Stamford Raffles
/ˌstæmfəd ˈræflz/
/ˌstæmfərd ˈræflz/
- (1781-1826) an English politician. He is best known for buying Singapore for the East India Company in 1819 and for developing the island as a commercial centre. The famous Raffles Hotel there is named after him. He was also the governor of Java (1815-17) and Sumatra (1818-23) and wrote a History of Java (1817). In 1826 Raffles became the first President of London Zoo. He was made a knight in 1817.
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Stamford Raffles