Article Abstract:
Anthony Reid's book 'Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce 1450-1680,' details the changes in Southeast Asia that gives the period mentioned its identity as the age of commerce. The transformations in the international maritime economy after 1450 resulted in unparalleled commercial growth, wider outlook of culture and political centralization in the region. However, Reid makes some errors by not addressing the fact that the Indonesian/Malay archipelagos do not strongly follow the model of commercial development put forth, and developments on the mainland are not always mirrored in the islands.
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Article Abstract:
A critical analysis of early Southeast Asian historiography suggests that the research in this area is mainly a Western effort concentrating more on modern preoccupations related to origins, agency and difference. The identity of Southeast Asia as a region has been imposed from the outside, raising the issue of its authenticity as a field of study. Thus validation of the field of Southeast Asian studies has been a main focus of work in Southeast Asian historiography. Scholars seek to identify the original character of the region beneath layers of influence.
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Article Abstract:
Benjamin Batson died of heart disease last Jan. 7, 1996 at the age of 53. A specialist in 20th-century Thai political and intellectual history, Batson lived most of his life in Southeast Asia. Among his publications are those of prominent but enigmatic persons, namely, Kulap Saiprajit, a writer and political activist, and Phra Sarasas, a pre-war power-broker between Thailand and Japan. Batson's knowledge on Thai elite history and family networks enriched his scholarly works.
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