I. Overview:

This course is an introduction to the history of Southeast Asia. The course focuses on the development of political institutions and changing political identities in the region. We will begin our study with the early empires in both mainland and maritime Southeast Asia and trace developments in the region through the era of independence, the late 1950s. On this journey we will study the role of religion in shaping states and political behavior, the influence of China, India and local conditions in shaping early state- formation, the expansion of capitalism and the resulting social transformations, the onslaught of colonial rule and development of modern states, and the rise of nationalism and resistance to colonial authority. We will conclude the course by comparing the different paths of independence of modern states in Southeast Asia.

This course does not presume any background in Southeast Asia. The aim is to provide a foundation for students to understand contemporary politics in the region.

 

II. Course Texts/Materials

There are two sets of readings in this course, required and recommended. Students will be expected to read all the required reading. Students are encouraged to read the recommended reading for a deeper understanding of issues, but will not be tested on this material in the course. All the required course reading is either in the required texts or on reserve (as hard copies or electronic reserve) in the SAIS Library. All material on reserve is listed by title. The recommended reading should be available in the Library stacks. Please note that due to copyright laws, many of the required readings in books will not be available through electronic reserve. Additional material is available on the course website.

Required for Purchase:

Milton Osborne. 2000. Southeast Asia: An Introductory History. (Eighth Edition). (Singapore: Allen and Unwin)
R. von Heine-Geldern. 1956. Concepts of State and Kingship in Southeast Asia. (Ithaca, NY: Cornell University Press). Reprinted in 1993
Thongchai Winicahkul. 1994. Siam Mapped: A History of the Geo-Body of a Nation. (Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii Press)

Recommended for purchase:

Reynaldo C. Ileto. 1979. Pasyon and Revolution: Popular Movements in the Philippines, 1840-1910. (Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press)
Anthony Reid. 1988. Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce 1450-1680: The Land Below the Winds. (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press)
Anthony Reid. 1993. Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce - Vol. 2: Expansion and Crisis. (New Haven, CT: Yale University Press)
Ann Laura Stoler. 1995. Capitalism and Confrontation in Sumatra's Plantation Belt. (Ann Arbor, MI: University of Michigan Press)
Jean Taylor. 1983. The Social World of Batavia: European and Eurasian in Dutch Asia. (Madison, WI: University of Wisconsin Press)
Nicholas Tarling. 1999. The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, Vols. 1-2. (New York: Cambridge University Press)
Nicholas Tarling. 2002. Southeast Asia: A Modern History. (New York: Oxford University Press)

 

III. Course Requirements

a) Class Attendance & Participation (10% of total grade): Students are expected to read all the required reading before class to participate in discussion. Please note that more than two absences will significantly lower a student's final grade. During selected weeks of the semester, there will be optional discussion sessions scheduled at a mutually convenient time for students.

b) Two sets of Analytical Questions/Answers (10% of total grade) Students are asked to submit (a minimum of three) questions about the assigned required reading for a class session before class that demonstrate a keen understanding of the issues raised in the reading. Students are then asked to answer these questions based on the class discussion and turn in the answers to these questions by the following class. Please note that questions cannot be submitted on the day of a student's class presentation. Students may submit more than two sets of analytical questions. In these cases, the highest two grades will be used to calculate a student's final grade. Both sets of questions must be completed by October 28th.

c) Class Presentation (10% of total grade): Students are asked to make a brief (5-10 minutes) presentation that illustrates their understanding of a particular reading/issue. Students must complete the presentation before November 11th. The presentation cannot coincide with the submission of analytical questions.

d) Research Paper (30% of total grade): Students are asked to write an 18-20 page research paper that focuses on a narrowly defined issue of the student's choosing. The topic should be discussed with the professor. Students are asked to turn in an outline and tentative bibliography of the paper in class during the week of October 21st. Final papers are due November 25th. Papers will be graded on the substance of the paper, the research thoroughness and the presentation of the material. Students must turn in a hard copy of the final paper and a copy on a disk/electronically.

e) Briefing Paper (10% of total grade) Students are asked to write a three page paper (double-spaced) summarizing the history of one country in Southeast Asia before independence. Here students should highlight key features of the country's history and address the briefing to a policymaker. This assignment is due Friday, December 6th.

f) Final Examination (30% of total grade): This two-hour in-class examination will include identifications, multiple-choice questions and short answers. The final examination is scheduled for Wednesday, December 11th, from 9:00-11:00am.