travelgrove Travel Guides
 
 

Kuala Lumpur History, Malaysia

Before the turn of the twentieth century, here is the situation of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

 

KL was established during the late decade of 1860. It happened when a group of prospectors who were in serious hunt for tin, happened to land right at the meeting spot of the Gombak and the Kelang rivers. There, they creatively named that very place, Kuala Lumpur that means “muddy confluence.” A lot of those who arrived in the place suffered and died from malaria and from other stifling diseases. On the other hand, the tin they had revealed in Ampang had fascinated some more miners and Kuala Lumpur hastily became a boisterous, tussling, aggressive boom town.

In order to suppress the developing anarchy in the land, its sultan overlord allotted “Kapitan China’ to carry the uncontrollable Chinese fortune-seekers as well as their undisclosed civilization into the line - a dilemma in which Kapitan China Yap Ah Loy leapt at with much hardnosed appreciated, that he turned out to be widely known as the initiator of Kuala Lumpur.

Historical milestone of this famous city as follows:

-  By the emergence of 1880s, Kuala Lumpur became more and more residential and up market. More than that, the universal feeling of affluence and self-assurance was greatly satisfied by the relocation of the chief government from Klang to Kuala Lumpur.

-   During 1881, the whole town was ruined by fire and succeeded by flood. However, the wreckage of the town provoked building boom.

-  In 1896, KL became the capital of the recently created Federated Malay States.

There were 2 major foreign occupations in Kuala Lumpur:

British occupation - As soon as the Malaysian cape came under the rule of the British in 1913, KL’s financial system grew. Aside from that, the Indian and Chinese immigrant populations of the land augmented considerably. But then, this boost was significantly upturned with the commencement of the WWII.

Japanese occupation - The Japanese invaders conquered the British Malaya not so long after the start of WWII. In a span of one month, KL had fallen under the hands of the Japanese who in return routed the British in Singapore. In this occupation, there were many Kuala Lumpur Chinese people who were tormented and eventually killed. Also, a lot of Indians were driven to work at the Burma's “Death Railway.” As soon as the Japanese were lastly overpowered, the British momentarily went back to Kuala Lumpur.

Not so long after the return of the British to KL, they were eventually expelled as Malaysia declared its own independence in the year 1957 in Kuala Lumpur's Dataran Merdeka or Freedom Square. By that time, the city formally became the self-governing Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur during the time when it was surrendered by the Selangor state sultan in the year 1974.

In 1997, Malaysia was absorbed by an Asian trade and industry emergency which began in Thailand. This breakdown became the very first momentous problem in the confident Malaysian economy ever since the WWII. On a lighter note, the 1998 Commonwealth Games were being considered as a big victory for Malaysia. It absolutely helped to re-establish the confidence of the entire nation. In spite of the financial decline during the late 1990s, KL continuously developed into an immense level. Right now, KL is not just Malaysia's capital but it’s densely inhabited and rich city.

 

Things about Kuala Lumpur you may be interested in

 
 
 

Read our members' reviews about Kuala Lumpur


  • KamalikaAsia Travel
    review by Kamalika posted more then 30 days ago
    You know how Paris is known for its fashion, and Japan for its electronics? Malaysia is simply known for shopping, and shopping everything and anything you need! It’s your one-stop-shop for all of those favourite things you want to buy and has something for every kind of shopaholic. Book...
  • lindamuraAdventures in the exotic Kuala Lumpur
    review by lindamura posted more then 30 days ago
    A varied array of cultures and traditions, exotic cuisines, one of the largest emerging business markets, Asia is where you are. Asia is a destination that everyone would like to visit at least once in their lifetime. It offers a varied landscape from densely populated cities, to open fields...
view all
 

Read our members' travel tips about Kuala Lumpur


  • lizzy_aNational Mosque (Masjid Negara)
    travel tip by lizzy_a posted more then 30 days ago
    Malaysia's most prominent building, the National Mosque was built in 1965 and embodies modern and Islamic art. The admission to the mosque is free, though you have to be dressed appropriately. Because I'm a woman I had to cover...
  • luciIslamic Art Museum
    travel tip by luci posted more then 30 days ago
    The rich culture and art of the Muslims is presented in the Islamic Art Museum, which we visited several weeks ago. The building in itself is a work of art, with its white and blue domes. The whole place is so beautiful and built in such...
  • MadokaDeigoPangkor Island
    travel tip by MadokaDeigo posted more then 30 days ago
    He ancient name for this island is Spirit Island. The ancient islanders believed that this island is protected by the spirits of 'Keramat Serban Hijau', 'Keramat Serban Kuning' and 'Keramat Tok Janggut'. Fishermen claim to hear voices...
view all
 
 

Community

Members Who Have Been to Kuala Lumpur

Community Galleries About Kuala Lumpur

Browse our members' Kuala Lumpur galleries to get a better impression of the place
 
show alladd gallery
 
 
the best travel deals provided by TravelZoo...
  • cheapoair.com$847Cathay Pacific flightCathay Pacific
    Inbound
    Los Angeles, CA (LAX)  Kuala Lumpur, MY (KUL)
    02/25/2025 11:20 pm
    Outbound
    Kuala Lumpur, MY (KUL)  Los Angeles, CA (LAX)
    03/04/2025 05:50 pm
  • cheapoair.com$924Cathay Pacific flightCathay Pacific
    Inbound
    Chicago, IL (ORD)  Kuala Lumpur, MY (KUL)
    02/05/2025 02:40 pm
    Outbound
    Kuala Lumpur, MY (KUL)  Chicago, IL (ORD)
    02/11/2025 07:50 pm
  • cheapoair.com$1126China Eastern Airlines flightChina Eastern Airlines
    Inbound
    Portland, OR (PDX)  Kuala Lumpur, MY (KUL)
    12/09/2024 06:00 am
    Outbound
    Kuala Lumpur, MY (KUL)  Portland, OR (PDX)
    12/14/2024 08:05 pm

Kuala Lumpur City Ratings

  • Ratingunrated
    City Rankunrated
     
  • History & Culture: not rated
  • Night Life & Entertainment: not rated
  • Family & Fun: not rated
  • Outdoors Activities: not rated
  • Food: not rated
  • Sightseeing: not rated
  • Shopping: not rated
  • Public Transportation: not rated
  • Must visit this place: not rated
  
 
 
 
  
ToolsBookmark and Share

Popular destinations

 
 
   Welcome to Travelgrove  register tell a friend bookmark it 
 
 
*