Bold look at Singapore's origins

There is a new book "A 700-Year History: From Early Emporium To World City" about Singapore" history. It debunks the notion that Singapore's history truly began only when Sir Stamford Raffles docked at the banks of the Singapore River in 1819.

There is a bold attempt by the authors to pull back another 500 years of Singapore's history. The authors say Singapore did not merely take a back seat to history between its heyday as a trading emporium in the 14th century, and the time Raffles set up a trading post at the Singapore River.

Take a look at the full article on the Straits Times.


Questions:
1. What was Singapore's history before 1819 like?
(you can refer to your textbook)

2. What is the purpose of knowing Singapore's history before 1819?

3. Lets say there is no evidence of Singapore's history before 1819. History is the record of past events. Can we say that because there is no record of anything, Singapore does not have a history before 1819?