The impact of Penang on Kedah's economy
The close proximity of the island of Penang to Kedah on the mainland is clearly seen in this early 19th-century view of Kedah from Penang.
Kedah was among the earliest states in the Malay Peninsula to develop agricultural production for export, notably rice. The establishment of Penang in 1786, and the rapid growth of the island's population and trade stimulated the Kedah economy in the first and third quarters of the 19th century. However, external influences—Siamese invasion and British political hegemony—and internal factors such as the calibre of the rulers restrained the state's development at other times.
- Information in the full article includes
- Kedah's economy in the pre-Penang era
- The impact of Penang
- Prosperity in Kedah
- Prosperity falters
- Causes of the economic slowdown