IIAS Newsletter 43 | Spring 2007 | free of charge | published by IIAS | P.O. Box 9515 | 2300 RA Leiden | The Netherlands | T +31-71-527 2227 | F +31-71-527 4162 | [email protected] | www.iias.nl seep.18-19) Courtesy: Railway Archives. Nairobi ( Station.1890.
Cuttingnear Voi 43 Comparative Intellectual Histories of Early Modern Asia
We need to find what p.14 we are not looking for
The Master Class on “Comparative Intellectual Sheldon Pollock edged link between the events of Histories of the Early Modern World” was held European intellectual history and o be sure, knowledge always begins what are seen as ‘general’ methods of at the International Institute for Asian Studies in Tin specific places, and one of our intellectual history? Leiden in May-June, 2006. The idea of a master aims was to share new knowledge about • What are the aims and methods of a ideas and intellectual practices in the comparative intellectual history of the class – assembling a team of scholars to discuss places we study. But more crucial and early modern world? How do we do recent advances in a field with doctoral and challenging was it to address the three it, and what precisely are we trying to critical problems embedded in the title discover when we do do it? postdoctoral students – is the brain child of IIAS’s to the class, problems that are either I can’t address all these questions – the former director, Wim Stokhof, and I express my only now coming under study, or are assembled essays here collectively do so understudied, or even unstudied: in their different ways – but will offer thanks to him for his vision and energy in making • What sense does it make to speak only a summary of my introductory this intellectual experiment possible. of early modernity in the sphere of remarks. I can be relatively brief about mental life outside the early modern ‘early modernity’ and ‘intellectual his- West—that is, in Asia in the several tory’ since our specific challenge was I say experiment because none of the participants, centuries preceding European expan- coming to terms with the problem of the instructors included, had ever engaged in sion? What problems do we face in comparativism. this kind of comparative intellectual-historical defining such modernity? Is ‘early pp.18-19 modernity’ a useful concept in writ- The uses and abuses of ‘early pp.1-13 conversation. As Michael Cook confessed, although ing the history of Asian thought? modernity’ pp.19-21 he works with Benjamin Elman in the very same • What are the special tasks, methods, Early modernity has been a much dis- or theoretical commitments that con- puted topic of conversation among building at Princeton University, the two had never stitute intellectual history as a separate scholars of Asia for the past decade, previously exchanged ideas on problems shared and valid form of knowledge? Does both regionalists and generalists. Many the intellectual history of early-mod- object to the apparent teleology of the across their regions. It was just this sort of non- ern Asia have tasks, methods or theo- idea, committing us as it is supposed communication – fallout from the division of the retical commitments that differenti- to do to some inevitable developmental ate it from the study of intellectual goal (so Randolph Starn). Of course, world of knowledge into studies of areas – that the
Havetastea ofan IIAS Masterclass with Sheldon Pollock’s theme on IntellectualHistories. Howmodern are the exact sciences? Kim Plofker explains about the early days. Don’tgodon’t go, stay back myfriend… but they did go. Punjabi diaspora in EastAfrica. Photo Essay Reviewsonhouses inChina, cashew workers inKerala and archives anywhere and muchmuch more… history as developed from European class was designed in part to address. materials? Is there an unacknowl- continued on page 4 > he first part of this newsletter consists of papers that were presented last year Tduring an IIAS Masterclass organised round the theme of ‘Comparative Intel- Contents #43 lectual Histories of Early Modern Asia’. With some of you, the term ‘master class’ may evoke images of forms of education that belong to the past, and are no longer in vogue: the students lined up to absorb the wisdom conveyed to them by the master; the master speaking, the students Comparative Intellectual Histories of Early Modern Asia listening. This certainly is a caricature of what is really happening, or what can be made to happen. As a matter of fact, at IIAS we see our Masterclasses as a valuable 1 & 4 We need to find what we are not looking for / Sheldon Pollock and intensive form of interaction between junior and senior scholars. The juniors, 5-6 Early modern classicism and late imperial China / Benjamin A. Elman usually PhD students or young post-docs, are asked to prepare a presentation about 7 On Islam and comparative intellectual history / Michael Cook their work. The master has read these presentations beforehand and reacts on them 8 The problem of early modernity in the Sanskrit intellectual tradition / during the class. What follows is a debate between student and master and, of cour- Sheldon Pollock se, among the other participants. For the students this can be a pleasant excursion 9 The historiography of protest in late Mamluk and early Ottoman Egypt and away from the paradigm of one’s supervisor. Young researchers are forced to con- Syria / Amina Elbendary sider other ways of approaching their subject matter, and become acquainted with 10 Can we speak of an ‘early modern’ world? / Peter Burke other disciplines, or with similar problems in other regions. Of course, many varia- 11 Opening the gate of verification: intellectual trends in the 17th century tions are possible within this format: fewer or more students, one or several mas- Arab-Islamic world / Khaled El-Rouayheb ters, with or without an audience, etc. But as the example of the IIAS Masterclass 12 Early modern Sanskrit thought and the quest for a perfect understanding of by Sheldon Pollock shows, disciplinary and regional widening of one’s research property / Ethan Kroll horizon is the prime effect, something that is often difficult to achieve within the 13 Saying one thing, doing another? / Gijs Kruijtzer regular MA or PhD training curricula. With the articles in this newsletter we hope to convey something of the excitement of a successful IIAS Masterclass. IIAS will continue organising Masterclasses. Do consult IIAS Newsletter and our
Research Director’swebsite note for announcements!
14 Empires and exact sciences in pre-modern Eurasia / Kim Plofker Max Sparreboom 15 Fiction is philosophy: interview with Lulu Wang / Tao Yue Director 16 A new research culture for the marginalised in Bangladesh / Jos van Beurden 17 Beyond economics: transnational labour migration in Asia and the Pacific / Toon van Meijl
Photo Essay
18-19 Punjabis in East Africa
Book Reviews
20 Books received 21 Britain, Southeast Asia and the Korean War / Thomas Crump 21 China’s Tibet: marginalisation through development? / Alpo Ratia 22 A slow road to regionalism / Mark Beeson 23 Chinese experience of the Korean War / Adam Cathcart 24 On archives / Mark Turin 25 Living heritage: vernacular architecture in China / Marcel Vellinga 26 Female and single: negotiating personal and social boundaries in Indonesian society / Muhammed Hassanali 27 State and society in the Philippines / Niels Mulder 28 Kerala’s cashew workers / Manja Bomhoff 29 Habermas in India / Hans Schenk
Institutional News
30-31 ICAS 5 Update and ICAS book prize 32 IIAS fellows The International Institute for Asian Studies is a postdoc- 33 IIAS research toral research centre based in Leiden and Amsterdam, 34-35 Asia Alliance and Announcements the Netherlands. Our main objective is to encourage the interdisciplinary and comparative study of Asia and to 36-37 Arts agenda promote national and international cooperation in the 38-39 International conference agenda field. The institute focuses on the humanities and social sciences and their interaction with other sciences.
IIAS values dynamism and versatility in its research programmes. Post-doctoral research fellows are tem- porarily employed by or affiliated to IIAS, either within a collaborative research programme or individually. In its aim to disseminate broad, in-depth knowledge of Asia, the institute organizes seminars, workshops and conferences, and publishes the IIAS Newsletter with a circulation of 26,000.
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IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Announcements
Letters, commentary, us about opinion Cultural fellowship tell Research essays, photo essays, the interviews world Book, journal, film, website reviews programme at the we live in… Fiction, poetry, visual art for IIAS branch office write the editors IIAS Newsletter [email protected] in Amsterdam
As the cultural capital of the Netherlands, Amsterdam is the vibrant home to a wide range of cultural activities and facilities. The city features, among many other museums, the Rijksmuseum, the Photography Museum (FOAM), the Stedel- 5th EuroSEAS ijk Museum for contemporary art, the Van Gogh Museum and the Appel Foundation. The city hosts academies for music, The 5th EuroSEAS Conference will be held from 12 to 15 September 2007 at the visual arts, design, fashion, film and theatre. Amsterdam also University of Naples ‘L’Orientale’ in Italy. The conference will be held from Wednes- counts several musical venues which feature Asia-related day, 12 September in the morning to Friday, 14 September in the late afternoon. exhibitions and performances, including the renowned pop The official start will take place in the morning of Wednesday 12 September. The and jazz venues Paradiso, De Melkweg and Het Muziekge- main conference venue: Palazzo Mediterraneo, Via Marina 59. The building is a bouw aan ’t IJ. brand-new institution equipped with state of the art technology for multi-media presentations. The organizers hope that new media will be presented at the Confer- The IIAS branch office in Amsterdam, hosted by the Univer- ence. A movie programme is scheduled showing a number of movies from or about sity of Amsterdam (UvA), invites scholars working on Asian Southeast Asia. culture and arts and those working on the intersection of the academic and the cultural field to apply for a fellowship. The At the moment, more than 40 panels have been organized ranging from topics like branch is particularly interested to attract scholars and artists identity, religion and sexual cultures to the classic themes of the colonial state and with an interest in cultural studies, media studies and criti- imagined communities in Southeast Asia. New themes like genetics and the impact cal (postcolonial) theory, preferably with a comparative angle. of new media on the public domain are proposed as well. Panel conveners are in The University hosts departments in both social sciences and close relationship with prospective panelists to submit abstracts and papers for humanities. Asia-related institutes in Amsterdam include the the conference. An overview of all the panels can be found at the Euroseas website Amsterdam School for Social Research (ASSR), Asian Studies http://www.euroseas.org./2007/ in Amsterdam (ASiA), the International Institute for Social History (IISG), the Netherlands Institute for War Documen- Euroseas as an organization is not able to finance individual presenters at the con- tation (NIOD), The Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis ference, but inquiries can be made in case financial support is required from local (ASCA) and the Royal Tropical Institute (KIT). sponsors and an official statement is needed. Please surf to our website at www.iias.nl for further details The European Association for South-East Asian Studies (EuroSEAS) is an interna- and application forms, or email the coordinator of the branch,
tional initiative to foster scholarly cooperation within Europe in the field of South- Call for ApplicantsDr. Jeroen de Kloet: [email protected]. east Asian studies. The Association was founded in 1992 during a meeting of 19 leading Southeast Asia specialists.
Currently chaired by Pierre-Yves Manguin (Ecole Française d’Extrême-Orient, Paris), with a permanent secretariat in Napoli (Italy), EuroSEAS aims to promote Southeast Asian studies in Europe. It intends to facilitate exchanges and cooperation among European based Southeast Asianists working in the fields of human and social sci-
Call for papersences, as well as between European and Southeast Asian scholars. Wertheim
EuroSEAS conferences are organized once every three years. Previous conferences were held in Leiden, Hamburg, London and Paris and numerous publications have originated from these meetings. Because of the present size of the conference, ini- tiatives for publication are left to the panel organizers. One of the explicit aims of Lecture 2007 the organization is to provide a platform for discussions which move beyond atten- tion to a single country. Comparative themes in particular connecting insular with The Amsterdam School for Social Science Research (ASSR) and Asian Studies in mainland Southeast Asia are of special interest. Amsterdam (AsiA) are proud to annoucne the Wertheim Lecture 2007 entitled: ‘Making Poverty History? Unequal Development Today’ by Jomo Kwame Sundaram, 21 May, 15-17, Amsterdam.
The Board Jomo is Assistant Secretary General for Economic Development at the United EuroSEAS is led by an international Board whose members are elected every three years. EuroSEAS is responsible for the Nations and was Professor in Applied Economics at Universiti Malaya. He has pub- present website (http://www.euroseas.org), which provides a guide to Southeast Asian studies in European universities, lished extensively on economic development, global inequality, the Asian financial updates on research and educational programmes underway, as well as on the publications of specialists in the different crisis and ethnicity and entrepreneurship. member countries. The names and affiliations of the members of the international board, divided along different member countries, can be found on the website. Euroseas also encourages any initiative to discuss the future of Asian Studies and For more details please refer to our website http://www.iias.nl/asia/wertheim where its implications for local research in the Southeast Asian region. you will also find all previous Wertheim lectures in pdf format for public reference and class use.
The Amsterdam School for Social science Research (ASSR) and Asian Studies in Amster- ern Asia. Starting 2006, the annual Wertheim-lecture is jointly organised by the ASSR and dam (ASiA) are proud to announce the launch of the Wertheim lecture website at http:// ASiA. The ASSR (www2.fmg.uva.nl/assr/) is a national research school and a research www.iias.nl/asia/wertheim/. All previous Wertheim lectures will be available in pdf format institute of the University of Amsterdam where social scientists cooperate in multi-disci- for public reference and class use. plinary research. ASiA is an initiative of the Board of the University of Amsterdam and the International Institute for Asian Studies (IIAS) in Leiden. ASiA’s goal is to stimulate, facili- The Wertheim lecture was initiated by the ASSR in 1990 in recognition of W.F. Wertheim's tate and broaden research activities on Asia in Amsterdam, and to make the outcomes and major contributions to the European tradition of historical-sociological research on mod- insights of research accessible to a wider audience.
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Comparative Intellectual Histories of Early Modern Asia continue from page 1 > the systems devised for knowing the field is the state of its self-reflection. In for the textualised thoughts of the elite. a social category that rests entirely on our inquiry is perforce ‘teleological’ in world responded – or why they failed to intellectual history so little work of this comparative grounds. True, one dan- the sense of aiming to understand what respond – to the world that was chang- sort is being done these days that the If Padgen is right in saying that intel- ger in comparative work is the natu- occurred in the past that enabled us to ing objectively between these dates. At case might seem beyond hope. Certainly lectual history is at a kind of crossroads ralisation of the unit of analysis (eg, get us to the telos – if that is still the the same time there is good reason to scholars continue to write about Bacon, and needs to establish a secure identity the nation-state), but this is neither right word here – we have gotten to. resist the teleology – here indeed an Hobbes, Locke and Rousseau. But no in order to advance, it will be useful inherent in nor specific to comparison. There is no way to forget the end of this infelicity – in the term ‘early modern’ serious new conceptualisation of what for us to remain as conceptually alert However, another danger that is specific story just because we concentrate on the and so refuse to assign this period any it means to do intellectual history has as possible about what we are doing in to comparison is the often unreflective beginning – indeed, we wouldn’t even shared structure or content a priori, let appeared (so far as I know) in several our master class. Overcoming western generalisation based on a single case. know where to begin the story if we alone to insist on finding in it western decades, only modest expressions of national traditions of scholarship by In the very act of generalising that case didn’t know how it has ended because modernity in embryonic form (the Chi- concern (by Donald Kelley, for example, globalizing the conversation and over- as the unit of analysis, you are already we wouldn’t know what the story was. nese Descartes). The trap of definitional or Anthony Padgen), or restatements of coming Europe by including the non- suppressing, or potentially suppress- Others object that many so-called early consistency is precisely what we need older positions. West (so Wilhelm Schmidt-Biggemann) ing, elements of difference. But this modernities never became full moder- to avoid, as my remarks on comparison One such restatement has recently been are obvious moves, though whether may be nothing more than a variant of nities except when mediated through will make clear. published by the master of the history of there are specific methods for achiev- the hermeneutic circle, and not a neces- western modernisation. But what if early modern British political thought, ing such overcoming is open to serious sarily vicious one, which we can correct western modernisation short-circuited In short, the period constitutes an Quentin Skinner. Intellectual history discussion (one that has so far yet to as we tack between the first and second other processes of transformation? No entirely reasonable framework for a remains, according to Skinner, a poorly be opened). In addition – though this order case. given present was bound to come out comparative intellectual history, with- articulated field of research. In part this is hardly a very revolutionary sugges- of any given past; but our present has out leading us to posit any necessary is because of its dispersal across the dis- tion – intellectual history has to mean If comparison is everywhere, we need come out, and we want to know how uniformity in the history of intellection ciplinary landscape. In terms of objects, exploring (textualised) thought in rela- to make our inevitable but implicit com- and why it has. that transpired. Everyone began to par- Skinner reasserts the centrality of the tion to historical change not just in rela- parisons explicit and to try to explain ticipate in a new world economy, to live great texts – it is mere philistinism to tion to change in other thought, which what role they are playing in the inter- Few deny that over the three centuries in new, larger, and more stable states, demand that Delft tiles be studied equal- seems to me only part of the story, but pretation of our primary object. In the up to 1800 Eurasia as a whole witnessed to confront a demographic explosion, ly with (let alone instead of) Vermeer’s in relation to change in the society case of ‘early modern knowledge’, the unprecedented developments: the open- a diffusion of new technology, vaster paintings. In terms of method, he reas- and polity within which that thought comparative instances we typically ing of sea passages that were global for movements of people in a newly uni- serts contextualism against reception occurs. Intellectual history is concerned foreground, or at least those that Ben the first time in history, and of networks fied world. How did people experience history – the meaning that counts in with more than speech acts and autho- Elman and I do (see ‘Further Reading’), of trade and commodity-production these transformations in the realm of the author’s intentional meaning – and rial intentions; it is also concerned with are western European, for two, unequal for newly global markets; spectacular thought? That is what we need to dis- the history of ideas against social his- social practices. And its context is more reasons: first, those instances are in the demographic growth (the world’s popu- cover. I think there may be remarkable tory – the impact of a text or the breadth than linguistic and intellectual; it is also heads of those two particular observers, lation doubled); the rise of large stable parallels awaiting discovery, aside from of its dissemination is entirely irrel- institutional and political. and inexpugnably so, when approaching states; the diffusion of new technologies the shocking parallel that the period evant to its intellectual history; in other China and India; they are the embedded (gunpowder, printing) and crops from – empty vestibule, it has been thought, words, the measure of the importance This linkage brings intellectual history comparative other. Second, through the the Americas. If this is a list (borrowed between high tradition and westerniza- of an idea is independent of the power closer to Reinhart Koselleck’s Begriffsge- force of colonialism and modernisation, from John Richards) of what is sup- tion – is all but unstudied everywhere. it historically exerted. Lastly, the under- schichte. This proximity is a good thing. western knowledge in many domains posed to make life ‘modern’ rather than But we should not worry if they are not standing of ideas is not about capturing For starters, intellectual history can has been victorious, and we want to try just new or different, what part of the found. A ‘negative’ outcome, say, of some transhistorical essence of mean- derive support from Koselleck’s argu- to figure out what secured this victory. world failed to experience early moder- stability in the face of dynamic change ing; it must be resolutely historicist and ments for the central place of concep- Yet that is not the only comparative nity? On the other hand, if we descend elsewhere – producing a global version centered on their discursive deployment tualisation in social practices: ‘Nothing move we want to make. Comparison from that broad definition of the early of what Ernst Bloch saw as moderni- in their original context. This alone ena- can occur historically that is not appre- of non-western forms of knowledge in modern to the narrow – the presence ty’s constitutive ‘Gleichzeitigkeit des bles us to see the web of what Skinner hended conceptually.’ In other words, the early modern world has additional of fossil-fuel technology, constitutional Ungleichzeitigen’ (a multiplex simul- describes as the contingencies that pro- you cannot do history and not do intel- goals, to which we can proceed only governance, and religious freedom and taneity of things that are non-simul- duced the understandings with which lectual history. But more than this, there by way of intentionally bracketing the secularisation (Jack Goldstone’s view) taneous) – would be as important as a we ourselves now operate, and to enable is a mutually constitutive relationship western model. The cases that consti- – there will be no case of early moder- ‘positive’ one, since we are interested in us to frame new ones. between the history of thought and the tute the objects of our intellectual history nity aside from Britain. We may instead knowing why people may wish to pre- Now of course these are the ideas that history of social action; social history are forms of systematic thought that are argue that modernity is additionally, or serve forms of knowledge in the face of Quentin Skinner has defended so bril- itself is in part the story of the redefini- found everywhere literate culture itself exclusively, a condition of conscious- changing objects of knowledge no less liantly for the past 40 years. And they tion of the concepts that make present is found. Our comparative intellectual ness. But what kind of consciousness? than in knowing why they may be pre- are good ideas, to be sure – who doesn’t social life intelligible. The way forward history posits the importance of synchro- If we stipulate this a priori in light of pared to change them. accept contextualism these days, if they in both intellectual and social history nicity among these cases but makes no European experience – a new sense of are at all serious about historical knowl- may lie in recognising that we must not a priori claims that synchronicity entails the individual, a new scepticism, a new The life and death of edge? But they are old ideas that have choose – and indeed, typically do not symmetry; in fact, asymmetries are as historical sensibility, to name three intellectual history become static, old answers to old ques- anyway choose – between them. This important and revealing as anything. Master Categories – and go forth to find Probably no subfield of the discipline of tions. Furthermore, they are not the seems to be a lesson the best intellectu- How comparable forms of thought them, we are likely to succeed, since you history has experienced a more precipi- only ones on offer, and the dismissal al historians today have learned without change in time, change differently, or usually find what you are looking for. tous decline in the past generation than of these others may have something perhaps having the faintest idea what do not change at all, and why they do or Or conversely, if we set out to find them intellectual history. In Chinese studies, to do with the gradual erosion of intel- the term Begriffsgeschichte means. do not change, is what this kind of his- – an Indian Montaigne, a Chinese Des- the retreat from intellectual into social lectual history itself for the perception torical inquiry seeks to understand. Not cartes, an Arab Vico – and somehow do history seems widely symptomatic of a is widespread that intellectual history To compare or not is also not only is chronology central to our com- not, well, too bad then, there will be no broader trend. (In Indian studies intel- is arrogantly elitist, brutally historicist, a choice parative practice, but no models should pre-European Asian modernity at all. lectual history never really existed as a narrowly textualist, unreflexively great- Like intellectual history but perhaps be held to be universal, as instances of theorised scholarly practice, so there man-ist (and great-man-ist), and of even more so, comparison in the necessary regularities. On the contrary, A good deal of current discussions of was nothing to retreat from.) Com- course, preternaturally idealist. Some of human sciences experienced a stunning what we want is comparison without early modernity is irrelevant, I suggest, parative intellectual history has fared this critique is clearly unfair – intellec- decline in popularity in the past genera- hegemony. for the purposes of our master class, even worse – in fact, it is hard to claim tual history is by definition concerned tion. The reasons for this, too, are not or even an obstruction; as Frederick the practice even exists in any accept- with texts and ideas, after all – but oth- far to seek. They are related to a gen- It is vitally important that the synchro- Cooper argues, the notion of modernity able, historical form (comparisons of ers hit closer to home. Gadamer, for eral antipathy toward master narratives, nicity grounding comparative intel- has had an important historical role in Shankara and Heidegger, for example, example, makes the reception-history of hard laws, reified categories, which are lectual history contain no necessary making claims, but is virtually useless in this sense fall entirely outside intel- a text an essential – if not the essential – statically unhistorical, falsely evolution- content of this or any other sort. We as an analytic concept. We are therefore lectual history). Notwithstanding the dimension of meaning, and integral to ist, and regressively universalist. Such make no assumption of unidirectional perfectly justified in seeking to under- relative indifference toward it, intel- this process is what he calls the ‘applica- resistance to comparison, however, is change and do not look for it; we make stand how various the world was at the lectual history and what I will suggest tion’ of the text, its truth for us. Foucault based on an overly narrow view of what no assumption of a world system of moment before what would become the is its necessary complement, compara- almost completely erases agents and comparison is for – and perhaps even intellectual modernity in which eve- dominant form of modernity – coloni- tive intellectual history, constitute an their intentions from intellectual his- on an illusion, namely, about whether ryone participated, as some believe al, capitalist, western – achieved global important new horizon on the terrain tory, to say nothing of demonstrating we even have a choice whether or not was the case with the world system ascendancy (even if that question can of early modern Eurasian history and, the value of supplementing the great to compare. In fact, I am becoming per- of capitalism. Indeed, economic and only be posed in the moment after). I would even claim, the foundation for texts with the most pedestrian kinds of suaded not only that we cannot not do intellectual history are not necessarily We can call it ‘early modern’ simply in any future study of modernity or coloni- data. And measuring the importance of intellectual history, but when we do do isomorphic. We might set out to write a the sense of a threshold, where poten- al transformations. We cannot possibly an idea independently of its historical it, it must be comparative. history of early modern capitalism but tially different futures may have been understand what changes colonialism power (though in fact we only read Hob- That comparison is a cognitive neces- it would be wrong-headed to set out to arrested (or retained only as masala for and capitalist modernity wrought in bes because he in fact exerted historical sity is becoming increasingly obvious write a global history of ‘early modern that dominant form). But we can go fur- Asia – in the social, political, scientif- power) is, as Pagden has observed, pre- to scholars, though a full-scale exposi- thought’ as if we knew in advance what ther. Since the material world changed ic, aesthetic or other sphere – without cisely the position that would be contest- tion remains a real desideratum. It is that singular entity was, and as if the dramatically during the few centuries understanding what was there, in the ed by social history, which has sought to not only intrinsic to social analysis but descriptor ‘early modern’ was not just before this threshold, and changed uni- domain of concepts, to be changed. substitute the history of mentalities (the to lived social experience (so Rogers a temporal marker, but also a concep- versally, there is good reason to ask how One measure of the relative health of a real thought worlds of ordinary people) Brubaker). Inequality, for example, is tual marker. This is precisely the defi-
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Comparative Intellectual Histories of Early Modern Asia
nitional trap that we saw lies in wait. to understand the cases under discus- ‘verification’, in the Middle East, and of Angeles: UCLA Asian Pacific Monograph - Sheldon Pollock, The Ends of Man at the Avoiding it and its hegemony means sion, to isolate from the incidental what ‘newness’, navyata, in India; and more, Series, 2001. End of Premodernity. Amsterdam: Royal avoiding the one model of modernity is ‘crucial’ and possibly, though less whether in those histories possibilities - André Gingrich, ed. Anthropology, by Com- Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sci- that chanced to succeed; it means re- likely, what is ‘causal’. for a modernity different from the capi- parison. London: Routledge, 2002. ences, 2005. defining modernity so that it is not The world that intellectuals across the talist variety may once have been con- - Jack Goldstone, ‘The Problem of the “Early - John Richards, ‘Early Modern India and about fossil fuels, parliamentary gov- globe inhabited and sought to know tained. < Modern” World’. Journal of the Economic World History’, Journal of World History, ernment, and secularisation, but a changed indubitably and radically in the and Social History of the Orient 41, 3 (1998): 8, 2 (1997): 197-209. completely open category waiting to be period standardly called early modern. Suggestions for Further Reading 249-83. - Wilhelm Schmidt-Biggemann, ‘Was ist filled with local content generated by The master class participants want to - Peter Baldwin, ‘Comparing and generaliz- - Sudipta Kaviraj, ‘Outline of a revisionist ”Intellectual History”?’, Intellectual News empirical work. know how those intellectuals respond- ing: why all history is comparative, yet no theory of modernity’. European Journal of 1 (1996): 15-17. When we compare the intellectual his- ed, how their responses might compare history is sociology’, in Comparison and Sociology, 46, 3 (2005): 497-526. - Quentin Skinner, ‘On Intellectual History tories of the early modern world, what with each other in different places, how history: Europe in cross-national perspective, - Donald Kelley, ‘Prolegomena to the Study and the History of Books’, in Contributions is it precisely that we want to know similarly or dissimilarly their responses ed. Deborah Cohen and Maura O’Connor. of Intellectual History’. Intellectual News to the History of Concepts 1,1 (2005): 29- or do? Validate a hypothesis over N transformed the great intellectual tradi- New York: Routledge, 2004. 1 (1996): 13-14. 36. cases? Develop causal accounts of big tions to which they were heir. The ques- - Rogers Brubaker, ‘Beyond Comparativ- Anthony Pagden, ‘The Rise and Decline of - Randolph Starn, ‘The Early Modern Mud- structures and processes? Differenti- tion to ask is not ‘How modern is it?’ ism’, Theory and Research in Comparative Intellectual History’. Intellectual News 1 dle’, Journal of Early Modern History 6, 3 ate cases? The first is the goal of com- – that’s the hegemonic comparison we Social Analysis, Department of Sociology, (1996): 14-15. (2002): 296-307. parative history; the second, the goal need to consciously bring to the table UCLA Year 2003 Paper 1, pp. 1-8. of comparative sociology. For us the and examine critically. The question - Frederick Cooper, ‘Modernity’, in Colo- most effective comparative intellectu- to ask instead is whether intellectual nialism in Question: Theory, Knowledge, A number of ideas in the foregoing essay are developed in greater detail in ‘Introduction’, in al histories are going to be of the last modernity may have had different char- History. Berkeley: University of California Forms of Knowledge in Early Modern South Asia, ed. Sheldon Pollock (Durham: Duke U. Press, type, which (as Peter Baldwin explains) acteristics and histories in different Press, 2005. forthcoming) and in ‘Comparison without Hegemony: The Logic and Politics of a Comparative ignores generalisation and seeks to cap- parts of the world, including the history - Benjamin Elman, From Philosophy to Intellectual History of Early Modern India’, in History and Indian Studies, ed. Claude Markovits ture similarities and differences across of kaozheng xue, ‘evidential scholarship’, Philology: Intellectual and Social Aspects et al. (forthcoming). a limited number of instances in order in China, of tajdid, ‘renewal’, and tahqiq, of Change in Late Imperial China. Los Early Modern Classicism and Late Imperial China
Most historians treat late imperial China, 1400-1900, as a time of fading and decay. Indeed, viewed backwards from the Opium War (1839-1842) and Taiping Rebellion (1850-1864), events before 1800 appear to have left China unprepared for modernity. But the 17th and 18th centuries can be considered not only as a ‘late imperial’ prelude to the end of traditional China, but as an ‘early modern’ harbinger of things to come.
