Kampong Glam

Kampong Glam (Malay: Kampong Gelam; Jawi script: كامڤوڠ ڬلم ; Chinese: 甘榜格南; pinyin: Gānbǎnggénán; Tamil: கம்ப்பொங் கிலாம்) is a neighbourhood in Singapore. It is located north of the Singapore River, in the planning area of Rochor.

The name of the area is thought to be derived from the cajeput tree, called "gelam" in Malay. "Kampong" (modern spelling "kampung") simply means "village".

Prior to colonisation by the British in 1819, the area was home to the Malay aristocracy of Singapore. It became prominent and more populous after the signing of a treaty between the British East India Company, Sultan Hussein Shah of Johor and Temenggong Abdul Rahman in 1819. The company was given the right to set up a trading post in Singapore under this treaty.

During the colony's early history, under the Raffles Plan of 1822, the settlement was divided according to different ethnic groups which included European Town, Chinese, Chulia, Arab and Bugis kampongs. Kampong Glam was designated for the Sultan and his household, as well as the Malay and Arab communities, many of whom were merchants. It was situated east of what was then the European Town.

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