federated Malay States. In 1946, KL became the headquarters of the Malayan Union, which would become the Federation of Malaya two years later. KL gained historical significance again in 1957 when the Federation of Malaya gained independence from British rule and the first Malayan flag was raised in KL on the grounds of the cricket field, known today as Merdeka Square. In 1974, Kuala Lumpur came of age, formally detaching from its mother state of Selangor and becoming part of the Federal Territory. The federal government of Malaysia directly governs KL and the two other territories in the Federal Territory.

The colonial buildings still remain in KL today. The Sultan Abdul Samad Building, until recently, housed law courts; the Royal Selangor Club is now filled with food outlets; and on warm evenings, foreign cricketers still play on the cricket field.

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