Benjamin A. Elman cal scholarship. In contrast to their pred- shared goals, which included the train- ecessors, late imperial literati stressed ing of their successors in scholarly y 1650 leading Chinese literati exacting research, rigorous analysis, academies. Bhad decisively broken with the and the collection of impartial evidence orthodoxy entrenched in official life drawn from ancient artefacts and histor- Classicism and commercial and tipped the balance in favour of ical documents. Personal achievement expansion after 1550 a ‘search for evidence’ as the key to of sagehood was by now an unrealistic Besides academies and patronage, evi- understanding China’s past. Like Ren- aim for the serious classicist. dential scholars also contributed to a aissance Latin philologists, Chinese growing network of bibliophiles, print- philologists exposed inconsistencies in This philological turn represented ers, and booksellers who served their contemporary beliefs. They were also a new, early modern way to verify all expanding fields of research. Libraries prototypes of the modern philologist as knowledge. The creation and evolution and printing were pivotal to the emer- moral reformer – radical conservatives of this new scholarly community led to gence of evidential scholarship in the who attacked the present in the name of fresh intellectual impulses that recast Yangzi delta. Scholars shared a com- the past. As scholarly iconoclasts they the place of the literati scholar from mon experience in acquiring philo- hoped to locate a timeless order in and sagely Mandarin to learned researcher. logical means to achieve classical ends. prior to the classical antiquity of Confu- The major figures called what they This experience touched off differences cius (551-479 B.C.E.). did ‘evidential research’ (kaozheng 考 of opinion and led to reassessments of 證, lit., ‘the search for evidence’), and inherited views. Supported by regional Until 1600, the ideal that motivated for the most part they resided in the commerce and local trade, early modern Chinese literati was sagehood. If every wealthy and sophisticated provinces communications grew out of the pub- literatus was a virtuous exemplar, then in the Yangzi River delta. There they lishing industry in late imperial China. society would prosper. Knowledge was received, rediscovered and transformed As China’s population grew, the reach of equated to action, and political and cul- the classical tradition. the late imperial bureaucracy declined. tural stability depended on each indi- Many literati wondered whether the vidual’s moral rigour. To buttress such Their precise scholarship depended classical orthodoxy still represented uni- claims, Chinese had by 1200 developed on a vibrant commercial and educa- versal principles at a time when goods an interactive account of the heavens, tional environment that rewarded cut- and art were financially converted into earth, and human concerns. Ideally each ting edge classical studies with honour objects of wealth paid for with imported person was a pivotal factor in a morally and prestige. Academic work as colla- silver. Late imperial literati were living just and perfectly rational universe. tors, editors, researchers, or compilers through a decisive shift away from their depended on occupationally defined traditional ideals of sagehood, morality By 1750, however, the heirs of this skills that required thorough mastery and frugality. Landed gentry and mer- entrenched moral orthodoxy formed a of the classical language and a profes- chant elites transmuted the classical relatively secular academic community, sional expertise in textual research. ideal of the impartial investigation of which encouraged (and rewarded with Practitioners were bound together by Setting movable type in the Qianlong Imperial Printing Office. Qinding Wuying dian juzhen ban livelihoods) original and rigorous criti- common elements in education and continued on page 6 > chengshi (Beijing, 1776). Elman, Benjamin A. 2005. On their Own Terms: Science in China, 1550 -1900. p. 18
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Comparative Intellectual Histories of Early Modern Asia continue from page 5 > early modern world. These precocious Occupational prohibitions, which result was a merging of literati and mer- Editions circulated from China to Japan things from moral cultivation into the examinations engendered imperial extended from so-called ‘mean peoples’ chant social strategies and interests. and Korea to Vietnam. A book‑oriented consumption of objects for emotional schools down to the county level, sev- in unclean occupations to all Daoist Although the classically educated exhib- atmosphere conducive to the develop- health and satisfaction. eral centuries before Europe. Because and Buddhist clergy, kept many out of ited a characteristic set of moralistic ment of scholarship emerged from an the classical curriculum was routinised, the examination competition, includ- predispositions favoured in the civil environment of reference books, practi- Antiquarianism drew its strength from however, little actual teaching took place ing all women. Unlike contemporary examinations, alternative and dissenting cal manuals and popular compendia of the economic prosperity that pervaded in these dynastic schools. Ironically, Europe and Japan, where social barri- learning proliferated. Natural studies, knowledge, which aimed at a different the Yangzi delta. On their travels, mer- they became ‘testing centres’ to prepare ers between nobility and commoners particularly medical learning, became a though overlapping audiences of schol- chants and literati searched for ancient for official examinations. Training in prevented the translation of commer- legitimate field of private study when lit- ars, students, householders, literate works of art, early manuscripts, rare edi- both vernacular and classical literacy cial wealth into elite status, landed erati sought alternatives to official careers artisans and merchants. tions and magnificent ceramics. They was left to the private domain. paid extravagant sums when they found For 18th century philologists, descriptive what they wanted. The rise in value of Late imperial civil service examinations examination failures created a vast pool of literary catalogues and annotated bibliographies ancient arts and crafts also stimulat- provided the opportunity for elites and talent that flowed easily into ancillary roles as were essential. Closely linked were the ed imitations, fakes and forgeries of the court to adjust the classical curricu- lists of bronze and stone inscriptions ancient bronzes, jades and ceramics. lum used to select officials. Education novelists, playwrights, pettifoggers, ritual specialists, that enabled scholars to compare their was premised on social distinctions lineage agents and philologists texts with epigraphic relics. Qian Daxin The civil service and between literati, peasants, artisans and (1728-1804), the leading evidential classical literacy merchants in descending order of rank scholar of his age, acquired over 300 Classical learning first reached counties and prestige. Although a test of edu- affluence and commercial wealth in under the Mongols, who curtailed the ancient rubbings of stone inscriptions, and villages in the 15th century, in the cational merit, peasants, petty traders China were intertwined with high examinations after 1280. Critical scholar- spending decades buying, borrowing, form of the empire-wide examination and artisans, who made up 90% of the educational status. The educational ship thrived outside the examination sys- and making rubbings himself. His work curriculum. Thereafter, the new curric- population, were not among those 100 requirement to master non-vernacular tem, most notably in private academies on the variances in the Dynastic Histo- ulum, which required writing classical annual or 25,000 total Qing dynasty classical texts created an educational and lineage schools of classical learning. ries, a project that he completed after 15 essays on the Four Books and Five Clas- (1644-1911) palace graduates. Nor were barrier between those licensed to take Classical literacy, the ability to write ele- years of work, grew out of his epigraphi- sics, attracted the interest of millions they a significant part of the 2.5 mil- examinations and those who were clas- gant essays and poetry, was the crown- cal research. Qian later produced four of examination hopefuls. Civil service lion who failed at lower levels every two sically illiterate. ing achievement for educated men and collections of interpretive notes for his examinations were regularly held in 140 years. Nevertheless, a social by-product increasingly for elite women in the 17th holdings, which by around 1800 totalled prefectures, about 1,350 counties, the was the increasing circulation of lower Well-organised lineages were able to and 18th centuries. They became mem- more than 2,000 items and also benefit- 17 provincial capitals and the imperial elites into the government from gentry, translate their local social and economic bers of a ‘writing elite’ whose essays and ed his academy students. city. Manchu emperors promulgated military and wealthier merchant back- strength into educational success. Lin- poetry marked them as classically trained. civil examinations to cope with ruling grounds. After 1400, sons of such mer- eages formed charitable tax shelters, Even if unable to become an official, the The book trade in China attracted an empire of extraordinary economic chants were legally permitted to take which enhanced their access to family educated man could still publish essays, the interest of scholars from Choson strength undergoing resurgent demo- the civil examinations. In addition, the schools for a classical education. Suc- poetry, novels, medical handbooks, and Korea, who accompanied tribute mis- graphic change. examination failures created a vast pool cess on civil examinations in turn led other works. In addition, he could engage sions to Beijing. Korean scholars had of literary talent that flowed easily into to political and economic power outside in classical research. visited bookstalls in Beijing since the The civil service recruitment system ancillary roles as novelists, playwrights, the lineage. In this manner, merchants Kangxi era (1662-1722), looking for thus achieved a degree of empire-wide pettifoggers, ritual specialists, lineage also became known as cultured patrons By producing too many candidates, the books to send back. A process of cul- standardisation unprecedented in the agents and philologists. of scholarship and publishing. The civil examination market also yielded a tural exchange ensued that linked the broader pool of ‘failures’, who as liter- 18th century Korean ‘Northern School’ [advertisement] ate writers redirected their talents into wave of learning to the Chinese eviden- other areas. Philologists emerged from tial research movement. Several Qing this mix, but at higher levels of classical scholars developed a warm relationship literacy. Often the classical scholar was with the scholars who accompanied the Südostasien aktuell a degree-holder waiting for an appoint- Korean missions to Beijing. Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs ment in a time of excess higher degree- holders. Korea’s bibliographic riches did not match books later recovered from Japan. Call for Papers Print culture and the rise of A Japanese commentary to the Clas- philology sics was presented to China between Südostasien aktuell – Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs is an internationally After 1600, scholarship, book produc- 1731 and 1736 by the Tokugawa sho- refereed academic journal published by the Institute of Asian Affairs (part of GIGA tion, and libraries were at the heart of gun Yoshimune (r.1716-45). It became German Institute of Global and Area Studies), Hamburg. The bimonthly journal focuses China’s cultural fabric. A wider vari- very popular among evidential scholars on current developments in Southeast Asia. It has a circulation of 750 copies and ety of information and knowledge was because it was based on lost Chinese reaches a broad readership in the academia, administration and business circles. available than ever before. Classical con- sources that had survived in the Ashik- Articles to be published should be written in German or English and submitted troversies emboldened revisionist liter- aga shogunate’s (1392-1573) archives. exclusively to this publication. ati-scholars such as Wang Yangming 王 After 1750, Koreans and Japanese 陽明 (1472-1529) to take their predeces- adapted the philological techniques Südostasien aktuell is devoted to the transfer of scholarly insights to a wide audience. sors to task for prioritising knowledge pioneered in China. The topics covered should therefore not only be orientated towards specialists in over morality. His opponents, however, Southeast Asian affairs, but should also be of relevance to readers with a practical shifted to a more rigorous methodology By 1800, publishing and book collect- interest in the region. for extending all knowledge, whether ing, made possible by the spread of The editors welcome contributions on contemporary Southeast Asia that are concerned moral, textual or worldly, under the ban- printing in China, helped produce a dra- with the fields of international relations, politics, economics, society, education, envir- ner of precise scholarship. matic change in the conditions of schol- onment or law. Articles should be theoretically grounded, empirically sound and reflect arly research and teaching. Cutting edge the state of the art in contemporary Southeast Asian studies. Literati revived the classical tradi- literati scholars championed empirical tion through exacting research, which criteria for ascertaining knowledge, but All manuscripts will be peer-reviewed for acceptance. The editors respond within three depended on access to classical sources their cumulative intellectual rebellion months. Research articles should not exceed 10,000 words (incl. footnotes and ref- that were increasingly printed in urban was limited to the exposition via clas- erences). Manuscripts should be submitted to the editors in electronic form: suedost centres for aspiring scholars, exami- sical philology of a new, early modern [email protected]. For detailed submission guidelines see: www.giga- nation failures and lower-brow elites theory of reliable knowledge. The unin- hamburg.de/ifa/stylesheet. anxious to emulate their superiors. In tended consequences of their rebellion the Yangzi delta outstanding xylogra- added weight to the Chinese intellectual Recent topics: phers staffed the printing shops. These revolution after 1900, when all the Clas- ƒ Civil Society under Authoritarian Rule: The Case of Myanmar elite tiers of print culture extended to sics were decanonised. ƒ The Liberalization of Foreign Ownership and Cross-Border M&A in Southeast Asia < the provincial hinterlands, where local since the 1997 Financial Crisis families involved in paper production, Benjamin A. Elman ƒ The Impact of Democratization on the Making of Foreign Policy in Indonesia, Thai- wood-block carving and ink manufac- Departments of East Asian Studies and land and the Philippines. ture helped printers to produce more History paper and books than anywhere else in Princeton University Editors: Marco Bünte • Howard Loewen the world between 1600 and 1800. [email protected] Institute of Asian Affairs GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies Chinese printers early on experimented Rothenbaumchaussee 32 • 20148 Hamburg • Germany with movable type, but xylography was Phone: +49 40 4288740 • Fax: +49 40 4107945 generally more economical. Wood- Website: www.giga-hamburg.de blocks were easily stored and, with rea- sonable care, easily preserved for re-use.
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Comparative Intellectual Histories of Early Modern Asia On Islam and comparative intellectual history
Every culture has to balance innovation and conservation. Most innovations are bad because they are maladaptive, but since a few of them turn out well, absence of innovation in a culture is also maladaptive. The question is where the balance is to be struck, and in the Islamic case the answer was well toward the conservative end of the spectrum.
Michael Cook the ruler of the Moroccan city of Fez, serting norms that divine revelation had in the early modern period. What inter- the frontiers of the Saudi state, the denouncing the orientation of the local established long ago. ests us here is not the school’s logic but views of Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab found little ast June I participated in a very unu- mosques and calling on him to recon- its proud affirmation of its own novelty. favour with the scholars of the day. Lsual assignment at the Internation- struct them. But not all innovative thinkers were so Within the mainstream scholarly culture al Institute for Asian Studies in Leiden. self-effacing. For example, the 17th cen- of Islam at this time, such a self-desig- Nonetheless, the rise of Wahhabism was Our task was to compare the intellectual The scholars of Fez did not appreciate tury Moroccan scholar Yusi, in the con- nation would have been tantamount to arguably an example of a wider trend, a histories of the three major non-western Tajuri’s meddling in their city’s affairs, clusion to one of his works, explains that a badge of dishonour. Not surprisingly, ‘return to the sources’ that was percep- literate traditions in the ‘early modern’ and one of them wrote to refute his the reader should not be put off by the we have no parallel to the New Logic on tible in other regions of the 18th century period (alias the 16th to 18th centuries). Libyan colleague. Of his various argu- unfamiliarity of some of the terms and the Islamic side of the fence. Islamic world. The sources were the Sheldon Pollock, a Sanskritist at Colum- ments, one of the most crushing was distinctions he uses. The reader should Koran and the traditions of the Prophet, bia, was the primary representative of that the orientation of the mosques had understand that Yusi is not the kind of Turning to China in this period, we find in contradistinction to the doctrines of the the Hindu tradition. Benjamin Elman, a been fixed in the 2nd Islamic century, a scholar who merely stitches together a new and probing brand of philological four schools to which the Yemeni Ibn al- historian of East Asia at Princeton, per- time of excellence and virtue. How then what his predecessors have said. In the research transforming the face of schol- Amir had referred. Ibn al-Amir is in fact a formed the same role for the Chinese could the judgment of that epoch be good old days such copycat scholars arship. The Muslim world does indeed good example of this trend. Another is his tradition. My corner of the field was the challenged by that of the 10th Islamic were not taken seriously, but the corrup- possess a long tradition of exact scholar- contemporary Shah Wali Allah of Delhi, Islamic world. In addition, Peter Burke century, so full of evil and ignorance? tion of our age has changed that. Yusi ship – the kind that accurately identifies who saw himself as laying a new founda- was there to provide the perspective of a Who was this presumptuous Libyan to goes on to tell us that the scholars he textual minutiae and preserves them tion for Islamic jurisprudence, character- Europeanist, and several younger schol- say that everyone before him – those competes with – those he regards as his through the centuries. But the remark- ised by knowledge that no one before him ars helped us out in a number of ways. who had fixed the orientation of the peers – are the great names of earlier able feature of Chinese philology in this had demonstrated so well (he mentions mosques and those who had accepted it epochs, men like the 11th century Ghaz- period was its use of such minutiae to a distinguished 13th century scholar as Here is the general issue we addressed, without protest – had been in error? zali and the 14th century Taftazani. Even reach innovative and persuasive his- having ‘failed to realise even a hundredth even if we never came very close to then, he emphasises, he only quotes torical conclusions, in very much the part of this learning’). His idea was to resolving it. All three intellectual tra- The sense of easy victory that went with what they say when he thinks they have same way that modern western schol- unite the two legal schools with which he ditions were profoundly conservative, this mid-16th century letter’s resound- it right. Yusi, then, is quite prepared to arship sometimes does. This is why was familiar in the eastern Islamic world, in the sense that they were strongly ingly conservative sentiment is telling. struggle uphill, though at the same time even present-day students of ancient and then to test their doctrines against inclined to locate authority and virtue Equally indicative is an example from well aware of the punishing gradient. Chinese texts frequently acknowledge the traditions of the Prophet, discarding in the past. Yet during the 16th to 18th the mid-18th century. The Islamic world the research and conclusions of Chi- anything that went against them. This centuries all three were exposed to the of the 1740s was riled by the startling Another example is the 18th century nese scholars writing well before Euro- was not an entirely new ambition, but it initial stages of a development very dif- pronouncements of a certain Muham- Yemeni scholar Ibn al-Amir. His goal pean philological methods had begun was a grand one – and unsurprisingly it ferent from any they had experienced mad ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab, a denizen was to show that even in his own time to influence the indigenous culture. In went nowhere in his time. before: the emergence of the modern of the eastern Arabian desert and the a qualified scholar could judge for him- contrast, no one cites the Muslim schol- world, which was eventually to end the eponymous founder of Wahhabism. He self the reliability of a tradition from the ars of the early modern period in this So the period ends with a commotion intellectual autonomy of each of these claimed to know something none of his Prophet based on the standing of those way. The closest parallel on the Islamic in the backlands and a sprinkling of traditions. In the meantime, did these teachers had known: the meaning of the who had transmitted it in the early side would be Wilferd Madelung’s individual thinkers elsewhere. Now add new circumstances generate any sig- confession, ‘There is no god but God’. Islamic period. He argues his position acknowledgement of the part played the wisdom of hindsight. Over the last nificant convergences among the three nicely: the increasingly sophisticated by the 14th century Damascene scholar two centuries, as the Islamic world has traditions? He’s an ‘innovator’ presentation of the relevant data in the Ibn Taymiyya in recovering the original come under the relentless pressure of Denunciations of the man and his views biographical literature compiled over sense of the doctrine of the ‘uncreated- a global culture of western origin, the Against this background, the theme came thick and fast. A scholar living in the centuries has made it easier, not ness’ of the Koran. But most of what Ibn ideas of such thinkers have come to con- of attitudes to intellectual innovation the same region of Arabia wrote to warn harder, for us to make such judgements Taymiyya wrote, whatever its intellectu- stitute the backbone of its intellectual naturally caught our comparative inter- his colleagues that ‘there has appeared than it was for our predecessors. Yet he al brilliance, was not philology of this resistance. Ultimately, the New Logic of est. In this brief space, I will attempt a in our land an innovator’. Once he had too recognises the gradient he faces: kind. So here, too, we draw a blank. the Hindus contributed nothing to the quick sketch of these attitudes as they labeled Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab an ‘innova- most scholars of the four recognised Hindu revivalism of our times, and Chi- appeared in the Islamic world, followed tor’, the way was open to denounce him Sunni schools of legal doctrine, he tells Wahhabism nese philology did more to subvert the by some bold – not to say crude – com- as ‘ignorant, misguiding, misguided, us, have been very harsh in condemning Now for what we do find. The single classics than to reinstate them. Nobody parative observations. devoid of learning or piety’, the purveyor any claim to independent judgement on most arresting movement in the Islamic in Washington has the slightest interest of ‘scandalous and disgraceful things’. the part of their colleagues. world of the day was undoubtedly Wah- in either of these movements, but the *** Likewise, an Egyptian opponent of Ibn habism. Whether or not we concede its return to the foundations that was stir- ‘Abd al-Wahhab, writing in 1743, asked A strong conservative default thus humble pretension to be nothing but a ring in 18th century Islam is central to its The Islamic world of the sixteenth to rhetorically how it could be permissible characterised the Islamic world’s view reaffirmation of the Prophet Muham- contentious role in the world today. < eighteenth centuries had a strongly for someone in this age of ignorance of intellectual innovation. Nonetheless, mad’s monotheistic message, it repre- conservative orientation toward intel- to discard the views of earlier scholars individual scholars who were sufficient- sented a clear break with the immediate For further reading lectual innovation. One illustration and draw his own inferences from the ly determined could override it. Moreo- past: Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab claimed, after - Cook, Michael. 1992. ‘On the origins of of this conservative attitude involves revealed texts. ‘It is clear’, he wrote, ver, these scholars were not necessarily all, to know what none of his teachers Wahhabism’. Journal of the Royal Asiatic a peculiar feature of early mosques in ‘that good – all of it – lies in following mavericks: both Yusi and Ibn al-Amir had known. Moreover, the significance Society, Third Series, vol. 2, pp. 191-202. the western Islamic world: their ten- those who went before, and evil – all of received ample respect from posterity. of Wahhabism was not just intellectual; - El-Rouayheb, Khaled. 2006. ‘Opening the dency to face south rather than toward it – lies in the innovations of those who What then of whole new movements? it was also political and military, for it Gate of Verification: The Forgotten Arab- Mecca. Nobody knows why this is. But come later.’ Here, comparison becomes intriguing provided the banner under which a new Islamic Florescence of the 17th Century’. would you really want to demolish these and perhaps even rewarding. Let me state and a new order arose in eastern International Journal of Middle East Stud- ancient mosques and rebuild them with In short, innovators faced an uphill start by noting two things that we do not Arabia. But the movement was still a ies, vol. 38, pp. 263-81. a Meccan orientation? This may sound struggle against an easy and powerful find in the Islamic world. geographically marginal one at the end like a rhetorical question, but at one conservative rhetoric. Not that Tajuri of the period that concerns us: the scat- Michael Cook point in the middle of the 16th century and Ibn ‘Abd al-Wahhab would have In India, the emergence of a school of tered oases of Najd were hardly the Mid- Department of Near Eastern Studies it threatened to become more. An irri- described themselves as innovators; in ‘New Logic’ (Navyanyaya) is a striking, dle Eastern equivalent of the Gangetic Princeton University tating Libyan scholar, Tajuri, wrote to their own view they were merely reas- but by no means isolated, phenomenon plain or the Yangtze delta. And beyond [email protected]
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Comparative Intellectual Histories of Early Modern Asia The problem of early modernity in the Sanskrit intellectual tradition
Anyone who aims to discuss the Sanskrit intellectual tradition of the early modern period is required to preface his exposition with two remarks. The first is the typical caution offered by those in a new field of research, though in this case the caution truly has bite. Sanskrit science and scholarship from the 16th through the 18th centuries has only just begun to attract the attention of scholars. In addition, the vast majority of texts have never been published, and some of these are housed in libraries and archives where access is either difficult or impossible. The second remark concerns a rather atypical language restriction on our problematic. In striking contrast to China or the Middle East, while somewhat comparable to Western Europe, India in the early modern period shows a multiplicity of written languages for the cultivation of science and scholarship. But two of these, Sanskrit and Persian, monopolised the field, and did so in ways that were both parallel and nonintersecting. Each constituted the principal language of science for its associated social-religious sphere, while very few scholars were proficient in both (at least aside from mathematicians and astronomers, and even these were very much in the minority). Sanskrit continued its pervasive, age-old dominance in the Hindu scholarly community, and merits consideration as a completely self-contained intellectual formation. With those two clarifications in mind we can proceed to ask what actually occurred in the world of Sanskrit knowledge during the early modern period, and how a comparative analysis may illuminate the general problem of modernity.
