Southeast Asia in World History

by Lockard, Craig

• ISBN13: 9780195338119
• ISBN10: 0195338111
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2009-04-24
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Here is a brief, well-written, and lively survey of the history of Southeast Asia from ancient times to the present, paying particular attention to the region's role in world history and the distinctive societies that arose in lands shaped by green fields and forests, blue rivers and seas.Craig Lockard shows how for several millennia Southeast Asians, living at the crossroads of Asia, enjoyed ever expanding connections to both China and India, and later developed maritime trading networks to the Middle East and Europe. He explores how the people of the region combined local andimported ideas to form unique cultures, reflected in such striking creations as Malay sailing craft, Javanese gamelan music, and batik cloth, classical Burmese and Cambodian architecture, and social structures in which women have often played unusually influential roles. Lockard describescolonization by Europeans and Americans between 1500 and 1914, tracing how the social, economic, and political frameworks inherited from the past, combined with active opposition to domination by foreign powers, enabled Southeast Asians to overcome many challenges and regain their independenceafter World War II. The book also relates how Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia, and Vietnam are now among the fastest growing economies in the world and play a critical role in today's global marketplace.

Author Biography

Craig Lockard is Ben and Joyce Rosenberg Professor of History at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay.

Table of Contents

Editors' Preface	p. vii
Introduction	p. 1
The Ancient Roots of Southeast Asia to ca. 200 BCE	p. 5
Southeast Asians in the Classical World, ca. 200 BCE-800 CE	p. 20
The Kingdoms of the Golden Age, ca. 800-1400	p. 34
New Cultures and Connections, ca. 1300-1750	p. 52
Christians, Spices, and Western Expansion, 1500-1750	p. 75
The Western Winds of Colonialism, 1750-1914	p. 93
Colonial Impact and Changing Fortunes, 1800-1941	p. 118
Fighting for the Cause of National Freedom, 1900-1950	p. 135
Revolutionary Wars and Nation Building, 1950-1975	p. 152
Diverse Identities, "Tigers," and Changing Politics since 1970	p. 170
Southeast Asia and the Wider World	p. 198
Chronology	p. 207
Notes	p. 209
Further Reading	p. 217
Web Sites	p. 223
Acknowledgments	p. 225
Index	p. 227
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