Person
Francis Light
Francis Light was a British trader and naval officer who founded the British settlement on Penang in 1786. He obtained the island from Sultan Abdullah of Kedah on behalf of the East India Company, implying military protection that the company never gave. He named the island Prince of Wales Island and founded George Town as a free port, serving as superintendent until his death.
Mentioned in 2 state histories
See also
Cite this entry
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Francis Light. In The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-light
- MLA
- “Francis Light.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-light. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Francis Light.” The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-light.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Francis Light’, The Epoch Institute Encyclopedia. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/encyclopedia/francis-light (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random entry ↻