Sheldon Pollock example, refers to only one text from systematic practice of observation and and was given canonical authority by the ‘naturall wit’, or talent, required the the entire preceding two centuries. The reason’. Few declarations of this sort had 11th-century thinker Mammata: poetry discipline given by ‘exercise’, imitation What happened in Sanskrit upsurge we see is real. been heard earlier in India. can be produced only given the pres- of classical models, and ‘art’, knowl- intellectual history in the Nor was this trend a matter of mere ence of three co-operating causes: tal- edge of rules for effective expression. early modern period? proliferation of texts. To an important All this changed fundamentally in the ent, learning, and training. For the first A similar and earlier cultural complex Two trends have begun to manifest degree we find intellectual innovation course of the eighteenth century, when time in a thousand years this consen- can be found in France, starting with themselves to scholars working in the was as well. There is, for one thing, a – or such is my present assessment – sus was challenged by a scholar named the Pléiade in the mid-16th century. period, which are gradually hardening new multidisciplinarity on the part of the capacity of Sanskrit thought to make Srivatsalanchana (Orissa, fl. 1550). He And in both cases was the neoclassical into facts. The first is that an extraor- scholars. Earlier hermeneutists never history dramatically diminished in most claimed that talent alone was necessary, view attacked. In France this occurred dinary upsurge in writing across intel- wrote juridical treatises (or scholars of fields. The production of texts on politi- while launching a frontal assault on the famously in the Querelle des anciens et lectual disciplines can be observed jurisprudence hermeneutics), let alone cal theory ceased entirely; a few minor whole conceptual edifice of Mammata, des modernes, with Charles Perrault in beginning in the 16th century. Second, aesthetics; it now became common. In works from Maratha Tanjavur are all we whose views he dismisses, with rare 1688 celebrating inspiration (le génie) a gradual but unmistakable decline set addition, scholars adopted an entirely can find. In hermeneutics the last con- contempt, as ‘completely fatuous’. In and one’s ‘own lights’ (propres lumières) in beginning in the early 18th, which by new discursive idiom, the more abstract tribution of significance – significant in the 17th and early 18th centuries, how- over the doxa of tradition, and, above all, the century’s end had accelerated to the language of the New Logic. Entirely the eyes of the tradition itself – is that of ever, the position of Srivatsalanchana talent over training based on mechani- point where one might be justified in new scholarly genres began to appear: Vancesvara Diksita (Tanjavur, fl. 1800); and his followers was itself the target cal imitation of the classics. speaking of an evaporation of creative in grammar, the Prakriya-kaumudi in literary theory, that of Visvesvara of a withering critique by a number energy in many Sanskrit disciplines. (‘Moonlight of Transformations’, and (Almora, fl. 1725). What we seem to be of scholars such as Bhimasena Diksita If the terms of the debate were nearly its later imitation, the Siddhanta-kau- witnessing – in very marked contrast (Kanyakubja, c. 1720), who vigorously identical, the outcomes and conse- The explosion of writing occurred in mudi, ‘Moonlight of Doctrine’) radically to China or Western Europe – is the sought to reestablish the old consensus quences were fundamentally different. a wide domain of scholarship. Con- redesigned the most hallowed of Indian exhaustion of a once-great intellectual against those they called the navyas, In Europe, the historical development is sider hermeneutics (mimamsa) and intellectual monuments, the two-mil- tradition. the ‘new’ scholars – the term signified well known, leading to a transformation political theory (raja-dharma-sastra). In lennium-old grammar of Panini. At the We are far from satisfactorily explain- something quite different from the of the sense of tradition and the past the former, a burst of writing begins same time (and this is no contradiction), ing either the upsurge and the decline, merely contemporary or present-day – indeed, if Frederic Jameson is correct, around 1550. For example, the premier a new concern with the textuality of the though we can make a much better (adhunika, adyatana) – and this was a it led to the very invention of the idea of compendium on the subject, composed foundational texts (in logic, for exam- guess about the former than about the sobriquet that Srivatsalanchana almost historicism, with the past being neither around 1000 (the Sastra-dipika, ‘Lamp ple) is manifest – though this nowhere latter. It seems to me rather obvious that certainly had claimed for himself. better nor worse, just different. In India, for the Science’), which seems not to reaches the pitch of philological inno- the conditions for unleashing the new If this dispute over the three causes a potentially powerful idea of inspi- have been touched for five centuries, vation we find in late imperial China intellectual energies across the whole of poetic creativity seems minor, the ration outside tradition’s discipline, became the object of sustained reexam- or Humanist Italy. And with it came a range of social formations (from courtly issues it raises for cultural theory are and with it, a potentially transforma- ination, with a half-dozen major reas- return to the sources; hermeneutists, for Tanjavur to free-market Varanasi) were not, something that comparison with tive idea of freedom, died on the vine. sessments between 1550 and 1650. In example, begin to comment again direct- made possible by the Mughal peace, contemporaneous Europe allows us to With one exception, Srivatsalanchana fact, that hundred-year period is prob- ly on the sutras of Jaimini. Most dramati- with the consolidation of the empire by see with special clarity. The compari- had no defenders in the 17th century, ably the most productive era in the his- cally, we find a new historical, perhaps Akbar (r. 1556-1605). As for the decline, son also shows how differently India and was virtually forgotten thereafter tory of hermeneutics since the seventh even historicist, conceptual framework it is far more difficult to explain in either and Europe responded to similar con- – indeed, along with the debate itself. century. In political theory, from the for understanding the development intellectual-historical or social-historical ceptual challenges – and how radically, More generally, the navya impulse time of the Kritya-kalpataru (‘Wishing of the knowledge systems. The late- terms. Internally, we can perceive how after centuries of homomorphism, their itself was largely repudiated. An even Stone of Moral Duty’) at the end of the 17th-century Nyaya-kaustubha (‘Divine a moment of incipient modernity was intellectual histories diverged. more passionate defense of the status 12th century to late 16th only a single, Jewel of Logic’) organizes its exposition neutralized by a kind of neo-tradition- of Mammata, unlike anything seen in minor work in the field was produced by referring to the ‘ancients’, the ‘fol- alism, as I’ll detail momentarily. Exter- In India, the stakes in the dispute were the past, was offered by Bhimasena, (the Raja-niti-ratnakara of Candesvara lowers of the ancients’, the ‘moderns’, nally, the acceleration of a European by no means as slight as they may who asserted that the moderns’ view c. 1400). Beginning in 1575 or so, how- the ‘most up-to-date scholars’, and the colonisation of the Indian imagination, appear to be from our present vantage on talent is ‘mere vaporizing that fails ever, a range of often vast treatises were ‘contemporaries’. Knowledge is thought although still superficial in the 18th point (where most literary stakes seem to understand the hidden intention of composed from within the heart of poli- to be better not just because it may be century, may have played a role, though slight). Everyone participating in the the author, who was an incarnation of ties from Almor in the northern hills to better (because of its greater coherence, this has yet to be clearly demonstrated. Sanskrit conversation clearly under- the Goddess of Speech’. This is more Tanjavur in the peninsula. economy, or explanatory power), but Consider the stunning fact – almost too stood that the rejection of learning and than recentering the authority of the The same kind of uptick, though fol- also in part because it is new. Consider, stunning to be a fact – that before 1800 training and the complete reliance on medieval scholastics; tradition had now lowing a slightly different timeline, can finally, such claims to conceptual nov- we know of not a single thinker writing inspiration was precisely the rejection become the voice of God pronouncing be found in many other domains. Sig- elty that begin to make their appear- in Sanskrit who refers to any European that many vernacular poets had been on matters of culture. And, it suggests nificant new work in logic was sparked ance. Raghunatha defends what he calls form of knowledge. making since at least the 12th century. the presence of something internal, by the searching genius of Raghunatha ‘a philosophical viewpoint that emerges And much of this vernacularity repre- not external, to the Sanskrit intellectual Siromani (c. 1550); in astronomy, too, precisely in opposition to the tenets of Comparison: navyas, les sented, not just an alternative to the formation, however far this something unprecedented contributions were all other viewpoints’, while Dinakara modernes, and the problem Sanskrit language, but to the Sanskrit may still elude our historical recon- made starting with Jnanaraja in 1503. Bhatta (Varanasi, fl. 1620) announces of early modernity in India cultural and political order – indeed, the struction, that arrested the capacity for In these and the other cases I’ve cited, at the beginning of his treatise on The history of Sanskrit knowledge sys- 12th-century Kannada poet Basava is a development by cordoning off the kind we begin to find not just large amounts hermeneutics that he intends to ‘prove tems in the early modern period shows salient example. of critique that had once supplied that of new writing but writing that is sub- by other means, clarify, or even uproot some astonishing parallels with contem- formation’s very life force. stantively new. the thought of the outmoded authori- poraneous Europe. Let me just examine Remarkably similar was the discourse What we may be seeing here is the intel- ties’. A century earlier the astronomer one of these in some detail that in both on the three sources of poetry in Europe lectual dimension of a larger political The trend we see is no mere artifact of Nilakantha Somayaji of Kerala dared to its structure and its consequences is that began in the early 17th century. In transformation. As the early modern preservation. There is no evidence that argue that ‘the astronomical parameters representative of the whole conceptual England this discourse was a basic com- period began and the vast changes in anything substantial in hermeneutics, and models inherited from the texts of complex. ponent of neoclassicism – a neoclassi- wealth arrived, along with the new political theory, logic, or astronomy the past were not in themselves perma- In Sanskrit literary theory a consensus cism that became increasingly reac- Mughal peace, a ‘new intellectual’ was lost in the preceding period. Can- nently correct, but needed constantly to about what made it possible to create tionary especially after 1688 – which movement was emboldened to rethink desvara’s work in political theory, for be improved and corrected based on a poetry had long reigned undisputed, was epitomised by Ben Jonson. For him the whole past. When the Mughal order
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Comparative Intellectual Histories of Early Modern Asia
Cairo Citadel. K.A.C. Creswell Photograph Collection
of Islamic Architecture, Album 16/plate 7, Rare Books
and Special Collections Library, The American University
in Cairo.
began to crack – or perhaps when the new social facts of capitalist-colonial modernity became too much for the earlier conceptual repertoire to capture let alone evaluate – a turn to a new tradi- tionalism was found to be salutary. And traditionalist knowledge has a certain stasis built into it, which may account for the falloff in production we see across the Sanskrit world.
Let me repeat what I alluded to in my opening remarks, that it is only a cer- tain kind of modernity that makes us bemoan what might otherwise be taken as a steady state of civilisational equi- poise: the industrialisation and com- modification of knowledge in western modernity, one could argue, in contrast to the reproduction of artisanal intellec- The historiography of protest tual practices, are merely a result of the ‘everlasting uncertainty and agitation’ that capitalism brought in its wake, not a sine qua non of an intellectual tradi- tion. Moreover – although I cannot go in late Mamluk and into the argument here – the moderni- zation of intellectual life in Europe was a consequence of a widespread dissolu- tion of the previous social, political, and spiritual orders. early Ottoman Egypt and Syria A highly cultivated, and consequen- tial research question for Indian colo- nial history has been well put by David Washbrook: ‘If its long-term relation- History in its various forms – chronicles, biographies and biographical dictionaries – was a favourite ship with India was, at least in part, a condition for the rise of Britain’s Moder- genre in late medieval Egypt and Syria. One of the salient features of these histories is their breadth nity, how far conversely were relations with Britain a condition for India’s of perspective. Matters related to community and urban life including market prices, fires, murders, Traditionality?’ I am beginning to won- der whether the traditionalisation that epidemics, floods and social relations were considered worthy of record. The writers were profoundly Washbrook and others have found to be a hallmark of early colonialism may interested in the events of their times rather than in classical Islamic history. In the absence of archives, have been a practice earlier developed by and later adapted from Indian elites these histories remain our widest windows on medieval Egypt and Syria. themselves. <
Works Referred to: Amina Elbendary Damascene ‘alim, Ahmad Ibn Tawq, it legitimacy through an implicit refer- explain the political negotiation that led - Fredric Jameson, A Singular Modernity. covers many of the same events as ence to their numbers. to its resolution. However, when such London: Verso, 2001. odern scholars have referred the chronicle of the learned scholar protests lacked a clear sense of resist- - Christopher Minkowski, ‘Astronomers Mto Egyptian and Syrian schools Shams al-Din Ibn Tulun but differs in Naturally, the narrative contexts in ing injustice, the rebelling common and their Reasons: Working Paper on Jyo- of medieval historiography. The Egypt style and perspective. Later in the 18th which various historians placed these people were portrayed as ‘mobs’. Such tihsastra’ Journal of Indian Philosophy 30,5 (Cairene) school during the Mam- century, Ahmad al-Budayri al-Hallq, a events differed. Historians of the outbursts were dismissed, their partic- (2002): 495–514. luk period tended to focus on politics Damascene barber, would also write a Cairene school, like Maqrizi and later ipants often not dignified by a proper - David Washbrook, ‘From Comparative of the state and the sultanate. Syrian historical chronicle. In Egypt, military Ibn Iyas, tended to narrate events mention. Despite the disapproval of the Sociology to Global History: Britain and historians allowed more room for the officers who did not enjoy the tradi- within a larger historical drama with writers, such incidents made their way India in the Pre-History of Modernity’, activities of the urban notables, includ- tional education of an ‘alim, such as a particular sultan and his reign at into the chronicles as expressions of Journal of the Economic and Social History ing the ‘ulama (religious scholars) and Ahmad al-Damurdashi, also docu- centre-stage. Protest by the common ‘bad times’ and faulty governing. of the Orient 40, 4 (1997): 410-443. merchants. An interest in popular mented the events of their times. Pop- people was more often than not nar- politics is evident in both schools, but ular histories are noted for their use of rated as a reflection on and reaction to The contextualisation of the politics Sheldon Pollock is more pronounced in the writings the vernacular and their more sharply particular state policies. They viewed of common people is connected to Columbia University, New York. of Syrian historians and predates the defined local perspective that focused provincial history through this same the didactic rationale behind medi- [email protected] Ottoman period. Thus Egyptian histo- on a particular urban network rather imperial lens so that protest in Damas- eval Arabic historiography. History rians such as Taqiyy al-Din al-Maqrizi than high politics. cus was reported as a reflection on was written to teach contemporary (d. 1442) and Muhammad Ibn Iyas (d. state authority. While Egyptian histo- and future generations lessons about ca. 1524) and Syrian historians such The inclusion of more popular elements rians focused firmly on Cairo, Syrian morality and justice. Historians were as Shams al-Din Ibn Tulun (d. 1546) in the subject matter and production of historians aimed squarely at their own making political statements on their A number of ideas in the foregoing article are included in their writings news of a history allow the modern historian to cities – provincial cities rather than present and future by narrating their discussed in greater detail in Sheldon Pollock, wide sector of the urban population. trace elements of the political partici- imperial capitals. own times and the recent past. History The Ends of Man at the End of Premodernity pation of common people. It is more The attitudes of historians towards as a didactic discourse, when applied (Amsterdam: Royal Netherlands Academy of The period witnessed a popularisation often through reports of urban protest urban protest differed. Most did not to contemporary events, often becomes Arts and Sciences, 2005). The website of the of history in various ways. Not only did that common people entered historical disapprove of violent outbursts by the an expression of protest and hence international collaborative research project the subject matter of history include narratives. Historians used the com- common people in defence of reli- potentially subversive. < ‘Sanskrit Knowledge Systems on the Eve of topics of a more popular nature, but mon people differently. Sometimes the gion and justice under the rubric of Colonialism’ contains a great deal of informa- increasingly, and especially in Syria, participation of commoners in urban forbidding wrong, an Islamic duty. Amina Elbendary tion on the issues discussed in this article. See less learned men of the urban com- politics provided opportunities for rhe- Syrian historians were more likely to Faculty of Oriental Studies, www.columbia.edu/itc/mealac/pollock/sks/ munity also took to writing history. torical devices to confirm and stress a offer detailed accounts of such acts of University of Cambridge The diary-like chronicle of the simple historian’s implicit argument, granting protest, identify the participants and [email protected]
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Comparative Intellectual Histories of Early Modern Asia Can we speak of an ‘early modern’ world?
To speak of an ‘early modern’ world raises three awkward problems: the problem of early modernity, the problem of comparison and the problem of globalisation. In what follows, a discussion of these problems will be combined with a case study of the rise of humanism.
Peter Burke (rationality, individualism, capitalism, distance’, it is probably best to describe ered at the end of the 15th century). Fol- The ethical wing has been discussed by and so on). the early modern period as at best a lowing the shock of the French invasion Theodore de Bary and others who note The Concept A major problem is the western ori- time of ‘proto-globalisation’, despite the of Italy in 1494, some leading human- the concern of Confucius (Kongzi) and The concept ‘early modern’ was origi- gin of the conceptual apparatus with increasing importance of connections ists, notably Machiavelli, shifted from a his followers and of ‘neo-confucians’ nally coined in the 1940s to refer to a which we are working. As attempts to between the continents, of economic, concern with ethics to a concern with like Zhu Xi with the ideal man, ‘princely period in European history from about study ‘feudalism’ on a world scale have political and intellectual encounters, politics. man’ or ‘noble person’ (chunzi) and also 1500 to 1750 or 1789. It became widely shown, it is very difficult to avoid circu- not only between the ‘West’ and the On the other side, we find the philolo- with the cultivation of the self (xiushen). accepted by the 1970s in English and larity in this kind of enterprise, defin- ‘rest’, but between Asia and the Ameri- gists. The interest in the revival of antiq- Like the Italians after 1494, some of the other Germanic languages (includ- ing the phenomenon to be studied in cas as well. uity extended to the revival of classical Chinese humanists became more con- ing Dutch). The term is contradictory European terms and then ‘discovering’ There remains the question of stand- Latin. Humanists were well aware of the cerned with politics after the shock of because historians first identified the that it is essentially European. Even ardisation, of the extent to which dif- differences between the Latin of Cicero the fall of the Ming dynasty in 1644. years around 1500 as the rise of ‘moder- apparently unspecific terms such as ferent parts of the world participated and what they considered the ‘corrupt’ The philological wing, previously nity’, and only later applied the term ‘university’, ‘novel’, ‘portrait’, or ‘gram- in common trends. There was indeed a or ‘polluted’ Latin of the Middle Ages. neglected, has been studied by Ben- to the world following the French and mar’ were originally coined with the rise of a ‘world economy’ in this period, Their sense of linguistic anachronism jamin Elman. It was associated with Industrial Revolutions. European experience in mind, with the an increasing dependence of the four enabled the detection of a number the ‘search for evidence’ (kaozheng, a The problem became still more acute consequent danger of forcing Islamic continents on one another. There were of forgeries, as in the famous case of slogan equivalent to ad fontes) and led when the term was extended beyond institutions, Indian artefacts or Chinese similar trends towards political centrali- Lorenzo Valla’s exposure of the text in to an increasing sense of anachronism. Europe to Japan, China, India and so on, texts to fit a western model. sation in Europe and Asia, and a similar which the emperor Constantine alleg- The argument that part of the ‘Docu- a move to combat Eurocentrism which If comparison is risky, lack of compari- ‘general crisis’ in the middle of the 17th edly donated the region around Rome ments Classic’ was forged was made has come to appear Eurocentric. What son is even more dangerous. Take the century. Whether there were common to the pope and his successors. with increasing philological precision. dates can possibly mark the beginning case of another famous sociologist, cultural or intellectual trends in the One of the most famous representa- Again, in Tokugawa Japan there was a and end of an early modern period in Norbert Elias, and his study of what early modern world, or at least in Eura- tives of the ethical wing was Montaigne, movement called ‘the way of ancient world history? he called the ‘Civilising Process’, more sia, is a more difficult question, since whose remarks about the philological learning’ (kogaku), attempting to return In the case of America, as in Europe, exactly the rise in early modern Europe ideas are so closely tied to the languages wing reveal the distance between the to the ideas of Confucius by stripping it is difficult to deny the significance of of social pressures towards increasing in which they are expressed. The follow- two. He once made fun of a human- away neo-confucian commentaries. 1492. The rise of the three ‘gunpow- self-control (linked to the centralisation ing case study is intended as an illustra- ist sitting up at night to study: ‘do you This brief sketch of an attempt to write der empires’ of the Ottomans, Safavids of government). Elias virtually ignored tion of the problems. think he is searching in his books for a the history of three humanisms inevita- and Mughals also support an open- the rest of the world – yet similar pres- way to become better, happier or wiser? bly omits a number of important prob- ing date around 1500 (though 1350 is sures can be found in China, Japan, Java The Three Humanisms Nothing of the kind. He will teach pos- lems. Why was there more of a schol- sometimes suggested, the Black Death and other parts of Asia. This case study concerns what might terity the metre of Plautus’s verses, and arly preoccupation with humanity and having been a Eurasian rather than a There seems no third way, at least at be called the three humanisms: Italian the correct spelling of a Latin word, or philology in these three cultures than purely European disaster). On the other present, between using this western (which became European), Islamic and he will die in the attempt’. elsewhere? How different was the role hand, a number of historians of Africa apparatus of comparison and refusing Chinese. It is an attempt to deparochi- It seems illuminating to speak of of religion in these three cases? What prefer 1600 to 1500 as a turning-point. to compare at all. At the moment, to alise the Renaissance, often viewed as Islamic humanism because the Ara- would it be like to try to apply the princi- In East Asia, too, the great divide runs undertake comparison while remaining part of a triumphal story of the rise of bic keyword adab (variously translated ple of rotation? How illuminating would down the middle of the ‘early modern’ aware of the danger of Eurocentrism ‘Western Civilisation’, as well as to con- as ‘custom’, ‘manners’, ‘civilisation’ or it be to speak of kaozheng in Italy or of period. In China, the time of troubles appears to be the lesser evil. One precau- sider the links between different ele- ‘literature’) corresponds at least roughly the ulema in early modern Europe? < leading to the replacement of the Ming tion that we can take is to follow what ments in what is known as ‘the human- to humanitas. In any case, the Islamic dynasty by the Qing, in 1644, is a much might be called the principle of rotation. ist movement’. world, like Europe, drew on the classi- Suggested Reading more obvious turning-point than the That is, we can take different regions in Italian ‘humanism’ was so named cal tradition, not only in science, but in - Julia Ashtiany et al. (eds.) ‘Abbasid Belles- years around 1500. In the case of Japan, turn as the norm. Bloch discussed to the because the humanists were concerned the humanities as well. For example, Lettres (Cambridge, 1990) the term ‘early modern’ has been used extent to which Japan followed or failed with the studia humanitatis, claiming Aristotle’s Rhetoric and Poetics were - William Theodore de Bary, Self and Society not to replace indigenous dating but as to follow a model of feudalism derived that the study of certain academic sub- well known in the 12th and 13th centu- in Ming Thought (New York, 1970). a synonym for the Tokugawa period, from France, but it is equally legitimate jects (notably rhetoric, ethics, poetry ries CE. - Benjamin A. Elman, From Philosophy to 1600-1868. to discuss whether or not 17th-century and history) could make students more The kinship between Italian and Islam- Philology: Intellectual and Social Aspects of Spain was a ‘closed country’ on the fully human. The humanists them- ic humanism was recognised by at least Change in Late Imperial China (Cambridge, Varieties of Comparative model of Japan in the age of sakoku, or selves were generally employed either one of the Italians. In his Oration on the MA, 1984, 2nd edn Los Angeles, 2001) History to look at the pleasure quarters of early as university teachers or as secretaries Dignity of Man, Pico, who knew a little - Donald Kelley, Foundations of Modern His- When historians of Europe speak about modern Venice or Rome, Paris or Lon- to important people. Their scholar- Arabic, quotes a man he calls ‘Abdala torical Scholarship (New York, 1970) comparison, they often begin by invok- don as western examples of the ‘floating ship was in the service of the revival of the Saracen’ to the effect that nothing - Paul Kristeller, Renaissance Thoughts and ing the French medievalist Marc Bloch, world’ (ukiyo) to be found in Japanese antiquity, whether classical or Chris- is more wonderful than man. ‘Abdala’ its Sources (New York, 1979) who distinguished two kinds, the neigh- cities such as Edm, Kymtm or Osaka. tian. The age of the so-called ‘Fathers is ‘Abd Allah Ibn Qutayba (828-99 CE). - George Makdisi, The Rise of Humanism bourly and the distant. His comparisons of the Church’, such as Augustine and His treatise Adab-al-Katib (‘the book in Classical Islam and the Christian West and contrasts between medieval France Globalisation Jerome), though for some scholars anti- of Adab’) is concerned with rhetoric, (Edinburgh, 1990) and England illustrate the neighbourly The third general problem is that of glo- quarianism, including the collection of with what might be called ‘the culture - Randolph Starn, ‘The Early Modern Mud- approach. Bloch was more sceptical balisation. Is it useful to speak of such ancient statues and coins, was pursued of secretaries’. It resembles the rhetori- dle’, Journal of Early Modern History 6 about distant comparisons, but he did a trend in the early modern period? for its own sake. The humanists both cal treatises of the humanists, though a (2002), 296-307 say something about feudalism in West- Globalisation is often defined in terms preached and practised a return ‘to the few hundred years earlier, and carries ern Europe and Japan. of time-space compression, and in the sources’ (ad fontes), stripping away lay- similar implications about the human- Peter Burke is emeritus professor of cultural Distant comparisons in particular raise early modern period, as the French ers of medieval commentary on Aristo- ising function of the art of speaking and history at Cambridge University and a Fellow problems, as the case of Max Weber historian Fernand Braudel reminds us tle, Roman law and the Bible. writing well. of Emmanuel College. He has been pursu- illustrates. In his day, Weber seemed in his famous book about the Mediter- In practice, the humanist movement The case of Chinese humanism, unlike ing a comparative approach to European to escape Eurocentrism by placing his ranean, distance was public enemy no. was divided. On one side there was that of the Islamic world, presents history since the 1960s, for example in The investigation of the rise of capitalism in 1 and messages from Philip II to the the philosophical or ethical wing, con- similarities rather than connections Renaissance Sense of the Past (1969), Culture an Asian context. Today, by contrast, he Viceroy of Peru might take from six to cerned with what was sometimes called to Italian humanism. The central aim and Society in Renaissance Italy (1972) and is criticised for Eurocentrism because nine months to arrive at their destina- ‘the human condition’ or the ‘dignity of was similar, a return to antiquity (fugu). more recently in A Social History of Knowl- he assessed other cultures in terms of tion, and up to two years from Spain to man’ (the topic of a famous oration by Once again, the movement had two edge (2000). their lack of what the West possessed the Philippines. Given this ‘tyranny of Giovanni Pico della Mirandola, deliv- wings. [email protected]
1 0 IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Comparative Intellectual Histories of Early Modern Asia Opening the gate of verification: intellectual trends in the 17th century Arab-Islamic world
For much of the 20th century, it was widely assumed that early modern Arabic-Islamic civilisation had been in an advanced state of ‘decadence’ or ‘sclerosis’. The ‘golden’ or ‘classical’ age of Arabic-Islamic civilisation had, it was believed, come to an end in the 13th or 14th century, giving way to a ‘dark age’ of intellectual stagnation – an age of ‘imitation and compilation’ – that lasted until the 19th century ‘renaissance’ (nahda). This sad intellectual state of affairs was also thought to mirror an imagined economic and demographic decline attributed to Ottoman (mis)rule and/or shifts in international trade routes.
