莱佛士(1781～1826年)
Raffles, (Thomas) Stamford
受封为斯坦福爵士（Sir Stamford）
英属东印度公司的行政官员，新加坡的奠基人。十四岁进入东印度公司，他勤奋工作，被任命为槟榔屿（今属马来西亚）政府的助理秘书。在那儿他努力研究马来民族。他丰富的学识在英国击败爪哇的荷兰－法国联军中起了关键作用。1811年成为爪哇的代理总督。他开始了大量的改革工作，目的是改变荷兰的殖民体系，改善当地居民的生活条件。东印度公司责怪他的改革费用太高而把他召回。虽然他在伦敦很出名（1816年封爵），但当他恢复到东方服务时，他的权力却大受限制。但他并不退缩，1819年继续建设港口城市新加坡以保证英国进入中国海的通道畅通。1824年荷兰人放弃了对新加坡的一切要求。莱佛士为创建英国的远东帝国作出了贡献。
English version：
1781～1826年
Raffles, (Thomas) Stamford
Administrator in the British East India Co. and founder of Singapore. He joined the British East India Co. at 14, and his hard work won him an appointment as assistant secretary to the government of Penang (in present-day Malaysia). There he undertook an intensive study of the Malayan peoples, and his knowledge allowed him to play a key role in the British defeat of Dutch-French forces in Java, where he became lieutenant governor in 1811. He inaugurated a mass of reforms aimed at transforming the Dutch colonial system and improving the condition of the native population. He was recalled by the company, which deemed his reforms too costly; though he was popular in London (he was knighted in 1816), his authority when he resumed his Eastern service was severely restricted. Undeterred, he went on to found the port city of Singapore in 1819 to ensure British access to the China seas; in 1824 the Dutch relinquished all claims to Singapore. Raffles is credited with the creation of Britain's Far Eastern empire.