By Thulaja, Naidu Ratnala written on 08-Nov-1997
National Library Board Singapore

Comments on article: InfopediaTalk

Chinese coolies formed the early backbone of Singapore's labour force, engaged mainly in hard physical labour. They were mainly impoverished Chinese immigrants who came to Singapore in the later half of the 19th century, seeking their fortune but serving instead as indentured, unskilled labourers. Coolies were employed in almost every sector of work including construction work, plantation work, in ports and mines and as rickshaw pullers. The word “coolie” is believed to have come from the Hindi term kuli, which is also the name of a native tribe of Gujerat in western India. It is believed that the Kulis were among the first coolies as they were easy to recruit because they lived on the northern Indian coast. The word kuli  also means "hire" in Tamil.

History
Chinese coolies were driven by poverty in China to seek a better life in Singapore. The immigration of Chinese coolies was high between the periods of 1823 to 1891 after Singapore became a free port, between 1910 to 1911 before the first World War and between 1926 to 1927, soon after the war. Coolie emigration decreased after 1927 because of the economic depression, followed by the Japanese occupation and then the World War II. Coolie trade never peaked after this and most immigrants after World War II were skilled labour.

Jobscope
Coolies worked as rickshaw pullers, trishaw riders and farmers. They were employed in mines, ports, in rubber and other plantations, in clearing jungles and on construction sites. They did back-breaking tasks such as loading and unloading cargo and dulang washing or tin ore mining under the scorching sun. It was a common sight in early Singapore to see coolies carrying gunny sacks filled with commodities such as spices and sugar near the Singapore river.

Description
The newly arrived coolie recruit was called sin kheh which meant "new arrival" in Hokkien. The secret societies and clan associations were involved in controlling and regulating the immigration of coolies from China. Secret societies would help the peasants pay for their journey to Singapore. Upon arrival, the majority of the early coolies would be handed over to employers of the same dialect, The kongsi, or a "clan association" was either an organisation, a group or a network of like-minded individuals speaking the same dialect or from the same province/part of China. The secret societies therefore acted as agents helping the peasants to come to Singapore, and to find employers from a certain kongsi, depending on the dialect of the particular peasant. Recruitment was carried out based on dialect connections. The secret societies helped support the coolies financially in times of illness, defended their livelihoods and organised final rites. The British however felt threatened by the rising power and prominence of the secret societies, and made these societies illegal in 1890. An official Chinese Protectorate was set up to handle the immigration and official procedures for coolies. Voluntary associations also arose, supporting the coolies in their immigration and transition into Singapore.

The coolies suffered much hardship, they were very poor and lived in cramped dwellings with no windows and light. Many of the jobs taken by coolies involved hard labour, taking a toll on their bodies. They were given to opium inhaling to relieve their tired bodies of its soreness and to gambling in an attempt to escape from their misery. The whites and wealthy Chinese employed the coolies mainly because of their willingness to work hard for little money. The coolies were, in a way, the backbone of early Singapore's economy because they generated growth for the economy and caused the country to prosper. Few Chinese coolies went back to China later but most coolies settled down in Singapore doing other odd jobs.

Development
As Singapore developed economically, the need for coolies declined. With Singapore's independence in 1965, came new laws and radical economic restructuring. Modern technology was developed and incorporated at a fast pace which included use of machines in freight transport. The coolies in the harbour were no longer needed. Similarly the need for coolies in other areas of work too declined. This forced the coolies to look to other means of living. Coolies to on work as domestic servants, shop assistants and as helping hands in different areas of work. Some coolies even picked up some skills and found employment in shops such as that of shoe makers, blacksmiths and carpenters.



Author
Naidu Ratnala Thulaja



References
Ayto, J. (1990). Dictionary of word origins. (p. 136). London: Bloomsbury.
(Call no.: R 422.03 AYT – [DIC])

Baker, H. (1987). The overseas Chinese (p. 26). London: R J Acford.
(Call no.: RSING 301.451951059 BAK)

Hendrickson, R. (2004). The facts of file encyclopedia on word and phrase origins. (pp. 174-5). New York: Facts on File.
(Call no.: R q422.03 HEN -[DIC])

Tan, T. T. (1986). Your Chinese roots: The overseas Chinese story (pp. 58-72). Singapore: Times books international.
(Call no.: RSING 301.451951 TAN)

The vanishing trades [CD-ROM]. (1997). Singapore: Daichi Media.
(Call no.: RAV 338.642095957 VAN)

Warren, J. F. (2003). Rickshaw coolie: a people’s history of Singapore, 1880 - 1940. Singapore: Singapore University Press.
(Call no.: RSING 388.341 WAR)

Worksheet 3: Information on coolies, Heritage Hub. (n.d.). Retrieved on January 27, 2003, from www.heritagehub.com.sg/teachers/Chinatown/cwork03.htm


Further Readings
Campbell, P. C. (1970). Chinese coolie emigration to countries within the British empire. Taipei: Cheng Wen.
(Call no.: RSING 325.251 CAM)

Tan, K. S. (1974). Son of Singapore: The autobiography of a coolie. Singapore: Heinemann Educational.
(Call no.: SING 920 TAN)

Smithies, M. (1987, September 16). Life and death of rickshaw coolies in Singapore. Bangkok Post, p. 34.

National heritage Board. (n.d.). Archives & Artefacts Online, Singapore. Retrieved on January 27, 2003, from www.a2o.com.sg/public/html/


The information in this article is valid as at 1998 and correct as far as we can ascertain from our sources. It is not intended to be an exhaustive or complete history of the subject. Please contact the Library for further reading materials on the topic.