Khaled El-Rouayheb noted that the Kurdish and Persian of north-west African origin who settled al-Nuri (d.1651) were introduced to Syr- pening of the gate’ of ijtihad has often scholars of his age had a distinct man- in Cairo in the second half of the 17th ian mystics. meant a much more severe assessment his grand narrative reflects the self- ner of conducting scholarly discussions century: of the rational sciences, mysticism and Tpresentation of 19th century West- that heeded the principles of Aristotelian The spread of these mystical orders popular religion than was usual before ern colonialists and 20th century Arab dialectic (adab al-bahth). A 17th century ‘Thus you see that those of them strengthened support for the ‘panthe- the 19th century. The modern propo- nationalists and Islamic modernists and Moroccan pilgrim vividly described a who came to Egypt in the times of ist’ ideas of the Andalusian mystic Ibn nents of ijtihad, as one would expect revivalists, and has little to do with a dis- Kurdish scholar’s teaching style: the teachers of our teachers had few ‘Arabi (d.1240), which had hitherto been from religious revolutionaries, dis- passionate and careful study of the early hadith to relate, and due to them it regarded with caution or outright hos- missed their opponents as unthinking modern period itself. The idea that the ‘His lecture on a topic reminded one of [logic] became popular in Egypt and tility by most Arabic-speaking religious imitators. Less understandable, a host period between 1500 and 1800 was one discussion and parley, for he would say, they [i.e., locals] devoted themselves scholars. This trend may be seen as cul- of modern historians have uncritically of general economic and urban decay “Perhaps this and that”, and, “It seems to studying it, whereas before that minating in the brilliant and influential adopted this partisan view, and hence can no longer be accepted, thanks to the that it is this”, and, “Do you see that time they had only occupied them- works of the Medinan Shattari mystic the very alternative to either unthinking pioneering research of Andre Raymond this can be understood like that?” And selves with it occasionally to sharpen Ibrahim al-Kurani and the Damascene imitation or scripturalist ijtihad was lost. and Antoine Abdel Nour. A closer look if he was questioned on even the slight- their wits’. Naqshbandi mystic ‘Abd al-Ghani al- The concept of ‘verification’ is important at intellectual developments in the Ara- est point he would stop until the matter Nabulusi (d.1731), both of whom wrote in that it shows that there were such bic provinces of the 17th century Otto- was established’. The imams of pantheism several influential apologias for the alternatives, and that ijtihad was by no man Empire will also belie any notions The 17th century also witnessed the unity of existence and other controver- means the sole ‘principle of movement’ of a stagnant and decadent culture just ‘Due to them logic became spread of originally non-Arabic mysti- sial mystical ideas and practices. in Islamic intellectual history. waiting to be ‘revived’ or ‘reformed’. popular in Egypt’ cal orders in the Arabic-speaking lands. At around the same time as the Safa- The Indian Shattari mystic Sibghatallah These three intellectual currents were There is obviously much more to say The way of the Persian and vids were conquering Azerbaijan and al-Barwaji (d.1606), for example, settled independent of each other. They could about these intellectual currents, but Kurdish verifying scholars Shirwan, Morocco fell into political in Medina towards the end of his life. at times be mutually reinforcing: the their very existence suggests that further In the first decade of the 17th century, turmoil as the Sa‘dian dynasty came He and his disciples brought with them works of the 15th century Persian research into Arabic-Islamic intellec- the Persian Safavids managed to wrest to an end. Several scholars from the a number of Shattari mystical works, scholars Jami and Dawani, for exam- tual life in the early modern period will Azerbaijan and Shirwan from the Otto- region went eastward, also bringing such as Ghawth Gwaliori’s al-Jawahir ple, were often cited by later mystical show that these centuries are ‘dark’ only mans, thus sparking off a westward exo- with them local scholarly handbooks. al-khams, which introduced Indian supporters of the idea of the unity of because modern historians have for so dus of Sunni Azeri and Kurdish schol- These included the theological and astral-yogic ideas, and Burhanpuri’s existence such as Kurani and Nabulusi. long insisted on looking elsewhere. < ars. They brought with them scholarly logical works of Muhammad ibn Yusuf al-Tuhfa al-mursala, which defended However, the trends could also conflict, handbooks on ‘rational sciences’ such al-Sanusi (d.1490), with the glosses of the controversial pantheist idea of the with mystics criticising excessive preoc- For further reading as logic, dialectic, grammar, seman- later north-west African scholars such ‘unity of existence’. In Medina Barwaji cupation with the rational sciences, and - Saunders, J. J. 1963. ‘The Problem of tics-rhetoric, and theology by 15th and as ‘Isa al-Sugtani (d.1651), Yahya al- started a line of Shattari mystics, the staunchly Ash’arite north-west African Islamic Decadence’. Journal of World His- 16th century Persianate scholars such Shawi (d.1685) and al-Hasan al-Yusi most illustrious of whom were Ahmad theologians condemning the ideas of tory 7. (An example of the older approach as Jami (d.1492), Dawani (d.1501) and (d.1691). Sanusi and his later commen- al-Qushashi (d.1661) – referred to by the Medinan Shattari mystics like Kura- that assumed that the early modern ‘Isam al-Din al-Isfara’ini (d.1537). The tators shared with their Persian and the previously mentioned Damascene ni. Together, however, the trends belie Islamic world was ‘decadent’ and offered impact of the introduction of these Kurdish colleagues a disparagement of scholar Muhibbi as ‘the leader (Imam) the idea that the intellectual climate of ‘explanations’ for this supposed fact.) new works is reflected in the following ‘imitation’ and an emphasis on ‘veri- of those who expound the unity of exist- the 17th century Arabic-Islamic world - Raymond, Andre. 1980. ‘The Ottoman passage by the Damascene scholar al- fication’. Again, ‘verification’ to these ence’ – and his disciple Ibrahim al- was moribund and stagnant, passively Conquest and the Development of the Muhibbi (d.1699), writing about a Kurd- scholars meant something more spe- Kurani (d. 1690). awaiting a ‘revival’ or ‘reawakening’ in Great Arab Towns’. International Journal of ish scholar who settled in Damascus in cific than simply ‘providing evidence’. the 18th or 19th century. Turkish Studies 1. (A seminal article show- the first decade of the 17th century: In Sanusi’s theological works, for exam- Another Indian mystic who settled in ing that the early modern period was not, ple, the emphasis on ‘verification’ went the Holy Cities in the early 17th century The dismal view of pre-19th century as had been widely assumed, a period of ‘He mostly taught the books of the hand in hand with the adoption of Aris- was the Naqshbandi mystic Taj al-Din intellectual and cultural life was part economic decline and urban decay.) Persians, and he was the first to totelian modal concepts and syllogistic al-‘Uthmani (d.1640). Taj al-Din also of the political and religious outlook - Peters, R. 1980. ‘Idjtihad and Taqlid in acquaint the students of Damascus argument forms when expounding and introduced works peculiar to his order, of modern self-styled ‘revivers’ of the 18th and 19th Century Islam’. Die Welt des with these books, and he imparted defending the principles of Ash‘ari the- such as the hagiographical collections Islamic world. For such thinkers, the Islams 20. (A discussion of the use of the to them the ability to read and teach ology that tried to strike a middle ground Nafahat al-uns of Jami and Rashahat emphasis was not on ‘verification’ but concept of ijtihad by various revivalist cur- them. It is from him that the gate between what it saw as the unbridled ‘ayn al-hayat of Kashifi, both of which ijtihad – a concept that has been much rents in the 18th and 19th centuries.) of tahqiq in Damascus was opened. rationalism of the Islamic Neo-Platon- he translated from Persian into Arabic misunderstood through its appropria- - El-Rouayheb, Khaled. 2006. ‘Opening the This is what we have heard our ists and the obscurantist fideism of the for the benefit of his Arabic disciples. tion as a battle-cry by various reformist Gate of Verification: The Forgotten Arab- teachers say’. traditionalists. and revivalist currents in the modern Islamic Florescence of the Seventeenth The Khalwati order was also spilling Islamic world. The word lexically means Century’. International Journal of Middle The term tahqiq lexically means ‘verifi- The impact of this eastward move- over from Anatolia to Syria in this ‘exertion of effort’, but it was used in a East Studies 38. (Deals at greater length cation’ and was often juxtaposed with ment of north-west African logician- period. It spread amongst Damascene much more specific and controversial with the topic of the present article.) ‘imitation’ (taqlid), ie, accepting scholarly theologians can be gauged from a state- scholars owing to the efforts of a Kurd- sense by modern reformers and revival- propositions without knowing their evi- ment made by the Cairo-based scholar ish immigrant from Gaziantep, Ahmad ists: as a license to disregard legal prece- Khaled El-Rouayheb dential basis. In the present context the Muhammad Murtada al-Zabidi (d.1791). al-‘Usali (d. 1639). Perhaps through dent and return to the scriptural sources Department of Near Eastern Languages and term meant something somewhat more Zabidi complained about his Egyptian this channel, the works of Turkish Kha- of Islamic law. In many, perhaps most Civilizations specific: verifying scholarly propositions contemporaries’ enthusiasm for logic lwati mystics such as ‘Aziz Mahmud cases, the rationale was ‘fundamentalist’ Harvard University in a particular way. Muhibbi elsewhere and traced this enthusiasm to scholars al-Uskudari (d.1628) and ‘Abd al-Ahad rather than ‘modernist’, and the ‘reo- [email protected]
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 1 1 > Comparative Intellectual Histories of Early Modern Asia Early modern Sanskrit thought and the quest for a perfect understanding of property
In Sanskrit discourse, discussions about property and ownership traditionally belonged to two disciplines: hermeneutics (mimamsa) and moral-legal science (dharma-sastra). Scholars of hermeneutics tended to ponder the question of what motivated people to acquire and alienate property, and scholars of moral-legal science contemplated exactly how people did acquire, use and alienate property. Beginning in the 16th century, however, a remarkable disciplinary shift occurred.
Ethan Kroll vide sufficient answers to questions Raghunatha wanted to impress upon his moral-legal science Nilakantha Bhatta series of essays devoted to demonstrating such as how we knew property to be audience that an object’s status as prop- and Mitra Misra; the hermeneutist the logically sound – and, in the view of group of scholars of what was property and an owner to be an owner. erty could not depend upon its potential Kamalakara Bhatta; and the Jain logi- the new logicians, correct – understand- A termed ‘new logic’ (navya-nyaya) In the eyes of a group of philosophers for use, much as a person’s status as an cian Yasovijaya. These philosophers ing of contentious legal topics. established a movement devoted to specialising in the emerging discipline owner could not depend on his capac- were pre-eminent in their fields, and the analysis of property, ownership, of new logic, however, the characterisa- ity to use. Instead, our knowledge of an it is telling that they all deemed work It appears that the composition of such inheritance and a wide range of other tion of universal concepts through legal owner and his property had to be inde- on a theory of property and ownership treatises continued into and beyond the aspects of civil law. They reasoned that particulars proved unsatisfactory. pendent of any activity on the part of to be professionally and intellectually 18th century, and there are numerous both hermeneutics and moral-legal sci- either the person owning or the object worthwhile. essay-style works from the 18th and ence had been addressing legal matters New logic and the owned. Raghunatha argued that the 19th centuries on individual legal topics by using terms and concepts that were development of easiest solution was to root our entire Increasing interest in property and that remain in manuscript form. Judg- essentially undefined. It was very nice a philosophy of law knowledge of property and ownership ownership did not, however, lead to a ing from the Svatvarahasya, it would to explain how or why people became The landmark Tattva-cinta-mani (The in the objective authority of the corpus conclusive definition of the two con- seem that the Sanskrit philosophy of owners of property, but what did ‘being Philosopher’s Stone for the Real Nature of works on moral-legal science. In this cepts. Instead, 17th and 18th century law was well beyond its infancy, and it an owner’ actually mean? If we were to of the Material World) of Gangesa way, we would recognise as ‘property’ scholars of new logic, moral-legal sci- is reasonable to conjecture that subse- see two men, each holding a ball, and Upadhyaya (fl. late 13th c.) had encour- and ‘owner’ what moral-legal science ence and hermeneutics demonstrated quent work would have continued the knew that only one man owned his ball, aged scholars of new logic to develop a called property and whom it called an their ingenuity by constructing unique Svatvarahasya’s methodological trend. what, precisely, would allow us to dis- vocabulary of Sanskrit terms infused owner. Yet Raghunatha also recognised approaches to the matter. Their pursuit cern one man as the owner of his ball with highly technical meanings with that property and ownership existed out- of originality led them to reject or mod- The Sanskrit philosophy of law was and the other man as not owning his which they could construct precise and side the confines of moral-legal science. ify the views of both prior and contem- a remarkable development that mir- ball? The new logicians determined that accurate characterisations of what peo- To this end, he suggested that property porary thinkers in order to distinguish rored a period of renewed creativity in they could use the discursive method ple actually knew and how they knew and ownership were characterised themselves as singularly capable of solv- Sanskrit thought. Its evolution, from peculiar to their philosophical system to it.2 These new logicians distanced the world over by the cause and effect ing what appeared to be an intractable a subject of limited interest to a small resolve such questions. Their efforts cre- themselves from the ‘old’ logic, which relationship. Certain events, such as problem. In addition, the Sanskrit phi- number of new logicians into an intel- ated what I call the Sanskrit philosophy had focused on a broad range of issues purchase, resulted in the production of losophy of law had become an increas- lectual movement that elicited the of law, a new branch of Sanskrit thought unrelated to epistemological concerns, ownership, just as certain other events, ingly interdisciplinary enterprise, and contributions of leading scholars from devoted exclusively to the understand- and they tended to privilege views that such as sale, resulted in the destruction doctrinal differences often rendered multiple disciplines, has been a focus of ing of those concepts intrinsic to legal belonged to proponents of ‘new’ (navya), of that ownership. Property and owner- competing characterisations of property my dissertation. To this end, I have been doctrine.1 or ‘very new’ (atinavina), ideas. While ship could then be viewed as the results and ownership incompatible. engaged in preparing translations and the new logicians developed original of this causal framework, and knowl- analyses of those texts that constitute ‘Property’: a universal approaches to old problems, they were edge of the causes themselves would be Of perhaps greater interest is that schol- the Sanskrit philosophy of law. It is my concept equally determined to explore new derived from the local laws in force. arship of the 17th and 18th centuries hope that their eventual publication will The emergence of this Sanskrit phi- philosophical territory. In particular, expanded the examination of property lead to further inquiry into a neglected losophy of law depended first on a late- they were captivated by the question of Raghunatha cleverly avoided defining and ownership to include a wide range area of intellectual history. < 11th century ascetic named Vijnanes- how human beings actually recognised property and ownership per se. But his of legal phenomena. Jayarama, writ- vara. In a groundbreaking work of owners and property as such. Gangesa’s successor, the 16th c. scholar Rama- ing in his Karakavyakhya (An Expla- Notes moral-legal science entitled Mitaksara own son, the 14th century philosopher bhadra Sarvabhauma, was willing to nation of Grammatical Case-Relation- 1. The first, and only, western scholar to have (The Breviloquent), Vijnanesvara con- Vardhamana Upadhyaya, may have argue that linguistic expressions such ships), asked whether ‘sale’ and ‘barter’ discussed this matter at length is J. Dun- cluded that property was a universal been the first writer on new logic to as ‘John’s horse’ caused us to recognise were really conceptually identical, and can M. Derrett. My overview is indebted to concept. He noted that ‘people who live think about such issues, and he was the presence of a relationship through Gokulanatha, writing in his Nyayasid- his ‘Svatva Rahasyam: A 17th-Century Con- beyond [our] borders, who are unaware soon accompanied by such luminaries which John and the horse assumed the dhantatattvaviveka (A Meditation on the tribution to Logic and Law’ and ‘The Devel- of the practices [discussed] by works of as Sankara Misra (15th c.) and Raghu- new and mutually dependent identi- Truth about the Established Conclu- opment of the Concept of Property in India moral-legal science, nevertheless make natha Siromani (16th c.). ties of ‘owner’ and ‘property’. What sions of the System of Logic), explored c. A.D. 800-1800’, in Derrett, J. Duncan M. use of the concept of property, because remained in question was how, precise- how gambling contests resulted in the Essays in Classical and Modern Hindu Law, we see that they buy and sell [things]’. Raghunatha must be credited with ly, this relationship functioned. destruction of the loser’s ownership and v. I & II. 1976-1977. Leiden: E. J. Brill. Specific laws could, and, in fact, did, establishing property and ownership the creation of the winner’s. 2. For a good overview of nyaya, see: Matilal, differ from place to place, but the basic as canonical concerns for new logic. The maturation of the Bimal Krishna. 1998. The Character of Logic conceptions behind these differing In a work he called the Pada-artha-tat- philosophy of law The 17th century also witnessed the in India. Albany: State University of New laws remained constant. The notions tva-nirupana (An Investigation into the The 17th and early 18th centuries wit- emergence of a genre of juridico-philo- York Press. For a survey of early navya- of property and ownership could not, True Nature of Conceptual Categories), nessed an explosion of activity, as the sophical treatises that used the method- nyaya, see: Potter, Karl and Sibajiban Bhat- therefore, be traced to some specific, Raghunatha noted that previous schol- work of both Raghunatha and Rama- ology of new logic to address legal con- tacharyya, eds. 1993. Encyclopedia of Indian authoritative text or oral work, but had ars had made the grievous error of try- bhadra provoked new logicians and, cerns. The most significant of these was Philosophies, v. 6. Delhi: Motilal Banarsi- to exist in the world of shared human ing to understand property and owner- to a lesser extent, hermeneutists and the curiously anonymous Svatvarahasya dass. Still an excellent guide to the history experience. ship in terms of an object’s capacity for scholars of moral-legal science to (The Mystery of the Proprietary Relation- of both nyaya and navya-nyaya is: Mishra, legitimate employment. Such reason- construct definitions of property and ship). Gifts, inheritance and religious Umesha. 1966. History of Indian Philosophy. For Vijnanesvara, property and own- ing allowed us to discern a man who ownership. Those involved in this offerings had been the subject of innu- Allahabad: Tirabhukti Publications. ership achieved their full expression ate someone else’s food as the owner endeavour included the era’s brightest merable disagreements among schol- within the total ambit of a property law of that food, which meant there was no minds in Sanskrit thought, such as the ars of moral-legal science, and either a Ethan Kroll that was temporally and regionally cir- reason for us not to attribute ownership new logicians Gadadhara Bhattacarya, new logician or a group of new logicians PhD candidate cumscribed. As a result, established to thieves who made appropriate use of Jayarama Nyayapancanana and Goku- determined to resolve them. He, or they, University of Chicago legal practices and dictates would pro- their stolen goods. lanatha Upadhyaya; the specialists in thus composed the Svatvarahasya, a [email protected]
1 2 IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Comparative Intellectual Histories of Early Modern Asia
A stone relief in the wall of Bijapur city of the year 1658/9, when a large campaign was mounted against Shivaji. The elephant symbolises darkness and the enemy, the lion the royal house of Bijapur and the monkey perhaps political cunning or stratagem, as it does in several stories of the time.
Photo taken by author, December 2003 Saying one thing, doing another? Political consciousness and conscious politics in 17th-century India
By investigating the place where mentality, or doxa (or whatever one likes to call the universe of unconscious or semi-conscious practice) meets the universe of consciousness and reflexive action, my paper aimed to address one of the challenges Sheldon Pollock posed for the masterclass: to integrate social and intellectual history.
Gijs Kruijtzer textual representations. But let’s for a policy, which can only have been prem- scholars (eg, Cohn 1992:169) to have or refrained from deception, and were moment go with all those historians ised on the idea that people might be misconstrued the acts of gift-giving that conscious of the exchange mechanism s Anthony Pagden (1996) notes, who, implicitly or explicitly, contrast willing to act on that appeal. The case of were so prominent in court life as mere of gift giving. In short, consciousness Aa view established itself in (intel- practice with ideology. Nasir Muhammad, an African Muslim exchanges of goods for favours. But per- was the salt in the pie of politics. < lectual) history from the 1960s onwards who handed a fortress to Shivaji so that haps those Europeans not so much saw that the things past agents held in their Shivaji co-opted a centuries-old dis- it would not fall to the Afghans, brings things differently as wrote things differ- References heads were ‘generally unexamined, course of Deccani patriotism and gave a this point home vividly. ently. As Bourdieu remarks, ‘in order - Bayly, Chris A. 1998. Origins of Nationality unreflected-upon, and frequently new lease of life to both its unifying and for the system to work, the agents must in South Asia: Patriotism and Ethical Gov- imposed’. Though in the field of west- divisive strands. This discourse had orig- The question remains whether Shiva- not be entirely unaware of the truth of ernment in the Making of Modern India. ern history this trend may be in decline, inated among Muslims of the Deccan, ji’s Deccani patriotism was heartfelt or their exchanges…while at the same time Oxford: Oxford University Press. in Indian history, as practiced in west- who could not or would not lay claim to a ruse. On this question of deception, they must refuse to know and above all - Bourdieu, Pierre, 1977. Outline of a Theory ern academia, it still rules supreme, a foreign origin and instead exalted the also highly relevant to the investigation to recognise it’ (1977:5-6). Beside all of Practice. Cambridge: Cambridge Univer- with the pre-colonial period represented Deccan, roughly central India, as their of consciousness, the various compen- the connotations of honour there was sity Press. as a state of semi-consciousness and the homeland. (There was some discussion dia of letters of Shivaji’s arch-enemy, the a plain-for-all-to-see economic aspect to - Cohn, Bernard S. 1992. ‘Represent- colonial period as a ‘rude awakening’ – after the paper over whether the term Emperor Aurangzeb, may shed some gift-giving at the Mughal court. At the ing Authority in Victorian India’. Eric an idea that has trickled down to works patriotism is appropriate to the 17th cen- light. In the 1670s Aurangzeb is sup- time of Aurangzeb all gifts were valued Hobsbawn and Terence Ranger, eds. The of fiction like the recent film Mangal tury, but the author agrees with Bayly posed to have written ‘one cannot rule as they were brought into the court and Invention of Tradition. Cambridge: Cam- Pandey and Amitav Ghosh’s novel The (1998) who argues that it is.) without practicing deception’, with two a receipt was given the donor, and a cen- bridge University Press. Glass Palace. quotations from the Quran to support tury earlier one finds a miniature to the - Kruijtzer, Gijs. Forthcoming. Indian Xeno- Evidence, too long to cite here but dis- that view. But at times he also expressed authorised history of the rule of Emper- phobias: Progressions of Consciousness in Take the contentious case of Shivaji, the cussed at length in Kruijtzer (forthcom- dismay over deceit and is supposed to or Akbar in which a scribe is carefully the Seventeenth-Century Deccan. PhD the- warrior turned great king of the third ing), shows that Shivaji appealed to have written towards the end of his life, recording the gifts brought upon the sis, Leiden University. quarter of the 17th century. As a thought this idea of the Deccan as a patria and ‘God willing up to the day of my removal birth of an imperial heir. (I thank S.R. - Pagden, Anthony. ‘The Rise and Decline experiment, we can try and disentangle excluded from it the Afghans who were to the eternal home, there will be no dif- Sarma for drawing attention to this of Intellectual History’. Intellectual News, his ideology from his practice to see if partly in control of the state of Bijapur, ference between my words and acts’. miniature at the session.) Autumn 1996: 14-5. they match. This can be no more than a but included Marathas, Deccani Mus- thought experiment as, it must be noted lims, Muslims of African origin and the Finally, my paper turned to the issue In conclusion it may be said that 17th Gijs Kruijtzer here, there is no way to disentangle his Sultan of Golkonda. What matters here of collective self-deception through the century Indian statesmen consciously PhD candidate ideologies and practices given that we is that Shivaji deemed an appeal to Dec- case of gift-giving. Contemporary Euro- employed and responded to ideolo- Leiden University have access to his actions only through cani patriotism a useful instrument of peans are supposed by some modern gies, consciously deceived each other [email protected]
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 1 3 > Research Empires and exact sciences in pre-modern Eurasia
Pre-modern Asia’s diverse intellectual traditions shared a scientific enterprise in the development of mathematical astronomy and astrology. Inspired by the prospect of foretelling the future, and by the mathematical beauty of heavenly motions, scholars in the dominant cultures of Asia and Europe constructed a remarkably complex system of calculation, observation and prediction that became the springboard for modern physical science.
and conjunctions of planets were mes- sages from the gods to the rulers of humanity, warning them of crises and trials to come. This belief persisted even as Babylonian scribes grew more skilled at describing the periodic recurrences of such phenomena mathematically. Even when sophisticated late Babylonian mathematical astronomy had made the apparent cycles of the heavens almost completely predictable, astronomers Figure 1: The zodiacal signs Virgo and Pisces in Japanese Buddhist astrology. still took their ominous significance Photographs from Yano 2004, used with permission. very seriously.
But by then Mesopotamia was under Kim Plofker astronomy under the name ‘science’. the control of the Persian and Macedo- Astrology has been excluded from that nian empires, who took little interest in he global diffusion of scientific status by the modern definition of scien- celestial warnings from Babylonian dei- Tideas is sometimes regarded as an tific method and is nowadays decisively ties. So the astronomers turned to fore- exclusively modern phenomenon; but classed as a pseudoscience. However, casting the future for individual patrons the ancient and medieval history of sci- in earlier times it was considered one rather than for the state. They appear to ence in Europe and Asia, where imperial of the standard quantitative systems for have invented the concept of the horo- power often served as the transmission understanding the physical world – the scope, a prediction of the fate of an indi- vector for scientific theories, contradicts so-called ‘exact sciences’ – and most vidual based on the positions of the stars this notion. mathematicians and astronomers were and planets at the moment of his or her astrologers as well. birth. The allure of such glimpses into Reading the future in the future launched the disciplines of the skies The Babylonians of the early second mathematical astronomy and astrology It may startle the modern reader to see millennium BCE believed that certain on their far-flung wanderings through astrology lumped with mathematics and celestial phenomena such as eclipses the subsequent millennia.
Dissemination of exact
- - - sciences Greek scholars encountered Babylo- nian astronomy and celestial omens in Ptolemaic Egypt in the second half of the first millennium BCE. They super- imposed the spherical cosmology of Figure 2: A diagram of the celestial spheres in an Indo-Arabic manuscript. their own philosophical systems onto Photograph by the author. some of the Babylonian algorithmic schemes for mathematically predicting single maiden representing the sign ogy of nested heavenly spheres derived astronomical phenomena. This combi- Virgo has become two, and the two fish ultimately from Greek philosophy. In nation developed over the next few cen- representing Pisces have become one.) the western world, such interactions turies into the famous system of nested between variant traditions helped form celestial spheres, all revolving around a The rise and expansion of Islam in the the Renaissance science that eventu- stationary spherical earth, that we know 7th century continued the development ally replaced the Ptolemaic systems as ‘Ptolemaic’ astronomy. and transmission of the exact sciences. of astronomy and astrology with the In addition to many influences from heliocentric cosmos of early modern The geometrised Ptolemaic universe India and Sassanian Iran (such as the astronomers like Copernicus, Kepler served as the model for probably the decimal place-value numerals and vari- and Newton. < most important scientific instrument ous mathematical, astronomical and of pre-modern times, the plane astro- astrological methods), science in the Bibliography labe (see sidebar). Greek science also Islamic world incorporated the Hellen- - Burnett, Charles et al. 2004. Studies in the
Theastrolabe planeTheastrolabe inventedwasHellenisticin Greecesphereitsof(or ingeniousof forman is Itlost. areorigin its detailsofinfluence), the but analoguecomputerpredicting for appearancetheheavens theany ofat given time, or conversely for telling time from the observed positions of the heavenly bodies. In an astrolabe, the zenith, horizon and other reference points for a particular terrestrial latitude are mathematically sphericalthe as way same the much in plate,circular flat a ontomapped openworkansurface. Thenflat a ontomapped be canearth the ofglobe latticeshowingpositionsthe platetheoffixed topthe laidstars onofis so that it can turn freely. As the lattice turns, it mimics in two-dimen sionalformtherising andsetting starsof and their changing positions earthrotates.thecorrespondingtimeTheas sky particular theany in to configurationheavenstheofgraduatedtheread onbecan scaletheon astrolabe’scircular rim. EuroIslamic,andIndianAstrolabesinprized greatly admiredandwere pean astronomy, often as objects of artistic beauty and as useful sci entific tools. Figure 3 shows a (somewhat dilapidated) astrolabe with charming bird-shaped star-pointers, constructed inastrolabe Indiawas known inSanskrit aswhereyantra-raja, ‘king theofinstruments’. adopted Babylonian ‘proto-horoscopes’ istic Greek theories of ancient authors History of the Exact Sciences in Honour of and expanded them into a full-blown such as Euclid, Archimedes and Ptole- David Pingree. Leiden: Brill. system of horoscopic astrology. my. Embodied mostly in Arabic and - Pingree, David. 1997. From Astral Omens Persian texts, these new syntheses of to Astrology, from Babylon to Rome. Rome: In the flourishing trade of the Roman mathematical astronomy and astrol- Istituto Italiano per l’Africa e l’Oriente. empire in the early first millennium CE, ogy were carried to India, Central Asia, - Yano, Michio. 2004. Hoshi-uranai no the Hellenistic exact sciences spread China, Byzantium and the Latin West. Bunka-koryu-shi (Historical Accounts of eastward to India, where they developed There they came into contact with dif- Cultural Exchanges in Astrology). Tokyo: into the astrology and spherical astron- ferent versions of the exact-sciences tra- Keiso Shobo. omy of the classical Sanskrit tradition. dition, sometimes stimulating efforts These Indian sciences then rippled out- by scientists to compare, assess and Kim Plofker just completed a two-year fel- ward to enrich the astral knowledge of reconcile their variants. lowship at the Mathematics Institute of the cultures in pre-Islamic Iran, China and University of Utrecht and IIAS. Her book Southeast Asia. Figure 2 shows an example of one of on the history of mathematical sciences in these second millennium cross-cultural India is forthcoming from Princeton Univer- The complex multi-cultural layering of transmissions: an Arabic manuscript, sity Press. such knowledge is illustrated in Figure written in India, explains the cosmol- [email protected] 1, which shows the iconography of the zodiacal signs Virgo and Pisces as rep- The seminar ‘Empires and Exact Sciences in Pre-modern Eurasia’ was held in Leiden, 29-30 resented in a mandala in the Toji temple May 2006, in memory of one of the 20th century’s leading scholars of the cross-cultural devel- Figure 3: in Kyoto. Here we see Japanese versions opment of pre-modern science, David Pingree. It was sponsored by CNWS, Brill Academic A second millennium of Chinese versions of Indian versions Publishers and IIAS. For the program and participants see: www.iias.nl/iias/show/id=53893. Sanskrit astrolabe from India. of the signs of the celestial zodiac adapt- The proceedings will be published in a forthcoming issue of the journal East and West of the Photograph by Alexander Walland. ed by Greeks from its original Babylo- Istituto Italiano per l’Africa e l’Oriente in Rome. nian form. (Note that in the process the
1 4 IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Research Fiction is philosophy: interview with Lulu Wang
Lulu Wang (Beijing, 1960) studied English language and literature at Beijing University, became a teacher at the same university after graduation, and moved to the Netherlands in 1986, where she taught Chinese at the Hogeschool van Maastricht. She spoke Dutch within a year and began to write it soon after, first short stories and then a novel, which took seven years to complete. The Lily Theater (Het lelietheater, 1997) – based on her experience growing up during the Cultural Revolution – was translated and published in over 20 countries. Then came Letter to My Readers (Brief aan mijn lezers, 1998), The Tender Child (Het tedere kind, 1999), The White Feast (Het witte feest, 2000), The Lilac Dream (Seringendroom, 2001), The Red Feast (Het rode feest, 2002), and Intoxicated (Bedwelmd, 2004), which explores culture clash through a love story about a Dutch economist and a young Chinese woman. Lulu Wang lives and works in Den Haag (http://www.luluwang.nl/). Her work has sold over a million copies worldwide.
Tao Yue LW: Writing in a foreign language is like 4 pages, stop, and rewrite. I stop again Of Human Bondage, Lu Xun’s short story LW: Religion. Christianity is dogmatic scratching an itch on your leg from out- after 20 to 30 pages to rewrite, and then ‘Sad Loss’, Zhu Ziqing’s essay ‘Moon- – it stipulates good and evil, heaven TY: When did you first discover that you side a boot. You can’t express yourself again after 70 to 80 pages. The point of light on the Lotus Pond’, and Xu Zhi- and hell, what thou shalt and shalt not had to be a writer? fully; it’s like dancing with chains on. To stopping to rewrite is to keep on track. mo’s poem ‘Sayonara’. I read them as do. Look at the Ten Commandments. write in your mother tongue is conven- I don’t like leaving trash behind. I put warm-ups in the past, but not so much Western culture is keen to judge others. LW: Interesting question. I was an only ient, but convenience doesn’t guarantee myself in the situation of my characters, now. I have only limited time and ener- What thou shalt not do is not the same child, very lonely, and spent a lot of time excellence. There are advantages to work- see what they see, feel what they feel, gy and I want so much to write, though as what I will not do. You can’t kill, but talking to dolls and pets. The loneliness ing in Dutch. One, many Chinese idioms and let them decide what will happen I still read classical Chinese poetry every I can; you can’t have nuclear weapons, got worse as I got older. I developed vitili- and clichés become new and unique next. The end is sometimes different day. I’m a novelist who doesn’t always but I can. It’s not fraud – it’s the sincere go and couldn’t be exposed to sunlight, so when I translate them into Dutch. I like from what I planned. I can’t write any- like reading novels. What I like is beau- conviction of the world’s police. I was home alone all the time, immers- playing games with language. Writing in thing I don’t feel. tiful poetic writing. I aim at being poetic ing myself in books. As a teenager dur- Dutch gives me more room to play than all through my novels. It’s not easy. Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism ing the Cultural Revolution, I was sepa- writing in Chinese does, and that excites TY: Do you let anyone read your work (which merged long ago and are almost rated from my parents. The loneliness me. Two, I acquired a special literary sta- before you submit it to the publisher? TY: Has the writing you cite influenced indistinguishable now) are mild and stayed with me. Looking back, I realise tus in the Netherlands. I’m a new for- your style? philosophical. Reality unites comple- how much I hoped to communicate with eign writer, but my writing is included LW: Yes, I let many people read my mentary opposites – yin and yang, good others. That period of my life shaped my in a Dutch high school reading list for lit- work. I hope to hear different opinions, LW: Not so much in the past, but more and evil, and so on. Everything is use- personality – I still don’t like sociability erature and history, which wouldn’t hap- especially from those who don’t know and more now. In the past, I was into ful, also evil because without evil there and prefer to keep to myself – and gave pen if I wrote in Chinese. Three, because me or my writing. People close to me ‘art for art’s sake’ and tried to make every wouldn’t be good. There are no good me the drive to write. After coming to the Chinese and Dutch people react differ- often have preconceptions, positive or word a jewel. My style was baroque – lav- or bad things. Is the sun good or bad? Netherlands, I was again consumed with ently to similar situations, the behavior negative. ishly descriptive. As I grow older, how- It’s good where it rains a lot and bad loneliness, and writing was my outlet. I of my characters has a shock effect on ever, I feel ‘less is more’. Also respect- where it’s dry. Is a lamp good or bad? always wrote out of the need to express Dutch readers. For example, my charac- TY: Do you care what critics think? ing the taste of my western readers It’s good for people who need it but bad myself. Only recently, at a rough spot in ter will smile when helpless whereas a (who sometimes complain that I’m for thieves. Ditto people – everyone has my career, did I start to write out of pure Dutch person may cry. Writing in Dutch LW: I’m willing to listen to all criticism, redundant) I try to be more succinct. good and bad sides. Chinese philosophy literary passion – to discuss life, beauty, makes me feel even more Chinese, and but I’m stubborn. I listen, but often Hemingway is my model. His beauty is emphasises self-discipline and caution. and philosophy in my novels. The rough I’m proud of the long, rich history of accept only what I want to hear or what I concision. His seemingly effortless style ‘Think three times before you do any- spot was useful to me like sand in the Chinese civilisation. can understand. It’s difficult to be open actually requires meticulous rewriting. thing’, the proverb goes. Buddhism has shell of an oyster. I work even harder at to everything. Perhaps I need time to He presents the end result; we miss the many prohibitions, but Buddhists apply writing now than before. My passion for TY: How do you write when you sit down improve on this. process. them to themselves, not to others. Very literature keeps growing. to write? Do you make sketches first or different from Christianity. do you write directly? When you write, TY: Who are your favorite writers? Do Perhaps the difference of style is rooted TY: Did you first work in Chinese? What do you draft all the way to the end? Or you read them as warm-up exercises in culture. Chinese culture emphasises TY: Is culture clash a creative influence did you write? are you a one-paragraph-at-a-time writ- when you are writing yourself? yin and yang and is full of antitheses. on your work? er? Do you plan ahead or make it up as Everything comes in pairs. When LW: When I was a child, I often told you go along? LW: I have no favourite writers, only describing a beautiful woman, for LW: Of course. My latest novel explores myself jokes for entertainment. Lone- favourite writing, which includes Hem- example, the idiom is that her beauty it in order to introduce Chinese philoso- liness forced me to acquire a sense of LW: I always have an outline when I ingway’s For Whom the Bell Tolls, Salin- makes fish sink and geese fall from the phy to westerners. humour – it’s essential to survival. My sit down to write. I usually write 2 to ger’s The Catcher in the Rye, Maugham’s sky out of envy. For a westerner, either first piece was a stand-up comedy writ- fish or goose would be sufficient. To TY: Are you purely a novelist or do you ten when I was 12. My teacher couldn’t describe something just once is often consider writing nonfiction as well? believe I wrote it, but when I showed not enough for me. I have to rephrase her the books I had read, she not only and describe it again. I don’t say China LW: I don’t write nonfiction. Maybe I’ll believed me but also arranged to have has no succinct writers – Lu Xun is one, try to write poems as beautiful as Chi- it performed at the Children’s Day (1 but he learned a lot from the West. nese classic poems, but in Dutch. June) school party. My parents didn’t support my writing. They both studied TY: Coming from one of the world’s TY: How would you react to the state- literature; my mother also taught it. But great civilisations with a rich literary ment, ‘In a world like this no wonder they thought it was hard to make a liv- tradition, do you think western readers fiction is dying.’ ing from writing, let alone a success- appreciate its cultural capital? ful career. They encouraged me to be LW: I disagree. Fiction is not dying and a translator because it was safer. That LW: Most western readers except sinolo- never will. Fiction is philosophy – a didn’t stop me, however. I wrote a love gists are ignorant of it. picture or poetic version of life, not life story when I was 14, but didn’t show it itself. As long as people think about life, to anyone. When I was a graduate stu- TY: Are you ever annoyed by their igno- they will need art. As long as they want dent at Beijing University, my passion rance? art, fiction will survive. for creative writing stole time from my M.A. thesis. Then ‘Eyes’, a piece of prose LW: I blame the Chinese. It’s their fault TY: Do you consider writing and pub- I wrote, won a prize. I can’t tell you how that they don’t communicate their cul- lishing in Chinese eventually? happy I was. I gave up writing Chinese ture to the West. It’s like a beautiful when my third essay got censored, and woman who stays home all day. Who’s LW: I don’t have any plans at the moment I didn’t write again until I came to the to blame if nobody pays her any atten- and don’t know about the future. Life is Netherlands. tion? China should be open to the out- unpredictable. Right now I only want to side world culturally as well as economi- write good Dutch novels. < TY: Why did you decide to write in cally. Dutch instead of Chinese? Tao Yue studied English language and lit- TY: How acute is culture clash in your erature at Fudan University, Shanghai, and LW: I write in Dutch because I live in experience? social sciences at the University of Amster- the Netherlands. My readers are mostly dam. She is currently International Pro- Dutch. LW: I feel it strongly. grammes Officer and China Specialist at Leiden University International Office. Her TY: How difficult is it for you to find your TY: What is the main area of culture clash interests include comparative literature and voice in an alien language? How much between China and the West in general intercultural communication.
does it hurt? How much does it help? Reinoud Klazes and the Netherlands in particular? [email protected]
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 1 5 > Research A new research culture for the marginalised in Bangladesh
Minorities have never had an easy time in Bangladesh. Since October 2001, when a four-party coalition with strong Islamist influence came to power, minority conditions have worsened. But some small disadvantaged groups, such as cobblers, pig farmers and river gypsies, have begun to organise themselves thanks to a new research approach to development.
Jos van Beurden large number of people, counting into such as education, livelihood security, the thousands, have become people gender disparity, water and sanitation, angladesh’s population of 140 researchers’. Gonogobeshoks, by dis- voting, citizenship and land rights. The Bmillion is 88% Muslim. Hindus, cussing subjects for community action, findings of GUC and those local Bede at 10%, are the largest minority, while have already initiated financial savings who became gonogobeshoks, revealed Buddhists and Christians each account groups and diminished gambling and that the Bede are severely deprived of for less than 0.5%. Most of the country’s fighting. Some have been making col- basic necessities such as food, shelter, 1.8 million tribal people, divided among lective presentations to authorities, such medical care and education. More than 40 tribes, adhere to religions other than as in the city of Jessore, where a group 80% live below the poverty line on less Islam. Since the 2001 elections, as the of marginalised cobblers requested, and than a dollar a day. independent human rights organisation received, authorisation to set up road- Ain o Salish Kendra reports, Hindu fam- side sales outlets. The increasing availability of modern ilies have been chased off their land and medicines and the expansion of the state liberal Ahmadiya Muslims have been RIB often supports the research activi- healthcare network have increased the evicted and their mosques attacked. The ties of local NGOs to ensure that Bede’s poverty and isolation. Sixty-year- perpetrators are close to fundamental- research leads to development activi- old Mrs Sor Banu of Salipur explained, ists and enjoy the support, explicit or ties. In November 2005, I visited ten ‘When I was 15, we had plenty of work. A mobile school for Bede children implicit, of the major political parties. RIB-supported research projects. One Nowadays people are not interested in A.K.M. Maksud In several cases everyone is aware of was the Grambangla Unnayan Com- our medicines. If they see me walking their identities but the authorities make mittee (GUC), a small local NGO that with my sack of medicines, they often Laohojong women have started small and other researchers, I learned that no attempt to apprehend them. since 1999 has taken up the cause of shout after me. Last week someone businesses, such as selling chicken because many local NGOs have to deal the Bede, or river gypsies. Its direc- from whom I had tapped blood refused and geese or sewing cloth, and hav- with local authorities and power hold- In 2001, a group of Bangladeshi aca- tor, A. K. Maksud, is by training an to pay me and forced me to run away. ing learned the importance of educa- ers and maintain good working rela- demics and development practitioners anthropologist, while many of his GUC Sometimes they harass our girls’. Male tion, they now send their children to tions with them in order to make any responded to the country’s overall dete- researcher-colleagues are development customers sometimes ask Bede women school. Group savings have also been progress, they do not easily fall into the riorating climate and to the lack of inter- practitioners. RIB offers them training, to enter their houses to perform medi- established to help pay for new houses, trap of a one-sided and uncritical pro- est among well-known NGOs in poor supervision and holds regular seminars cal services, then lock the door and funerals and marriages. One Laohojong poor analysis. Their research reports are and marginalised peoples. They estab- on PAR issues. GUC’s research on the rape them. ‘My only son will become Bede, Mohamed Shabeb Ali, has even often businesslike. lished a research support organisation Bede turned out to be a good example of a petty trader. But selling our medical been elected to the municipal council: called Research Initiatives, Bangladesh the RIB approach. tools against evil eyes, indigestion, cold, ‘At first my colleagues did not want me PAR is in vogue. Many who enter the (RIB), to promote a people-centred qual- fever, breast pain or rheum will not be to use a chair, but to sit in the second RIB premises use the word, though I’m itative approach to development. Staffed River gypsies: refugees in sufficient’. row on the floor, but I learnt to under- not convinced everyone uses it with the by both volunteers and professionals their own country stand my rights as a citizen’. same notions in mind. One researcher and partially funded by Dutch Foreign The Bede themselves estimate their Between 2002 and 2005 GUC’s Mak- working among the Santal minority in Affairs, RIB focuses on the poor and total population to be 1.2 million. sud collected data from 16 different At the national level the Bede have the Chittagong Hill Tracts told me the the marginalised, in the words of RIB Official estimates put their number at sample areas, including those I visited, formed the National Manta Samiti, a people researchers he worked with – Chairman Shamsul Bari, to ‘humanise around half a million, as the govern- in order to account for the Bede’s geo- nationwide coalition of Bede interest both men and women – had not brought the poverty discourse’. ment does not recognise those without graphical distribution. GUC researchers groups, and joined in human rights up gender issues, while I got the impres- fixed addresses and many Bede live on then tested strategies, mainly through demonstrations. For the first time, the sion gender issues were something he The gonogobeshok: a new boats that ply the country’s rivers. Bede group discussions with gonogobeshoks, Bede and other disadvantaged groups was uncomfortable addressing. kind of researcher livelihoods vary: small business enter- to include this river-nomadic commu- are cited in the Poverty Reduction Strat- RIB uses a method it calls Participatory prise, selling talismans for preventing nity in their own development process. egy Paper. The Bangladesh Planning But, overall, I am optimistic about the Action Research. PAR is based on two snake bites, snakebite treatment, snake Commission publicly admits that the possibility of a new research culture in principles. The first is that development charming and trading, and offering Participatory action = results Bede and other groups have been living Bangladesh. A danger of any approach and poverty alleviation efforts must be spiritual healing services and traditional The research conducted by GUC and a segregated life and that social services is that researchers will adhere to it to founded on knowledge – no new devel- medicines. Bede female and male heal- the gonogobeshoks helped most Bede do not reach them. ‘The children from the detriment of those cases to which it opment activity is undertaken without ers serve millions of people for whom become aware of their own potential. these communities must have access to might not apply. I met some researchers preliminary research. The second is that mainstream health care is too far away The community in Salipur placed health and education’, the Commission who had become too rigidly pro-PAR. this research must tap the knowledge of or too expensive. improved sanitation at the top of their asserts. While it is a sound methodology, PAR the poor and marginalised for interven- list of priorities. A pump for drinking has limitations. For research in techno- tions aimed at their advancement. This I visited three locations to evaluate the water was installed and two latrines Buzzword logical development of, say, a low cost is a relatively new approach for Bang- RIB-supported GUC Bede research could have been placed near it had a Development agencies today all claim test method for elephantiasis, cross- ladesh, where researchers need a wider project: the town of Savar, a one-hour local brick factory owner not prevented to include local communities in their breeding of pigs or the production of range of skills than their predecessors. drive north of Dhaka, is home to about it, as he did not want the Bede to set- activities, but too often their research- natural vinegar, PAR is not of much They have to be able to create a condu- 4,000 Bede, most of whom reside in tle there. A mobile boat for pre-school ers and organisers simply collect and help in the marketing realm of the end cive environment for dialogue with a boats or boat-like houses built on stilts; education was created, the first of its assess data and announce their propos- product (pig meat, vinegar, date palm community and to patiently encourage closer to Dhaka, Bede in the hamlet of kind in the country, and RIB trained als. RIB has chosen a different path; for syrup). PAR is efficient when investi- the poor to recognise the knowledge Salipur live on a narrow plot between one community volunteer to become a starters, it has chosen different target gating the supply side, but the demand they possess and to use it to find their the highway and the river; and in the vil- teacher. Such mobile pre-schools have groups, including those passed over side requires additional research tech- own solutions. lage of Laohojong, south of the capital, also been created in other Bede commu- by donors. For example, RIB agreed to niques. < most Bede have given up their nomadic nities. Meanwhile, near Savar, 35 young work with a local NGO that wanted to So far RIB has helped sensitize some way of life and live in government-built women have been trained to make conduct research among pig farmers Reference 500 researchers to the requirements of houses. These communities are visibly batiks; twice a week they work two to but was unable to secure funds from - Maksud, A. K. 2004. Action Research for conducting research based on people’s poor. three hours and undertake non-formal either national or international NGOs. Development in Beday (River Gypsy) Com- participation, and many projects have primary education. munity. Dhaka: RIB. been completed using PAR’s research To conduct any research at all, the RIB reminds us of what Paolo Freire principles. Its primary method requires Grambangla Unnayan Committee first Meanwhile, the formerly nomadic Lao- wrote more than three decades ago in Jos van Beurden is co-author of Jhagrapur: the researcher and his assistants to had to gain the trust of these communi- hojong villagers have begun to organise Pedagogy of the Oppressed (1972): that Poor Peasants and Women in a Village in assign a group of local volunteers the ties. In Savar, a Bede engineer gained themselves and speak out. When they participation is an empowering and Bangladesh (1977-1998), and From Output to task of involving the community in that trust, acting as intermediary received considerably less relief than educative process. From my own Bang- Outcome: 25 Years of IOB Evaluation (2004). identifying obstacles to development between the people and GUC research- mainstream Bengali communities dur- ladesh research experience in 1974-75, I Jhagrapur Revisited is forthcoming and will and possible solutions. As a result, ordi- ers. In other communities, commu- ing the 2004 floods, GUC researchers remember the risk of favouring exploit- be published both in English and Bengali nary people become ‘people research- nity headmen became PAR animators took photographs, wrote a report and ed peasants and oppressed women to (2007). ers’ or gonogobeshoks. According to who facilitated meetings with nomadic made it public, and as a result the Bede their detriment. Through my conver- [email protected] RIB’s 2004-2005 Annual Report, ‘a groups of ‘boat Bedes’ to discuss issues community received private donations. sations with GUC Director Maksud www.josvanbeurden.nl
1 6 IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Research Beyond economics: transnational labour migration in Asia and the Pacific
The Asia-Pacific region accounts for 35-40% of the four to five million workers who take to their heels in search of employment each year. In scale, diversity and socio-economic consequences for the countries involved, contemporary movements of labour fundamentally differ from those of the past. Transnational labour migration can no longer be controlled by political measures or economic arrangements and is in need of a new approach beyond the limitations of neoclassical economic analysis.
Toon van Meijl Hawaii, where the US presence stimu- in central Oceania, such as Samoa and of US$10 per capita in development aid become easier to move around, and this lated new streams of migration to the Tonga, these remittances provide about than other developing countries. This allows people to migrate not only for igration in Asia and the Pacific American mainland. Other destina- half the national income. The second has been so for a long time, and there economic reasons, but also for cultural Minvolves three major networks: tions followed. In Niue and the Cook component is aid agreements negoti- are no good reasons to assume that it ones. Thus many university-educated first, the movement of contract workers Islands, both freely associated with ated by local governments, which in will change in the foreseeable future. Philippine women are willing to accept from South and Southeast Asia to the New Zealand, three-fourths or more of Tonga, for example, provide most of the The conclusion of this discussion on jobs overseas as domestic servants: oil-producing countries of the Middle the total population now resides in New salaries of public servants. the MIRAB complex is that a narrow for them, migration means sacrificing East; second, the movement of people Zealand or has moved on to Australia. economic perspective on international social status for an income that enables from the developing countries of South- Altogether, at least half a million Poly- The notion of MIRAB economies has labour migration is up for review. them to support their families. Such east and East Asia to newly industrial- nesians are living abroad today, about been received by economists and devel- non-economic factors are increasingly izing countries such as Thailand and 25% of the total population; 250,000 opment experts with scorn. Many regard A critique of neoclassical significant; labour is not only a com- Malaysia; and, third, the movement of are living in New Zealand, where they remittance-driven economies as rentier economics modity but can be crucial to a person’s Pacific Islanders to countries of perma- make up 6% of the total population. economies and argue that remittances For a long time, labour migration has status and identity. nent settlement, such as Australia, New Indeed, Auckland is often described as can never be a healthy foundation for been analysed mainly from a neoclassi- Zealand and the USA. the Polynesian capital. Massive migra- a prospering economy. The French cal economic perspective grounded in A third reason why neoclassical eco- tion is not unique to the Pacific, yet the scholar Bernard Poirine, however, has the push and pull dynamics of labour’s nomics is outdated is intertwined with The first stream will probably stop when impact of transnational movements is cogently argued that remittances are not market supply and demand. In this the increasingly transnational character the Persian Gulf region runs out of oil, but magnified by the region’s small popu- ‘free lunches’. In his view they represent view, labour is a function of capital: of migration. The distinctive feature of the second may increase over the next few lations. three kinds of transactions: repayments as capital flows into a country, labour transnational migration today is that years. Although labour migration within of loans made earlier to the remitter to begins to flow out; as capital flows connections between place of origin East and Southeast Asia has increased Several interpretations have been offered help finance human capital investment; out, immigrant labour begins to flow and place of destination are more easily dramatically over the past 15 years, the to assess the impact of this diaspora. An money lent to relatives to help them in. Tension between the supply and maintained. As a consequence, migra- region’s newly industrializing economies optimistic explanation has finance their education; demand for labour is of course normal, tion has become inherently dynamic, still exhibit relatively low levels of foreign been advanced by a and money sent and is sometimes serious, as when the which – paradoxically perhaps – implies labour, principally for ethnic and politi- Tongan intel- to prepare increasing supply of unskilled foreign that it will continue. Still, many govern- cal reasons. Countries such as Japan, lectual, for workers is met by growing resistance ments, instead of normalising migra- Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia and Singapore from receiving societies despite contin- tion, cling to the myth of its transience have highly restrictive immigration poli- ,PSFB uing demand for unskilled labour. The and try to control it to serve their eco- cies, even though they are increasingly $IJOB traditional solution to the abundance nomic needs. dependent on foreign migrants in low- +BQBO and scarcity of labour is to address wage sectors of the economy. either supply or demand. Developed Towards a new approach 7JFUOBN 5BJXBO countries, it is argued, should be If migration can no longer be explained Parallel to these developments, the -BPT restructuring their economies to by the ancient laws of supply and rapidly expanding economies of alter demand, whereas devel- demand; if it can no longer be under- $BNCPEJB Southeast Asia have begun to pro- oping countries should invest stood within a framework of costs and mote the export of labour, mainly 5IBJMBOE 1IJMJQQJOFT in new industries to absorb benefits; if it can no longer be control- since they have also pursued unskilled workers. led by governments because of its tran- .BMBZTJB (VBN 1BDJGJD0DFBO automation and the relocation 4JOHBQPSF )BXBJ±J snational character, then how can we of labour-intensive manufactur- .JDSPOFTJB This perspective, however, make sense of transnational labour ing industries overseas. The first is no longer adequate for a migration? Contemporary migration country that promoted overseas number of reasons. First, the dynamics prompt us to critically review contract migration was the Phil- *OEPOFTJB massive movement of labour- not only neoclassical economics, but ippines, which entered into a 1BQVB ers in the contemporary global also the rigid use of formal categories series of bilateral agreements with /FX(VJOFB .FMBOFTJB economy can no longer be con- within the social sciences. If we are to various labour importers. Current- trolled by political and economic adequately understand the underpin- ly more than 10% of the Philippine 1PMZOFTJB measures, which have generally nings and implications of transnational population works overseas in 130 4BNPB resulted in an increase in migra- labour migration, we need to come to countries, and in the year 2000 their tion law violations: a vast black mar- terms with its fluidity and multiplicity. "VTUSBMJB 'JKJ $PPL*TMBOET remittances contributed about 21% of ket has emerged, and, worse, all kinds For this reason, too, a new paradigm for 5POHB /JVF the country’s gross national product. of human rights abuses. Worldwide, its study should confront economism, 4ZEOFZ E organised gangs are believed to traffic query the centrality of the nation state BO TM S* The unique Pacific Epeli UF 4,000,000 people per year, generating and challenge the notion of homogene- BT Filipino workers also moved to the Pacif- Hau’ofa. /FX;FBMBOE "VDLMBOE & up to US$7 billion. The trafficking of ity in processes of development. < ic, beginning in 1950 when a military Rather than future migrants across borders, particularly base was established in Guam, where focus on the geo- retirement in women and children, is thus a burn- References they now account for more than 25% of graphical isolation of the the home country. ing issue for the International Labour - Goss, Jon, and Bruce Lindquist. 2000. the total population of 145,000. At the islands, he invokes the metaphor of The combination of these three types Organisation. Many developed coun- ‘Placing Movers: An Overview of the same time, Pacific peoples themselves the sea as connecting them: Oceania of remittances during the lifetime of tries have become dependent on the Asian-Pacific Migration System’. The Con- began migrating. Despite the massive is a ‘sea of islands’. By highlighting an emigrant makes the circulation of labour of illegal migrants, whose num- temporary Pacific 12-2. number of migrants and the depopu- long-term migration patterns, Hau’ofa remittances into a kind of informal bers suggest it is illusory to believe their - Poirine, Bernard. 1998. ‘Should We Hate lation it causes in some areas, debates regards current diasporas as the culmi- family credit market that enables ‘tran- situation will be legalised, or that eco- or Love MIRAB?’ The Contemporary Pacific about international migration rarely nation of an ancient dynamic. Although snational corporations of kin’ to get nomic arrangements will control their 10-1. reflect on the Pacific Islands. Here it this view of migration is innovative, it the highest returns on human capital movement. is useful to distinguish three different does not account for increased mobility investment. * This paper is a summary of a presentation cultural areas in the Pacific: Polynesia, over the past few decades. Second, contemporary labour migration at the ‘Development Policy Review Net- characterized by international migra- International aid – the other compo- is structurally different from past labour work Expert Meeting’ on Southeast Asia tion to metropolitan countries of the The most frequently invoked interpreta- nent of the MIRAB theory – is usually migration. The globalisation of the and Oceania, Amsterdam, 16 December Pacific Rim, notably Australia, New tion of contemporary migration in the also dismissed as a potential basis for world economy causes tension between 2005. Zealand and the USA; Melanesia, char- Pacific is MIRAB, an acronym which an economy. But in a less economis- the need to encourage the international acterised by internal migration, mainly stands for Migration, Remittances, Aid tic interpretation, it is also difficult to movement of people and the nationalist Toon van Meijl from rural to urban areas; and Micro- and Bureaucracy. A MIRAB economy reject. Islands simply have more geos- agenda of most Asian and Pacific coun- University of Nijmegen nesia, characterised by both. is organised along two lines. Transna- trategic importance than continental tries. In addition, individual mobility [email protected] tional corporations of kin send out countries of equivalent land area. For has dramatically increased as a result of Polynesia is the most interesting case, migrants who in turn send back money, that reason, too, the Pacific Islands technological advances in transporta- as it includes American Samoa and goods and new ideas; in some countries receive 37 times more than the average tion and communication. It has simply
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 1 7 > Photo essay Punjabis in East Africa
Amarjit Chandan Punjab. Thousands gave their lives in Basra, Gallipoli and at the French front, losses that inspired a corpus of Punjabi folk Don’t go don’t go n 1849 the East India Company’s army occupied the sover- songs. Forty-seven thousand Punjabi soldiers were posted in Ieign state of Punjab – the land of five rivers – in north-west East Africa. Stay back my friend. India. The British Crown took control in 1858. The British East African Company was established in 1888. Crazy people are packing up, The first Punjabis to ever travel abroad were Sikh troops serv- In 1895, protectorate administrative and commercial rule was Flowers are withering and friendships are breaking. ing in the British Army. From the 1880s onwards, they were enforced from Bombay. That same year, A. M. Jeevanjee of posted in Southeast Asia and the Far East. Many worked as Karachi was awarded the contract to build the Kenya-Uganda Stay back my friend. security guards and in the police force. In the early 1900s they railway and recruited his workforce from the Punjab. The migrated to British Columbia and worked on the Canadian first batch of 350 men sailed to Mombasa; over the next six Allah gives bread and work Pacific Railway and settled as farmers, farm labourers and years their number increased to 31,895. Most of them – Sikhs, lumberjacks. From there they moved south into Washington, Hindus and Muslims – worked as skilled labourers, artisans, You wouldn’t find soothing shades anywhere else. Oregon and California. Ghadar (literally, ‘Revolt’), the mili- bricklayers, carpenters, plumbers, tailors, motor mechanics Don’t go my friend don’t go. tant movement against British imperialism during 1910-15, and electrical fitters, mainly in Kenya and Uganda. After the emerged from this experience abroad. railway’s completion in 1905, fewer than 7,000 chose to stay - Punjabi folk song of the early 20th century in East Africa. By 1911, 12,000 Punjabis, Gujaratis and Parsee During the first world war, the British recruited 120,000 moneylenders, as compared to 3,000 Europeans, were living Muslims and Sikhs from the Rawalpindi division in western mainly in Kenya. In 1920 Kenya was declared a British colony.
Nihal Singh Mankoo (d.1925) from Lahore. One of the first batch of Punjabis to go to Kenya in 1895. His sons ran Nipper’s Garage in Stuart Street, Nairobi.
Cutting near Voi
Station. 1890. Courtesy:
Railway Archives. Nairobi
Makhan Singh addressing a rally. 9 Sept 1962.
Photographer unknown
Gopal Singh Chandan.
Photo by UN Patel.
By Gopal Singh Chandan. Nairobi. © 1932. Nairobi. 1929
1 8 IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Photo essay
During the first half of the 20th century, communities devel- tinctive mark in sport, especially hockey, cricket, motor rac- Amarjit Chandan is a Punjabi poet and essayist living in London. oped around gurdwaras and mandirs (Sikh and Hindu tem- ing and golf. Sikhs, meanwhile, have dominated the Olympic [email protected] ples, respectively) and mosques. Indians became conscious hockey team since long before independence. www.sikh-heritage.co.uk of workers’ rights, and in 1922 Sudh Singh united Asian and African workers in the Railways Artisan Union. Sudh In 1962 the total population of Asians in Kenya was 177,000. Singh’s son Makhan Singh (1913-1973) emerged as an archi- Currently, it is less than 60,000. < photos: Amarjit Chandan Collection tect of Kenyan trade unionism and created the Labour Trade Union of Kenya (LTUK) in April 1935. In 1937, the LTUK was renamed the Labour Trade Union of East Africa (LTUEA). As By Gopal Singh Chandan. a political aspirant in 1950, Singh was jailed along with Fred c 1932. Nairobi Kubai, the LTUEA president, by the British colonial authori- ties on the charge of ‘operating an unregistered trade union and failure to dissolve it’. He was finally released in 1961, but was shunned by the Kenyatta government of newly inde- pendent Kenya and died of heart failure as a political recluse in 1973, aged 60.
Punjabis served widely in Kenyan public life, as members of the legislative council and all municipalities, and made a dis- Eastleigh Airport. Nairobi. 1957.
Photographer unknown
By Mohammad Amin. Nairobi.1965.
Joginder Singh on his last journey on retirement. Nairobi. 1963.
Courtesy: Railway Archives. Nairobi
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 1 9 > Books received received? Request a copy from the editors at: [email protected] Interested in reviewing one of our Books Veidlinger, DanielVeidlinger, M.2006 Spreadingthe Dhamma: Writing, Orality, TransmissioninBuddhist andTextual NorthernThailand Honolulu:University ofHawai'i Press. pp.259, ISBN978-0-8248-3024-3 Andaya, Watson Barbara. 2006 TheFlaming Repositioning Womb: inEarly Women Modern Southeast Asia Honolulu:University ofHawai'i Press. pp.335, ill.,ISBN 978-0-8248-2955-1 Indonesia Adams,Kathleen M.2006 ArtasPolitics: Re-crafting Identities, Toraja, and Power Tourism, inTana Indonesia Honolulu:University ofHawai'i Press. pp.286, ill.,ISBN 978-0-8248-3072-4 Appleton,Ann L.2006 ActsofIntegration, Expressions ofFaith: Madness,Death and Ritual inMelanau Ontology Phillips:Borneo Research Council. pp.361, ill., ISBN1-929900-06-6 A.2006Baer, VitalSigns: Health inBorneo's Sarawak Phillips:Borneo Research Council. pp.129, ill., mapstables,& ISBn 1-929900-08-2 Bloembergen,Marieke. 2006 ColonialSpectacles: The Netherlands andthe Dutch East Indies at the World Exhbitions,1880-1931 Singapore:Singapore University Press. pp.477, ill.,ISBN 9971-69-330-5 Dake,Antonie C.A. 2006 TheSukarno File, 1965-1967: Chronology ofDefeata Leiden:Brill. pp.503, ill., ISBN 90-04-15382-9 Nyman,Mikaela. 2006 DemocratisingIndonesia: The Challenges ofCivil Society inthe Era ofReformasi Copenhagen:NIAS Press. pp.258, maps & tables,ISBN 978-87-91114-82-3 Jerome. Tadie, 2006 LesdeTerritoireslaViolence Jakartaa Paris:Belin. pp.302, ill., maps tables,& ISBNFrench, 9-782701-142999
Shah,Ghanshyam, Harsh Mander,Sukhadeo Thorat,Satish Deshpande, Amita Baviskar. 2006 UntouchabilityinRural India NewDelhi: Sage Publications. pp.216, ISBN0-7619-3507-x Swami,Praveen. 2007 India,Pakistan and the Secret Jihad: inKashmir, The 1947-2004Covert War London:Routledge. pp.257, tables, ISBN978-0-415-4059-4 Southeast Asia Anderson,2006Warwick. ColonialPathologies: American Tropical Medicine,Race, and Hygiene inthe Philippines Durham,London: Duke University Press. pp.355,ill., ISBN 0-8223-3843-2 Bruneau,Michel. 2006 L'Asied'entre Inde etChine: Logiques territorialesdes Etats Paris:Belin. pp.317, maps tables,& French, ISBN9-782701-144757 Dijk,Wil O.2006 Seventeenth-centuryBurma and the DutchEast India 1634-1680Company, Singapore:Singapore University Press. pp.348, mapstables,& ISBN 9971-69-304-6 Dutton,George. 2006 So'Uprising: n TheTay Society and RebellioninEighteenth-Century Vietnam Honolulu:University ofHawai'i Press. pp.293, ill.,ISBN 978-0-8248-2984-1 Eklof,Stefan. 2006 PiratesinParadise: ModernA History of SoutheastAsia's Maritime Marauders Copenhagen:NIAS Press. pp.184, maps & tables,ISBN 9-788791-114373 Jacobs,Els M.2006 MerchantoftheinAsia: The Trade DutchEast India Company During the EighteenthCentury. Leiden:CNWS Publications. pp.471, ill., maps tables,& ISBN 978-90-5789-109-0 James,Heken. 2006 Securityand Sustainable Development in Myanmar London:Routledge. pp.231, ill., ISBN978-0-415-35559-9 LeRoux, Pierre Bernard& Sellato eds. 2006 LesMessagers divins: Aspects esthetiques symboliqueset desoiseaux AsieenSud-du Est/DivineMessengers; Bird Symbolism andAesthetics inSoutheast Asia Paris:Connaissances etSavoirs. pp.857, colour ill.,English ISBNFrench,&2-7539-0059-0 Hasegawa,Miki. 2006 Are Not Garbage! We The Homeless Movement1994-2002 inTokyo, 0-415-97693-6 ISBN pp.212, Routledge. London: Havens,Thomas R.H. 2006 Radicalsand Realists inthe Japanese NonverbalArts: The Avant-Garde RejectionofModernism Honolulu:University ofHawai'i Press. pp.296, colourill., ISBN 0-8248-3011-3 Keyes,Roger S.2006 Ehon;The Artist and the Book inJapan Public The Library. New York New York: pp.320,colour ill., ISBN 978-0-295-98624-1 Knight,John. 2006 forinJapan:Waiting Wolves An AnthropologicalStudy ofPeople-Wildlife Relations Honolulu:University ofHawai'i Press. pp.296, ill.,ISBN 978-0-8248-3096-0 Kowner,Rotem ed. 2007 TheImpact ofthe Russo-Japanese War London:Routledge. pp.348, ISBN978-0-415-36824-7 Lindsey,William R.2007 Fertilityand Pleasure: Ritual and Sexual Japan inTokugawa Values London:Routledge. pp.234, ill., ISBN978-0-8248-3036-6 and Harry HarootunianTomiko Yoda, eds. 2006 Japanafter Japan: Social and Cultural Lifefrom the Recessionary 1990s tothe Present Durham:Duke University Press. pp.447, ISBN0-8223-3813-0 South Asia Brosius,Christine. 2006 EmpoweringVisions: the Politics of RepresentationinHindu Nationalism London:Anthem South Asian Studies. pp.363, colourill., ISBN 1-84331-135-6 deSouza,Peter Ronald and E.Sridharan. 2006 India’sPolitical Parties NewDelhi: Sage Publications. pp.418, ISBN0-7619-3514-2 Goonatilake,Susantha. 2006 Recolonisation:ForeignNGOs Funded in SriLanka NewDelhi: Sage Publications. pp.321, ISBN0-7619-3466-9 RaviKumar, ed. 2006 TheCrisisofElementary Education in India NewDelhi: Sage Publications. pp.357, tables, ISBN0-7619-3499-5 Tan, Chee-Beng Tan, ed. 2007 ChineseTransnational Networks London:Routledge. pp.214, tables, ISBN0-415-39583-6 Ian. 2006 Taylor, Chinaand Africa: Engagement and Compromise London:Routledge. pp.233, ISBN0-415-39740-5 Williams,2006Philip Wu. F.and Yenna Remoldingand Resistance among Writers ofthe Chinese Prison Camp:Disciplined andPublished London:Routledge. pp.183, ill., ISBN0-415-77020-3 Fulong,Jiang Wu, Xu, and Anthony Gar-On-Yeh. 2007 UrbanDevelopment inPost-Reform China:State, Market, and Space London:Routledge. pp.342, tables, ISBN0-415-39359-0 Japan Bargen,Doris G.2006 SuicidalHonor: General Nogi and the WritingsofMori Ogai and Natsume Soseiki Honolulu:University ofHawai’i Press. pp.289, ill.,ISBN 978-0-8248-2998-8 Barnes,Gina L.2007 StateFormation inJapan: Emergence ofa 4th-centuryRuling Elite London:Routledge. pp.261, maps tables,& ISBN978-0-415-31178-6 Coats,Bruce A.2006 Chikanobu:Modernity and Nostalgia in JapanesePrints Leiden:Hotei Publishing. pp.208, colour ill., ISBN907-48-22-886 WilliamFarris, 2006 Wayne. Japan’sMedieval Population: Famine, andinTransformativeFertility,a Warfare Age Honolulu:University ofHawai'i Press. pp.372, tables,ISBN 0-8248-2973-5 Frederick,Sarah. 2006 Pages: Turning Reading and Writing MagazinesWomen's inInterwar Japan Honolulu:University ofHawai'i Press. pp.251, ill.,ISBN 978-8248-2997-1 Galan,Christian and Jacques Fijialkow eds. 2006 Langue,lecture et'ecole auJapon Arles:Editions Philippe pp.404,Picquier. ill., mapstables,& ISBNFrench, 9-782877-308656 China Elman,Benjamin A.2006 CulturalA History ofModern Science in China Cambridge:Harvard University Press. pp.308, ill.,ISBN 978-067402306-2 Elverskog,Johan. 2006 OurGreat Qing: The Mongols, Buddhism andthe State inLate Imperial China Honolulu:University ofHawai'i Press. pp.242, ISBN978-0-8248-3021-2 2006 Garver,John W. ChinaIran:& Ancient Partners inPost-a ImperialWorld Seattle:University ofWashington Press. pp.401,tables, ISBN 978-0-295-986319 Kapstein,2006 Matthew, T. TheTibetans Malden:Blackwell Publishing. pp.360, ill., ISBN0-631-22574-9 Latham,Kevin, Stuart Thompson and Jacob Kleineds. 2006 ConsumingChina: Approaches toCultural ChangeinContemporary China London:Routledge. pp.246, ill., ISBN0-7007-1402-2 McDermott,Joseph P.2006 SocialA History ofthe Chinese Book: Booksand Literati Culture inLate ImperialChina HongKong: Hong Kong University Press. pp.294,ill., maps tables,& ISBN978-962-209-781-0 Postiglione,Gerard A.ed. 2006 Educationand Social Change inChina: InequalityinMarketa Economy Armonk:M.E. Sharpe. pp.207, ill., maps & tables,ISBN 0-7656-1476-6 Ruan,Xing. 2006 AllegoricalArchitecture: Living Myths and ArchitectonicsinSouthern China Honolulu:University ofHawai'i Press. pp.219, ill.,ISBN 978-8248-2151-7 SongHwee Lim. 2006 CelluloidComrades: Representations of MaleHomosexuality inContemporary ChineseCinemas Honolulu:University ofHawai'i Press. pp.247, ill.,ISBN 0-8248-2909-3 > Books received General Anderson,Benedict. 2006 ImaginedCommunities (New edition includesnew material) London:pp.240,Verso. ISBN978-1-84467-086-4 Etin.Anwar, 2006 Genderand Self inIslam 0-415-70103-1 ISBN pp.194, Routledge. London: Dudoignon,Stephane A., Komatsu Hisao, and Kosugi2006 Yasushi. Intellectualsinthe Modern Islamic Transmission,World: Transformation, Communication 0-415-36835-9 ISBN pp.375, Routledge. London: Kisaichi,Masatoshi. 2006 PopularMovements and Democratization inthe Islamic World 0-415-39896-7 ISBN pp.196, Routledge. London: VictorMair, H.ed. 2006 Contactand Exchange inthe Ancient World Honolulu:University ofHawai'i Press. pp.310,ill., ISBN 0-8248-2884-4 Thomas,Pradip Ninan and Jan Servaes. 2006 IntellectualProperty Rights and CommunicationsinAsia: Conflicting Traditions NewDelhi: Sage Publications. pp.262, ISBN0-7619-3498-7 Central Asia Preece,Rob. 2006 ThePsychology ofBuddhist Tantra Ithaca:Snow Lion Publication. pp.275, ill., ISBN978-1-559-39-263-1 vanKrieken-Pieters, Juliette ed. 2006 Artand Archaelogy ofAfghanistan; Its Fall andSurvival Leiden:Brill. pp.412, ISBN 90-04-151-826 East Asia Choi,Jungug. 2006 Governmentsand Markets inEast Asia: ThePoltics ofEconomic Crises London:Routledge. pp.140, tables, ISBN0-415-39902-5 Soni,Sharad K.2006 Mongolia-ChinaRelations: Modern and ContemporaryTimes NewDelhi: Pentagon Press. pp.328, ISBN81-8274-196-3 Books received
2 0 IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Review Britain, Southeast Asia and the Korean War
Tarling, Nicholas. 2005. Britain, Southeast Asia and the Impact of the Korean War. Singapore: Singapore University Press. 538 pages, ISBN 9971 69 315 1
Thomas Crump communism; and second, any conces- never came. The Chinese did well to able U.S. military and other aid follow- interesting period in modern world his- sions in Southeast Asia would not go hold back, since at the end of the day ing the French defeat at Dienbienphu. tory, but far too many individuals are icholas Tarling, given the long list unnoticed by the indigenous popula- only Thailand, under its opportunist cited and far too little disclosed about Nof books bearing his name, has tions of French North Africa, who were leader General Pibun, joined the west- Cardboard characters who they were and why they counted. demonstrated an unequalled knowledge also claiming the right to independence. ern alliance – a decision that would This is diplomatic history written by Particularly in a period so critical for the of Southeast Asia during the period Nonetheless, following the 1954 defeat later prove extremely advantageous to an undoubted expert. Its intensive use history of Southeast Asia after the end framed by the build-up and denouement at Dienbienphu, the French, having that country. Indonesia, meanwhile, of primary sources, consisting mainly of the Pacific War, there must have been of the Pacific War. His latest book of a nothing to gain by remaining in Indo- was a constant western pre-occupation, of telegrams, assumes not only that its more to the world of diplomacy than trilogy opens with a review of Southeast china, simply ceased to be a factor in the especially because its sights were set on readers have detailed regional knowl- the cardboard characters presented in Asia just before the Korean War in 1950 equation. The implications of this pro- western New Guinea, which was still edge, but that they are also acquainted Britain, Southeast Asia and the Impact – only a few months after Mao Zedong vide the key to the diplomacy described retained – with strong Australian sup- with a Tolstoyan cast of British ambas- of the Korean War. Although this is con- had established the People’s Republic of in the second half of the book. port – by the Netherlands. sadors and Foreign Office officials, min- firmed by a careful reading of Tarling’s China – and continues through the two isters in the governments of France, the book, its immediate impact is still too major conferences of the mid-1950s, in Playing dominoes The United Kingdom, although con- Netherlands and the U.S., all of whom diffuse: one point, however, that does Geneva and Bandung. Tarling’s basic message is that every- stantly temporising, had accepted that are liable to replacement with changes come through, is the underlying wis- one was playing for time, waiting to see all European colonies in Southeast of government – or simply in the nor- dom of Britain’s diplomacy at a very By this time, the defeat of French forces whether the critical states (as they were Asia would sooner or later become mal course of duty – and whose opin- difficult time in its history. Here there at Dienbienphu had signalled that Euro- seen in the early 1950s) of Laos, Cambo- independent, so that diplomacy in the ions and advice are repeatedly cited. is no doubting Tarling’s patriotic stance pean colonialism, in whatever form, dia, Burma and Thailand (Vietnam was whole region would have to be based To give but one example, a certain J. G. – which, in the opinion of this reviewer, had no future in Southeast Asia. As still governed by France) would swing on dealing with autonomous sovereign Tahourdain is mentioned in the index is largely justified. < Tarling makes clear, this had long been toward the communist East or the capi- nations: on one side were India, Paki- 36 times, yet a Google search is needed accepted by the British as a matter of talist West. The West was haunted by stan and Ceylon; on the other Australia, to discover that he was the principal Thomas Crump was previously a lecturer in post-war realpolitik, and, though only by domino-thinking long before the term New Zealand and the U.S. All these private secretary to the minister of state anthropology at the University of Amster- 1949, by the Dutch as the result of force gained world-wide currency as a result countries, with their own self-interest at at the British Foreign Office – a man dam. He is currently an independent schol- majeure. The French, however, faced a of its use by President Eisenhower’s heart, were wary of new commitments behind the scenes, par excellence. His ar. His book, Asia Pacific: A History of Empire more difficult problem, for two reasons: Secretary of State John Foster Dulles. in Southeast Asia, though Eisenhower advice (page 259) that ‘the moral of all and Conflict was published by Continuum first – after Mao’s 1949 victory – its col- The threat – as perceived by the West and Dulles, while refusing to contem- this is never say die’ is also appropriate (London and New York) in May 2007. onies in Indochina were much closer to – was of Chinese military intervention, plate military intervention in Vietnam, for Tarling’s readers: they have much to [email protected] the West’s front-line confrontation with which, after the Korean War (1950-53), had little choice but to commit consider- learn from his book about an extremely
China’s Tibet: marginalisation through development?
Fischer, Andrew Martin. 2005. State Growth and Social Exclusion in Tibet: Challenges of Recent Economic Growth. Copenhagen: NIAS Press, xxvi + 187 pages. ISBN 87 91114 75 6
Alpo Ratia State Growth and Social Exclusion in the TAR’s tertiary sector (government, ion provinces use public development labour is in extremely short supply, Tibet is based on the author’s doctoral party and social organisations) surged funds to pay Chinese companies to hardly any Tibetans occupy manage- hina’s Western Development Strat- dissertation for the London School of 24.8% per year. The author concludes undertake construction work in Tibet, rial or technical posts. Moreover, Han Cegy (WDS) has pumped billions Economics. Graphic materials (one that the increase ‘probably indicates with minimal consideration of the local Chinese and Chinese Muslims from of yuan into developing Tibet. In July map, 26 tables, 19 figures, and 12 pho- that an expansion of the control appara- population’s needs and without its par- other provinces are crowding them 2006, for example, an impressive feat tos from the TAR, Qinghai and Sichuan) tus of the state was seen as an essential ticipation. Many construction projects out of administrative and commercial of engineering, the world’s highest rail- accompany his engaging analysis and precondition to the subsequent steps are ill-conceived and shoddily carried jobs. Development policy is apparently way (Qinghai-Tibet), was inaugurated in qualitative field observations. The first of spending and investment under the out. Nevertheless, the author acknowl- depriving Tibetans of control over their celebration of the Chinese Communist two of the book’s six chapters place WDS’ (page 45). He also notes the very edges the cost-effectiveness of certain own future, at least in the short term. Party’s 85th anniversary. Using official Tibet within the context of China’s large military presence in the TAR and irrigation works in increasing agricul- statistics and his own field observations, political economy and its development that military expenditures are secret and tural yields. As this is a socio-economic study largely Andrew Martin Fischer explores the dif- over time. A methodological excursus not included in the tertiary sector. based on an analysis of official govern- ferent ways government subsidies and (pages 6-12) provides useful pointers Chapter III’s second part examines the ... or putting their interests ment statistics, Fischer does not address large construction projects are affecting on the analysis and interpretation of sources fuelling GDP growth, namely on hold? cultural issues such as literacy and fluen- the lives of ordinary Tibetans. Chinese statistics. state subsidies. By 2003 subsidies from Chapters IV and V analyse the impact cy in Chinese or Tibetan, the destruction the central government and provinces of growth upon household incomes of Tibet’s traditional education system The Tibetan Plateau stretches across Western Development had ballooned to 74% of the TAR’s and different population strata. Some (monastic seminaries and universities) the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), Strategy: serving the people? entire GDP. Locally owned and man- 85% of the Tibetan population of TAR or the rights of occupied peoples. None- Qinghai and parts of adjacent provinc- By 1996 the TAR’s economy had begun aged farms, commercial ventures and and Qinghai is rural. Sharply declining theless, State Growth and Social Exclu- es. A large part of the ethnic Tibetan to expand, and Tibetans with a second- services have been wholly dwarfed, terms of trade for staple products (wool sion in Tibet is a pioneering work that population lives in the TAR, but over ary education have so far been rela- engendering extreme outside depend- and barley) combined with population should greatly interest social policy and half live in lower level administrative tive beneficiaries. Chapter III (pages ence, imbalances in the local economy growth, rising healthcare costs and rural development students and schol- divisions (autonomous prefectures, 32-87) is a masterful three-part study and an abdication of local power in environmental degradation have thrust ars, development agencies, friends of counties and townships) in the four of the TAR and Qinghai economies decision-making. With the completion over one-third of rural households into Tibet and China and human rights activ- predominantly Chinese provinces of under the WDS. The first part exam- of the enormously expensive Qinghai- poverty or near-poverty. Tibetans real- ists. The final chapter’s conclusions and Qinghai, Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan. ines the growth and composition of Tibet railway (stretching 1,142 km from ise that secondary sector employment recommendations on an array of practi- Extensive macro data on China’s eco- the gross domestic product between Golmud to Lhasa), the TAR’s economy is likely to be better paid, thus many cal measures (including the upgrading nomic and social indicators has been 1998 and 2001, during which China’s is now at serious risk of going from move to urban centres only to become of primary and vocational education) to available for some time, but before GDP expanded at an impressive annual boom to bust. an ethnic underclass. After five decades effectively improve the lot of Tibetans in Fischer’s study was neglected by west- average rate of 7.5%, that of Qinghai at of Chinese public education, Tibetans ‘autonomous’ areas should engage the ern scholarship on Tibet. Relevant data 12.2% and that of the TAR at a wallop- In chapter III’s third part Fischer notes have the lowest educational level of any attention of decision-makers in China. < outside the TAR is mostly aggregated ing 17.5%. While the economy’s primary the extreme inefficiency of the TAR major national minority. According to at the provincial level and is difficult sector (agriculture) remained generally growth model: GDP growth through the 2000 census, illiteracy averaged Alpo Ratia to extrapolate for Tibetans. Hence sluggish, its secondary sector (construc- expansion of government and admin- 9.1% nationally but was an atrocious University of Helsinki the author wisely focused on socio- tion, mining and industry) grew much istration is not self-sustaining and 47.3% among Tibetans. Because only [email protected] economic conditions in the TAR and faster than GDP in both the TAR and requires increasing subsidies in order 15% of Tibetans have any secondary neighbouring Qinghai. Qinghai. Meanwhile, expenditures for to be maintained. Beijing and min- education, and because skilled Tibetan
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 2 1 > Review A slow road to regionalism
Bertrand Fort and Douglas Webber. 2006. Regional Integration in East Asia and Europe: Convergence or Divergence. London: Routledge, 334 pages, ISBN 0 415 36747 6
Mark Beeson famously pushed the process of intra- On the positive side, the individual thus, arguably, the most important. the very definition of regional identity is regional political integration much analyses by area specialists contain Richard Higgott is one of a handful of uncertain and contentious. Until there ne of the most striking and para- further than anywhere else. The recent informed and judicious discussion. The scholars to have undertaken compara- is a consolidation of institutional fora in Odoxical qualities of ‘globalisation’ failure of the Netherlands and France to disadvantage of this approach is that tive analyses of Europe and Asia, and he East Asia, the co-ordination of collective – however we define it – is its regional ratify the EU constitution notwithstand- discussions occur in isolation, often provides an introduction to the theory actions at the regional level will remain accent. While the intensification of ing,1 the EU remains, rightly or wrong- leaving the reader to connect the dots. and practice of regionalism that empha- problematic. trans-border economic interactions ly, the benchmark against which other Of the 16 chapters, only about a quarter sises its relationship to globalisation. have become familiar and common- regional initiatives are measured. could be considered genuinely compar- He also makes the point that East Asia One of the great virtues of this valuable place, it is clear that such flows have ative. The rest are divided into groups of is a ‘region of economic experimenta- collection is its highlighting of the dif- a strong regional bias. In other words, EU mould for East Asia? thematic analyses, with broadly similar tion’ and that we should not expect it to ferent institutional capacities that exist far from being universal, contemporary Given the growing importance of topics being considered separately in replicate the European experience. in Asia and Europe and the very differ- processes of international integration regionalism, and the noteworthy dif- Europe and Asia. Consequently, there ent historical circumstances that have are realised in very different ways on an ferences in style and extent that dis- are sections on regional leadership and The other major comparative chapter is shaped them. Given such different start- increasingly regionalised basis. tinguish such processes in regions power, economic and monetary co-oper- provided by one of the editors – Doug- ing points it is unsurprising that the like western Europe and East Asia, we ation, institutional reform and post-cold las Webber – and attempts to place two regions have developed differently; In some ways, of course, this is not sur- might expect a great deal of interest war enlargement as well as security and regional integration in Europe and Asia this volume helps us to understand the prising: intuitively we would expect that in comparing their distinct historical regional crisis management. in historical context. This sort of com- forces that will shape their future trajec- sheer proximity would make neighbours experiences. With a few noteworthy parative historical analysis of regional tories. A major point confirmed in this more likely to establish high levels of exceptions this has generally not been This sort of approach works quite well, development is less common than we collection is that there is no reason to economic interaction. Yet while this has the case, which makes the volume by although there is the difficulty of com- might like and thus all the more valu- suppose that the EU represents the ulti- clearly been the case in western Europe, Fort and Webber all the more welcome paring like with like. For example, while able. Webber’s principal conclusion is mate end-point of all regionally based economic links within East Asia have and important. there is a useful chapter on the relation- that the conditions that underpinned cooperative endeavours. Indeed, the been less intense. Indeed, the entire ship between France and Germany, Europe’s uniquely high levels of inte- setbacks that have recently afflicted the East Asian developmental experience One explanation for the relative dearth there is no similar, chapter-length gration were so specific that it is ‘very European project suggest that it is not would arguably not have occurred with of such volumes is the sheer difficulty discussion of Sino-Japanese relations unlikely’ that they will be replicated even certain whether the EU will fulfil anything like the rapidity it did without of mounting comparative exercises; few – a notable omission given their impor- elsewhere. Indeed, Webber argues that what had at one time seemed to be its critical extra-regional ties – especially to individuals have the requisite expertise tance in both the region and the wider the particular balance of intra-regional inevitable destiny. But while there may the all-important consumer markets of to attempt them.2 The alternative is the international system. Nevertheless, the forces that permits effective integration be some debate about the depth and North America. one adopted here: assemble a team of comparative pairings generally work to occur are ‘quite restrictive’, and it is extent of regional processes, one thing scholars with expertise in a region and well and provide a useful and much not even clear whether the EU will be that this book makes clear is that region- However, not only is the nature of East organise their analyses around broadly needed starting point for students of able to maintain the degree of integra- al processes are set to remain defining Asia’s intra- and inter-regional eco- similar themes. These sorts of volumes regional integration. tion it has already achieved. parts of the contemporary era, and that nomic integration different from west- have some fairly well-known advantages we need more analyses of this sort if we ern Europe, but so, too, are its political and disadvantages – all of which are on A number of the chapters explicitly Mould? What mould? are going to understand them. < connections. The European Union has display here. adopt a comparative approach and are The trajectory of regional development will depend in large part on the position Notes [advertisement] of regional hegemons, Webber argues 1. The papers in this volume resulted from – a contention with implications for a conference in mid-2003, and a number East Asia and the apparently inexorable of key events, like the rejection of the EU rise of China. My own feeling is that the constitution and the East Asia Summit of course of regional development may 2005, are not considered. have as much to do with the actions of 2. For an important exception – albeit one Indonesia and the world’s only global hegemon as with that rather underplays the importance of any exclusively regional conditions.3 China – see Katzenstein, Peter J. 2005. A the Malay World This is something that is touched on but World of Regions: Asia and Europe in the not considered as extensively as it might American Imperium. Ithaca: Cornell Uni- HONORARY EDITOR: Dr Nigel Phillips, SOAS, University of London, UK have been, given the central importance versity Press. of the United States in the formation 3. See, Beeson, Mark. 2005. ‘Re-thinking MANAGING EDITORS: (and lack of integration, in East Asia’s Regionalism: Europe and East Asia in Com- Pauline Khng, University of Hull, UK Dr Ben Murtagh, SOAS, University of London, UK case) and contemporary evolution of parative Historical Perspective’. Journal of both regions. European Public Policy 12 (6): 969-985. Indonesia and the Malay World is an international scholarly journal which focuses its study of the region on languages, literatures, art, archaeology, history, religion, anthropology and the performing arts. Amitav Acharya’s brief concluding Mark Beeson It is published three times a year, in March, July, and November. First published in 1973 as Indonesia Circle, the change of journal title indicates its concern with the entire Malay world chapter is upbeat about the capacity of School of Political Science & International and signals a desire to encompass more fully the study of the region. East Asia’s ‘practical and productive’ Studies, University of Queensland regionalism to meet some of the for- [email protected] RECENT ARTICLES: midable challenges it currently faces. If Radio awards and the dialogic contestation of Indonesian journalism: Edwin Jurriëns East Asia is to rise to such challenges, A land overflowing with milk and honey: Sastradarma’s description of Batavia, 1867- it may need to replicate at least one 1869: Willem Van Der Molen aspect of the European experience: the The spirit of Langkasuka? Illuminated manuscripts from the east coast of the Malay Peninsula: Annabel Teh Gallop dominant position the EU has enjoyed Islam and traweh prayers in Java: Unity, diversity, and cultural smoothness: André Möller as the institutionalised expression of SUBSCRIPTION RATES the regional impulse. East Asia, by con- 2007- Volume 35 (3 issues per year) trast, still suffers from something of an Print ISSN 1363-9811; Online ISSN 1469-8382 identity crisis and a bewildering array Institutional rate (print and online): US$312; £191 Institutional rate (online only): US$296; £181 of often overlapping initiatives in which Personal rate (print only): US$104; £55 For further information, please contact Customer Services at either: Routledge Customer Services, T&F Informa UK Ltd, Sheepen Place, Colchester, Essex, CO3 3LP, UK. Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 5544 Fax: +44 (0) 20 7017 5198 Email:[email protected]:www.tandf.co.uk/journals Routledge Customer Services, Taylor & Francis Inc, 325 Chestnut Street, 8th Floor, Philadelphia, PA 19106, USA. Tel: +1 800 354 1420 (toll-free calls from within the US) or +1 215 625 8900 (calls from overseas) Fax: +1 215 625 2940 Review a book for Email:[email protected] When ordering, please quote: YG04501A IIAS Newsletter:
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2 2 IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Review Chinese experience of the Korean War
Ha Jin. 2004. War Trash. New York: Pantheon Books, 352 pages, ISBN 0 375 42276 5
oner learns to read, which in the muted armed only with bamboo spears and tones of the novel, brings satisfaction to shouts of ‘Mansei!’ (p.187). This epi- the narrator. Rarely, however, are emo- sode, like other repudiations of proletar- tions overplayed. While homesickness ian Korean nationalism, demonstrated among the troops receives sympathetic a deep need among the prisoners for treatment, this text seldom wallows in images of a dominant North Korea, as sentimentality. seen in the accompanying drawing. In the midst of prison camp struggles, Ha Like the 2,000,000 mainland Chinese Jin credits the Americans their share of who were thrust into Korea as ‘volun- brutality, but does not spare the prison- teers’, the narrator encounters an array ers for their own folly. Preparing for an of nationalities, testifying to Korea’s all-out rumble with the guards, Chinese inundation by foreign soldiers. Ameri- prisoners create signs reading ‘Respect cans appear as solicitous doctors, embat- the Geneva Convention!’ even as they tled black soldiers sympathetic to com- sharpen their shanks. munist doctrine, and angry sergeants capable of torture. No one communi- The Chinese-North Korean camara- cates particularly well, and language derie that pervades War Trash exists barriers appear frequently, reminding today only in propaganda artefacts and the reader that, for the Chinese troops wartime kitsch hawked by vendors who trudged across the Yalu River and along the northern bank of the Yalu into the pockmarked netherworld of the River. Nevertheless, Ha Jin faithfully DPRK, Korea was a strange and foreign chronicles Chinese soldiers singing land. In this predicament, the Chinese North Korean songs and participating troops shared a root concern with their in smaller, yet more beautiful gestures. western rivals who were steadily pour- During one particularly intense denun- ing into the confusion of Pusan. ciation of their American captors, a Chinese soldier breaks into sobs, and is Amid the polyglot forces inundating the silently handed a towel by his Korean peninsula, War Trash paints North Kore- comrade. In another episode describing ans as perhaps the most interesting. the preparations for a camp uprising, North Korean POWs flare throughout the narrator finds himself in the depths the text as haughty firebrands whose of an underground compound, hosted nationalistic furor and personal pride by a princely and solicitous North Kore- can never be squelched. In discussing an who somehow has a radio through the need for ‘patient negotiation’ with which he allows his Chinese friend to Ball-Point Pen Drawing Confiscated from a North Korean Prisoner of War, Koje Island, 15 July 1953 the Americans, notes the Chinese nar- hear, at last, news from home. This book Courtesy New York Public Library Propaganda Collection (Box 11). rator, ‘our Korean comrades tended to is like that – dreary, almost impassable, be too hot-blooded’, noting that Kim until an unexpected flare from under- Il Sung’s men ‘wouldn’t share the ground infuses life with emotion and Adam Cathcart resents Ha Jin’s most challenging and Korean words that none of us could same earth and sky with the American rare companionship. edifying work to date. understand’ (p.200). Born in China but imperialists. In the camps, this pride he Chinese experience of the Kore- resident in Atlanta since 1985, Ha Jin manifested itself in fierce North Korean In a way we are all prisoners of the Kore- Tan War (1950-1953) remains little Readers familiar with such classic Kore- has become well-known largely on the resistance to American control. Indeed, an War, and live in the world it created. noted and barely understood. No one, an War films as Pork Chop Hill will rec- strength of such sentences. one of War Trash’s most harrowing Divisions and loyalties remain lashed other than the Koreans themselves, ognize the muted strain of fatalism that Less poetic but more useful are the episodes chronicles a prison rebellion into place, frozen across an artificial sustained heavier casualties in the war winds like a dirge through War Trash. novel’s descriptions of the everyday instigated by a core group of North barrier that time has hardened into a than the Chinese, who buried more The men in the prison camps are noth- activities that governed life in the POW Korean POWs. nigh-unbridgeable chasm. In 1953, Ha than 100,000 men in Korean soil, ing more than insignificant flotsam, camps. Unrestrained by American Jin’s narrator crossed north of the 38th including the napalm-saturated body war trash, pawns in a grinding chess regulations, prisoners communicated Faced with the abduction of an Ameri- parallel towards home, but the rest of us of Mao’s eldest son. Beyond domestic match centering on the truce village of across distinct compounds via hand can general by a shock brigade of com- are still waiting for the war to end. < propaganda denouncing the American- Panmunjom. For momentary victories signals, or by slinging rocks with mes- munist POWs, American soldiers led UN forces, China’s intervention in at the negotiating table, leaders on both sages that fluttered over fences. War quell the Cheju compounds with the Adam Cathcart the Korean War sharpened her hostil- sides would unscrupulously sacrifice Trash contains a few meditations on the full force of tanks. Facing hundreds of Assistant Professor of East Asian History ity to the capitalist West, prevented the the lives of hundreds in battlefield offen- role of singing and the arts as cathartic American troops bristling with weap- Hiram College, Ohio, USA integration of Taiwan with the main- sives or prison camp uprisings. The text necessities for camp culture. One pris- onry, the Koreans run futilely forward, [email protected] land, and cut deeply into the masses of thus mirrors the inner desolation that young men who had joined the war as the inconclusive truce talks created. [advertisement] ‘volunteers’. Those interested in military history and the Korean War will be pleased with the Ha Jin confronts this consequential layers of detail in Ha Jin’s work, whose subject in his novel War Trash, the kinship with the list of reference works unadorned first-person narrative of unobtrusively located as back matter a Chinese POW in Korea. True to the is clear. As such, War Trash straddles actual experiences of Chinese commu- the boundary between history and fic- nist POWs, the novel is long and quite tion, and bids to join the company of frequently depressing. Beginning with Solzhenitsyn’s gulag literature. A semi-annual journal dedicated to the its dark wrapping and sheer girth, the study and preservation of Asian traditions reader apprehends a sense of the work’s The writing is often aimless, as the unrelenting sobriety. Unlike Waiting, recollections of the old can be, but the This year’s issues include articles on: his celebrated story of romance amid reader frequently wanders into inlets On the Wings of a Bird: Folklore and Nostalgia the Chinese Cultural Revolution, the of beauty. In one episode showing the * political currents that seethe under- transfer of prisoners from Koje Island * Pipit Rochijat’s Subversive Mythologies neath the surface of War Trash are not to Cheju-do, the narrator relates the * Homo narrans in East Java calmed by any semblance of a love story. following tableaux: ‘Once we were * Hairstyles in Korea and Japan Developed female characters do not clear of the hill slope, the muddy beach * Special Issue: Animal Folklore exist in this book, and counter-narra- appeared, spreading like a long strip of Subscription rates for two issues/year: Institutions us $40.00, Individuals us $22.00 tives, subplots, and flashbacks are simi- unplanted paddy fields. At its northern Contact address: Editor, Asian Folklore Studies, Nanzan University larly absent. Basking in depression, War end, at the beginning of the wharf, were 18 Yamazato-cho, Showa-ku, 466–8673 Nagoya, Japan Trash is a brutally slow exploration of anchored two large black ships, the e-mail: [email protected] the prisoner’s world, and as such, rep- sides of their prows painted with white
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 2 3 > Review On archives
Toshie Awaya, ed. 2005. Creating an Archive Today. Tokyo: Tokyo University of Foreign Studies. 158 pages, ISBN 4 925243 09 8
Mark Turin on the British Library collection, much maximum effect’ (p.29). Devi, based scanned it is somehow durable and planning. However, I am left wonder- of Shaw’s article applies more widely. at the National Heritage Board in Sin- everlasting. ‘Suffice it for now to say’, ing whether some archives should be n this new and important work, lead- He makes an important distinction gapore, has extensive experience in the Nye continues, ‘that after seven years in created even if the information needs Iing librarians and archivists address between an archive’s ‘internal and methodology of oral history projects. the trenches working on those digital of a contemporary, let alone future, some of the challenges they face in cre- administrative approach’ and that of the One of the most interesting sections of projects I have gained a renewed appre- scholarly community are unknown or ating and maintaining historical collec- external ‘research perspective’ (p.13). Devi’s paper relates to the establishment ciation for microforms’ (p.45). His scep- untested, simply because the content is tions. How do scholars use archives? After all, the aims of an archivist (pres- of oral history galleries in schools which ticism about the long-term viability of important or threatened. One can never How can we ensure that collections ervation and longevity) may not be the in turn enrich the curriculum. Devi’s digital media echoes a paper by Susan predict the interests or questions that endure over time? What are the benefits same as that of a librarian (cataloguing conclusion, namely that the success of Whitfield, Director of the International will motivate research and scholarship and dangers of digitisation? These ques- and access) or that of a scholar (usability such ‘heritage galleries’ will depend on Dunhuang Project at the British Library, 20 years hence. tions and many more are discussed in and context). the ‘will, conviction and commitment of about what she fittingly called ‘the perils this very readable compilation. various agents and agencies in seeing it of digitisation’. As Nye points out, ‘even The remaining four contributions to Masahito Ando, author of the second to its fruition and beyond’ is a point well if the [computer] disks were physically the volume focus on specific collections Based on a conference of the same chapter, is at Japan’s National Institute taken, but the paper itself is regrettably intact after twenty years, most people and scholarly production. Asvi Warman name, the volume is in three parts, all of Japanese Literature. Drawing in par- thin on recommendations on how to would be hard pressed to find a device Adam looks at ‘silenced voices’ in the with a strong focus on Asian themes ticular on examples from Hong Kong ensure long-term sustainability. capable of reading the data stored on oral history of Indonesia, while Yumi and collections. The first contribution in and Malaya during the Asia-Pacific War, the disk’ (p.45). Sugahara examines the structures and part I, ‘Creating the Archive’ by Graham Ando shows how archives can be entire- Sharing content of 19th century manuscripts Shaw of the British Library, addresses ly destroyed or irrevocably damaged The University of Chicago’s James Nye Nye’s paper also assesses the challenges of Javanese Islamic leaders. Lorraine preservation and access issues relating during periods of aggression: ‘Because will be known to many readers. His and outcomes of the projects in which Gesick’s article on the adoption of mod- to the India Office Records. An archive, of their usefulness and importance as enthusiasm for disseminating textual he has been involved through the Uni- ern archiving in Thailand and the ‘intel- he argues, ‘only becomes an “archive” an information source, archival materi- collections through innovative technol- versity of Chicago over the last decade. lectual shift among the Thai élite that it once the primary purpose for which its als have often been targeted for confis- ogies has reached a large community of One of his conclusions, with which I signified’ (p.118) raises some interesting contents were created no longer applies’, cation or other types of destruction by scholars around the world. His contri- agree without reservation, is that ‘our questions of wider applicability. As her and he shows how the ‘life-cycle of such hostile forces and the ruling authorities, bution to the present volume, entitled colleagues in South Asia deserve better paper carefully illustrates, the creation a large historical archive is rarely if ever especially in times of political or armed ‘Shared Patrimony’, is one of the most access to scholarly resources’. Person- of an archive does not guarantee long- one of simple linear development and conflict, or through colonial or foreign compelling in a generally readable col- ally, I would even suggest that scholars term sustainability, as the collection of accumulation’ (p.7). To scholars reli- occupation’ (p.26). Ando’s paper is a lection. Among other topics, Nye’s and librarians in well-endowed univer- documents can actually result in their ant on coherent archives which endure chilling reminder of the impermanence paper raises the issue of sharing, which sities and institutes in the West should disappearance. ‘Is archiving always an through time, it may come as a surprise of archives, particularly in periods of he rightly points out is ‘not a natural prioritise access to historical archives act of destruction as well as preserva- to learn that the India Office Records armed conflict. reflex in many parts of the academe’ for communities whose documentary tion?’ she asks, and from the perspec- have been frequently ‘weeded’, includ- (p.43). Nye’s paper is also a healthy histories they are the custodians of. In tive of the Thai collections which Gesick ing over 300 tons of documents, lists, G. Uma Devi’s paper is the last contri- corrective to the ‘digitisation fixes all’ the small project which I run, Digital describes, the answer is certainly yes. accounts and warrants which were sold bution in part I and focuses on how oral belief still held by many scholars, which Himalaya, we have found that an unex- as waste paper in 1860. While focussed history can be ‘used strategically for assumes that once a collection has been pected number of users of our online The final contribution by Crispin Bates is resources come from the areas of South an excellent illustration of how archives [advertisement] Asia in which the original materials are actually used. Using ship rolls and were collected. This is a heartening letters as previously untapped archival development, in part explained by the resources, Bates looks at the movement NUMBER 9-10 NOW AVAILABLE poor state of many library collections in and control of Indian migrants in the South Asia, with the result that online colonial labour movement. resources become the first port of call. In all, then, this diverse volume offers David Magier’s chapter is a helpful over- a snapshot of the current debates and view to library collection development concerns of scholars, librarians and Social Science Research on Southeast Asia over the last 30 years. Magier, Director archivists brought together in a very Recherche en sciences humaines sur l’Asie du Sud-Est of Area Studies and a senior librarian readable format. Given the difficulty at Columbia University, suggests that of purchasing this book in Europe, those who would create an archive today online or through speciality book sell- ‘must do so not by starting from a given ers, perhaps the publisher could be SPECIAL ISSUE set of content, but by understanding the persuaded to host the individual con- information needs of the scholarly com- tributions online, as a kind of archi- munity, and by seeking to co-ordinate vists’ archive? < with the existing collections, resources AGRICULTURE IN SOUTHEAST ASIA and endeavours that are already serv- Mark Turin is director of the Digital Hima- ing portions of those needs’ (p.81). laya Project and currently based at Tribhuvan AN UPDATE His point is well taken, and impor- University in Nepal. tant to remember since some archives [email protected] remain unused through lack of careful (Guest Editor: Marc Dufumier)
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SALES & SUBSCRIPTIONS EDISUD, La Calade, RN 7, 13090 Aix-en-Provence, France A READER IN EDO PERIOD TRAVEL Ph.: 33-(0)4-42216144 - Fax: 33-(0)4-42215620 - www.edisud.com - E-mail: [email protected] Subscription: 30.50 euros Herbert Plutschow Back issues: 18.30 euros 978-1-901903-23-2 Global Oriental Ltd MOUSSONS , c/o IRSEA, MAISON ASIE PACIFIQUE PO Box 219 Université de Provence, 3, place Victor-Hugo, 13003 Marseilles, France Folkestone Ph.: 33-(0)491106114 - Fax: 33-(0)491106115 - E-mail: [email protected] Distributed in North America by Kent CT20 2WP University of Hawaii Press www.globaloriental.co.uk
2 4 IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Review Living heritage: vernacular architecture in China
Knapp, Ronald G. and Kai-Yin Lo, eds. 2005. House, Home, Family: Living and Being Chinese. Honolulu: University of Hawai’i Press. xxi + 453pp. ISBN 0 8248 2953 0
Marcel Vellinga such as gender, economy, family type, residence patterns and ancestor wor- he vernacular architecture of China ship closely and dynamically relate to Tis characterised by a striking conso- the house as a building. In combination nance among built forms. Although sig- with part one, it presents a fascinating nificant geographical variations reflect overview of the way in which vernacular the country’s rich ethnic diversity, a buildings, through their layout, furni- number of architectural, spatial and ture and decoration, embody aspects of cultural elements are shared by many, Chinese culture. if not most, traditional Chinese houses, royal palaces, town dwellings and farm- Because of its integrated coverage of ele- houses alike. These include, for exam- ments such as spatial layout, gardens, ple, the use of modular units (jian); decoration, furniture and construction the complementary creation of closed rituals, House, Home, Family is a must and open spaces (courtyards); and the for all those interested in either the ritual importance of the location and study of vernacular architecture or Chi- orientation of buildings. Evidence from nese cultural history. However, it does archaeological excavations and classi- not sufficiently address China’s vast eth- cal texts suggests that these elements nic diversity and its reflection in archi- are not just geographically widespread tecture and spatial patterns. As Ronald but deeply rooted in history and relate Knapp notes (page 4), the ‘Chinese’ closely to Chinese notions of ‘family’ referred to in the title and throughout and ‘home’. Sadly, just when interest in the book should be read as ‘Han’, the and understanding of the intimate rela- majority ethnic group that represents tionship between Chinese architecture, 92% of the country’s total population social organization and cultural values but is in itself extremely differentiated. is growing, the built heritage concerned To what extent the architectural and is in serious decline owing to the rapid spatial patterns and features identified economic and cultural development of in the book also hold for other minor- recent decades. ity ethnic groups like the Mongol, Hui or Uyghur, Knapp adds, remains to be The close relationship between the Chi- researched. nese house and notions of family and Painting of compact rural dwelling, Northern Song Dynasty, 1123 home is the focus of House, Home, Fam- Taken from the book under review. Used with the permission of the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art, Kansas City, Missouri. (Purchase F80-5) Photo credit: Robert Newcombe” Nonetheless, more than any other book ily: Living and Being Chinese. The book is on the subject, House, Home, Family the outcome of a symposium organised multi-storied fortresses, cave dwellings their distinctive forms, use of resources relations, ancestral halls and domestic goes a long way to providing an initial by the China Institute in New York in and transportable tents), it is remark- or spatial organisation. However, as rituals, and studying each from a variety understanding of the intimate, com- 2001, which complemented the exhibi- able that this heritage didn’t attract seri- noted by several of the book’s contribu- of disciplinary perspectives (including plex and dynamic ways in which people tion Living Heritage: Vernacular Environ- ous academic interest until the 1980s. tors, houses are more than just physi- architecture, art history, anthropology and vernacular architecture in much ment in China. In the preface, the edi- Before that, only a small number of Chi- cal structures and in all societies relate and cultural geography), this is exactly of China relate to one another. Such tors state their main aim is to enhance nese scholars expressed interest in the closely to social groups and cultural what House, Home, Family does. an understanding is especially valu- the understanding and appreciation vernacular; most, such as Liu Dunzhen identities. Gender relations, age rank- able today, when rapid modernisation of China’s vernacular built heritage. and Liang Sicheng, had to work in dif- ings, economic status, cultural beliefs Long on architecture but threatens to erase China’s vernacular Such understanding and appreciation, ficult political circumstances, but it was and values are all embodied in such short on what it reflects heritage in favour of new forms of archi- they hope, will contribute to a greater their work during the 1950s that pro- aspects as construction materials, spa- The book is divided into two parts. Part tecture inspired by western or global awareness of the need to study and con- vided the first glimpse of building types tial layout, internal and external orienta- one focuses on the house as a building precedents. In view of the many social, serve the buildings and environments previously unknown or believed to have tion, furnishings and building forms. In and devotes chapters to different archi- economic and ecological problems that concerned. Focusing on the close inter- been lost. Over the past two decades, order to understand this intimate and tectural aspects of Chinese houses, such this rapid development entails, it would relationship between aspects that so far this glimpse has expanded into an ever dynamic relationship between architec- as spatial division, architectural aesthet- seem that China’s varied vernacular tra- have been dealt with mainly in isolation more comprehensive and detailed pic- ture and people (exemplified in China ics and the function of building rituals. ditions, as a ‘living heritage’, still have a (eg, houses, gardens, furniture, fam- ture, as an avalanche of work published by the character jia [家], which refers Themes not commonly included in lot to contribute to the development of ily relations), the book definitely meets by a growing number of American, simultaneously to notions of ‘house’, studies of vernacular architecture, such architecture that is both culturally and its first aim. One can only hope that a Chinese and European scholars has ‘family’ and ‘home’), it is necessary as the relationship between a house and environmentally appropriate and sus- greater awareness of China’s rich ver- significantly increased our knowledge to look beyond the physical building its garden or the positioning of furniture tainable. < nacular heritage will follow. of vernacular architecture in China. at the many ways in which the house within it, provide an insightful overview is dialectically linked to the family. By of the nature of Chinese vernacular tra- Marcel Vellinga A neglected heritage Many of these studies, both Chinese combining chapters on aspects of Chi- ditions and some of the cultural values International Vernacular Architecture Unit, Given its rich diversity (comprising and foreign, have focused on houses nese houses and families such as spatial underlying it. Part two focuses on the Oxford Brookes University traditions as varied as hierarchically only as objects – physical structures that patterns, gardens, construction rituals, concepts of home and family and indi- [email protected] organised courtyard houses, massive may be of academic interest simply for furniture, lineage structures, gender cates how social and cultural aspects
Courtyard house (siheyuan) in Chuandixia. Photograph by Ronald G. Knapp 2001. Fortress house in Xinyou village, Longman county, Jiangxi province. Photography by Ronald G. Knapp 1993.
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 2 5 > Review Female and single: negotiating personal and social boundaries in Indonesian society
Bennett, Linda. 2005. Women, Islam and Modernity: Single Women, Sexuality and Reproductive Health in Contemporary Indonesia. Singapore: Curzon Press. 183 pages, ISBN 0 415 32929 9
Muhammed Hassanali ferences in social standing. Bennett cor- Intimacy and female sexual desire out- of sexual purity, and hence all physical mote its ideals of political society and rectly states that women are at the pin- side marriage are considered un-Indo- contact with men is avoided. For oth- Islam – one of which includes gender ost people cherish individual nacle of their social standing when they nesian or un-Muslim and those women ers, only the public persona of virginity equality. Other, more secular groups Mrights. They also believe that attain motherhood. All life-stages prior who publicly express these feelings needs to be maintained. Most women espouse notions of separation of reli- certain rights should be granted to all to that are seen as journeys to mother- are labelled as promiscuous. Bennett fall somewhere in between. Bennett gion and politics. These organisations regardless of gender or any other clas- hood. Bennett focuses on maidenhood, narrates in detail a young woman’s points out that the level of knowledge of draw inspiration for human rights from sification that denies human dignity which she defines as the time between experience of undergoing an abortion, virginity, reproductive health concerns religious and western sources, fusing and equality. But some societies with- puberty and marriage. Since marriage and the experience of another single and ‘sexual’ diseases (such as AIDS and notions from both to create innovative hold these very rights through a variety defines the end of maidenhood, Ben- woman seeking reproductive health HIV) is very low. This observation is in notions of human rights and gender of tools (such as uneven distribution nett’s work emphasises the attitudes treatment. Both experiences illustrate line with notions of Indonesian society, equality. of state funds and law enforcement). of single women more fully than age- how being single and female at a repro- where reproduction is not typically dis- Cultural norms, together with political based demographic studies would. ductive health clinic immediately lead cussed with those outside one’s (same- Indonesian activists, with their adher- and economic conditions sometimes to assumptions of premarital sex (which sex) peer group. ence to an interpretation of Islam that convert rights into privileges for select Gender issues are social constructs, is potentially devastating for women, inspires political activism, embody persons. and one requires an understanding of as it diminishes their chances of find- Government schools limit discussions a new tolerant Indonesia. For them, societal norms to fully appreciate them. ing a husband). The attitudes of others about reproduction and sexuality to a Islam is a crucial resource for political It is often assumed that pious forms of Bennett starts by providing a general – especially health care workers – the single biology lesson that leaves virtu- mobilisation and underpins their beliefs Islam lead to political conditions that background on Indonesian cultural ide- potential for rumours and the fear of ally no room for discussion or for stu- about democracy and gender equality. marginalise women’s rights (as in Tali- als, then focuses on ideals of sexuality being seen by one who recognises the dents to ask questions. The government At the grassroots level, their views are ban Afghanistan). The Islamic revival in and gender. She discusses sexual double woman weigh heavily on the decision to claims that the conservative Indonesian beginning to be woven into the fabric Indonesia has coincided with the rise of standards, the role of a woman’s sexual seek these services. The lack of privacy society would not tolerate a more thor- of Indonesian society – but much work a middle class, an expansion of minority reputation and its reflection on family when asked for personal data before ough discussion on sexuality. Bennett remains. movements, and the growth and diver- honour, and the grave consequences for examination, long wait times before observes that youths attending religious sification of a women’s movement. This sexual transgression (real or perceived). seeing a doctor and the high cost of schools tend to receive better education Bennett’s work is unique in that it revival has also witnessed a small fun- As sexual purity is desirable and even these services also influence women’s on reproduction and sexuality. NGOs, focuses specifically on single women. damentalist movement that advocates erotic, young women dress modestly decisions in seeking professional care. reproductive health professionals and As Bennett resists demographic classifi- a more domestic role for women. The to enhance their sexual desirability and Indonesian law addresses women as religious organisations have organised cations, she fully explores maidenhood relationship between pious Islam and protect their sexual purity. Individuality wives or mothers – implicitly strip- seminars to educate youths on repro- – its challenges and opportunities. We women’s rights is more complex than is expressed through accessories (shoes, ping them of their individual identities. duction, sexuality and sexual diseases. are prone to taking a simplistic view popularly portrayed. sunglasses, handbags and hair accesso- Hence, while the government provides on culture, religion and other social ries), but make-up is rarely worn. family planning services, it denies them Bennett outlines a framework that uses constructs when studying a society Contemporary Indonesian society to single women. Islamic principles to enshrine gender that is different from our own. Bennett draws upon Islamic ideals, pre-Islamic Bennett describes notions of love, desire equality, and thus promotes reproduc- discusses the competing ideals, their customs and western models to form and attraction in spiritual and profane Sex education: tive rights of women – particularly those complex interactions and their sway on a complex web of social norms that realms as they are understood by young one lesson for life of single women. Her framework does Indonesian women. She presents her are manifested to varying degrees by women. This lays the foundation for Bennett provides enough background not start with western ideals of human findings clearly and cogently discusses families and individuals. Linda Bennett discussing premarital relationships details and narrates women’s experienc- rights, but draws upon Islamic religious their implications within the broader artfully narrates how the young – espe- and, in particular, courting practices. es without letting discussions on broad- texts and outlines a gender-based equal- framework of young women’s lives. The cially young women – negotiate the Indigenous gender ideals assume that er issues detract from their stories. This ity of the sexes. She recommends dis- examples peppered throughout the text boundaries of acceptable social behav- women are passive actors in intimate approach lets the reader understand cussing roles and responsibilities spe- serve not only to underpin generalisa- iour in order to achieve greater personal relationships. Bennett shows that this the broader issues and empathise with cifically in terms of gender rather than tions, but also to personalise the issues. autonomy, especially over their bodies. is far from the lived reality and discuss- the women as they bear the emotional in the context of human rights. This The individual choices, actions and con- es the various ways women negotiate consequences of their actions and deci- approach would be sensitive to Indone- sequences of her characters endear the Maidenhood social boundaries to fulfil their desire sions. The reader also gets a taste of the sian culture and would draw inspiration reader, provoking both an intellectual Most studies on Indonesian women for intimacy while maintaining their limited range of choices and the sense from indigenous cultural ideals. and emotional response. < concentrate on married women and sexual reputation. She then presents of helplessness and perhaps despair family life. Some studies focus on sex examples of how youths use elopement that these women feel. A new tolerance Muhammed Hassanali is an independent workers, women at work, child labour, and love magic – a sort of ‘black magic’ Indonesian advocacy groups are already scholar of Islamic studies in Cleveland, early marriage and women living in used to arouse another’s amorous feel- While most Indonesian women want to using variations of Bennett’s frame- Ohio, USA. poverty. There are also demographic ings – for manipulation and resistance. protect their virginity (in keeping with work to promote their vision of an ideal [email protected] studies that are useful for drawing some Both constructs are embedded in indig- cultural norms), their ideas of what society. Fatayat (the women’s division of conclusions, but that may not reliably enous sexual scripts and sustained in constitutes virginity vary widely. For Nahdlatul Ulama), for example, draws discriminate attitudes arising from dif- contemporary ideology. some, the entire female body is a site inspiration from religious texts to pro-
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2 6 IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Review State and society in the Philippines
Abinales, Patricio N. and Donna J. Amoroso. 2005. State and Society in the Philippines. Lanham, New York, Oxford: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc., xxxiv-353 pages. ISBN 0 7425 1024 7
Niels Mulder organisations (NGOs) and people’s a contemporary of Thailand’s Marshal that, if we want to compare its one, two, References organisations (POs), such as farmer Sarit, while President Marcos’s godfa- or three million members with Catho- - Mulder, Niels. 2000. Inside Southeast Asia: romising to situate the Philippines organisations and trade unions, though therism finds a compelling parallel in lics or others, we had better double Religion. Everyday Life. Cultural Change. Pin global and regional contexts, the the Communist Party of the Philip- President Suharto. Student protests those figures; then the membership of Chiang Mai: Silkworm Books. authors aim to ‘reconsider the narrative pines is excluded. The demonstration against their leaders and in the name of the Roman Church wouldn’t stand at - ----. 2003. Southeast Asian Images: Towards of Philippine political development’, to of these ups and downs amidst a vast constitutional democracy – not nation- ‘almost 83%’ but rather 75% at most, Civil Society? Chiang Mai: Silkworm attempt a ‘sustained analysis of state mass of random, mostly economic data alism – occur almost at the same time. as sectarianism of all sorts is simulta- Books. formation over the course of a millen- – percentage of GNP, harvests of coco- As for the use of political violence, the neously eating into that flock. Current - Sidel, John T. 1999. Capital, Coercion, and nium’ and to develop a ‘framework for nuts or rice – make for tedious reading parallel with Thailand has been well- religious developments are an impor- Crime: Bossism in the Philippines. Stanford: understanding Philippine state-society until one no longer sees the forest for drawn elsewhere (Sidel 1999). tant indicator of state-society relations, Stanford University Press. relations over time’ (page xv). Whereas the trees. Had there only been graphs often prompted by disaffection with the - Wurfel, David. 1988. Filipino Politics: Devel- the standard narrative follows conven- to show trends and changes in political, For undergrads? state and the irrelevance of electoral opment and Decay. Quezon City: Ateneo tional historical periodisation – ‘“pre- economic and social configurations! Probably the most serious omission is politics to personal well-being. de Manila University Press. Hispanic”; Spanish; revolutionary; the non-elaboration of religion in con- When I finished the book, I noted that American; Commonwealth; Japanese; An isolated narrative temporary politics. Whether in Indo- David Wurfel’s Filipino Politics: Devel- Niels Mulder is a retired independent and, in the Republican era, by presi- The isolation in which the narrative nesia, Malaysia, Thailand or the Philip- opment and Decay (1988) had not even researcher of Filipino, Javanese and Thai dential administration’ – the authors unfolds is illustrated by far-fetched com- pines, religion is not only a companion been acknowledged, which prompted culture, and is currently working on his have written a book that ‘acknowledges parisons. The authors describe Com- of modernity, but alive and well in pub- me to take it off the shelf. The book field biography Doing Java: An Anthropologi- the Southeast Asian connections of the monwealth President Quezon as a child lic life. Whereas the authors pay lip is unpopular, probably because it cal Detective Story, soon to be published by Philippines and the changing rhythm of of his time by citing centralising and service to its importance, they neither appeared at the height of the Pilipinolo- Kanisius, Yogyakarta. state and social formation across times fascist tendencies in Finland and Poland theorise its position within state-society hiya craze at the University of the Phil- [email protected] and regimes’ (page 4). (Japan is also mentioned) rather than relations nor elaborate on it descrip- ippines when foreign contributions to contemporary, closer-to-home and far tively. Suharto’s aversion to politicised Philippine Studies were denigrated as The introductory chapter fails to men- more comparable leaders such as Kemal Islam strengthened it first as a moral ‘for European consumption’. But when tion to whom the book is addressed, Ataturk, Reza Shah and Phibul Song- stance and then as a social force that I consulted it, I was struck, again, by though on the back cover an Ameri- kram. The self-congratulatory observa- may well be on its way to overwhelming the conceptual lucidity that enabled can professor states that the book is tions on People Power – the Philippines the public sphere; in Thailand Cham- the author to predict, after President ‘very accessible to undergraduate audi- as a guiding light – overlook the protract- long’s Force of Righteousness moved Corazon Aquino had been in power for ences’. Perhaps the professor thinks so ed demonstrations that brought down the middle classes to centre stage, less than a year and a half, her largely because of the ingenuous conceptual Sukarno. In 1973, people power suc- while in the Philippines the aversion to negative legacy. In comparison, State tools the authors propose, ie, ‘the state’ ceeded in sending the Tyrannical Trio in the institutional church forced millions and Society in the Philippines doesn’t and ‘social forces’. This is followed by Thailand packing and signalled, in 1978, into the embrace of the Iglesia ni Kristo. come anywhere close to a theoretically a touristy seven-page guide, where we the demise of the Shah of Iran. If the authors had been better informed, sustained narrative. Unlike the back read that the country is an archipelago they would have known that the Iglesia cover blurb, I do not recommend it to of 7,107 islands (though we’re left in Had the history of ideas – socialism, only counts adults as its members, so my undergraduate students. < the dark about where the population religion, constitutional thought, the lives); about its tribal affiliations and public debate on nationalism or public [advertisement] languages; a lengthy list of regions and opinion and its agents – played a signifi- provinces without being told where cant role in this narrative of presumed they are and why they exist (there is state-society relations, many interesting Studies in Overseas History not a single map in the book); the false developments would emerge, from early claim that the Philippine Independent trade-unionism (1902) to Lope K. San- Editorial committee: Leonard Blussé (Leiden University); Michael Adas (Rutgers University); John Darwin Church was a product of the revolu- tos’s 1906 novel Banaag at Sikat (From (Oxford University); Wim van den Doel (Leiden University); Felipe Fernández Armesto (Oxford University) tion against Spain; and that the Iglesia Early Dawn to Full Light). Instead we ni Kristo has 1.9 million members (on have to settle for a communist party Els M. Jacobs page 11), which grows to three million that descends out of the blue. The Com- Merchant in Asia. The Trade of the Dutch East India on the next page and shrinks down to monwealth constitution is avoided; Company during the Eighteenth Century one million by page 267. Quezon’s megalomania and ‘constitu- (Vol. 8, 2006) € 45,00 tional dictatorship’ appear as the ideas The pre-Hispanic and the early Spanish of Filipino leaders, whereas Quezon, Merchant in Asia is the first study to pay attention to the full chapters do a fairly good job of situat- who saw himself as the embodiment of breadth and width of the commercial activities in Asia of the VOC, ing the islands in Southeast Asia and the Philippines, should rather be called the Dutch East India Company. It looks at the company from the peak of its fame until its final decline at the end of the eighteenth in relation to China, after which the the father of trapo-ism, the plague of century. The study focuses on the main trade goods - spices, Indian encompassing region seems to be for- ‘traditional politicians’. textiles, Chinese tea and Javanese coffee - and their specific by- gotten. The narrative, up to its very end, products. Els Jacobs has analyzed in detail the VOC trade in fifteen is conventional: whether addressing Whether addressing labour or the devel- of the most important commodities that together made up 85% of the total turnover. Spanish good intentions, the plans of opment of political culture, the study the propagandists or the revolutionar- unfortunately passes up on intra-region- ies, American administrators, or any al comparison (Mulder 2000: ch. 16). single president, it is, like school texts, Even though the authors ‘see indications Ernst van Veen & Leonard Blussé (eds.), Rivalry and Conflict. th HOW TO ORDER always the same: after an initial spurt of Philippine-style political dilemmas European Traders and Asian Trading Networks in the 16 and 17th Centuries (2005) € 35,00 of enthusiasm, their projects come emerging in neighbouring countries’, You can order these books through your to naught. This discouraging narra- they should have been less self-satisfied Robert Van Niel, Java’s Northeast Coast 1740-1840. A Study usual library supplier or bookshop, or tive sequence is also said to hold for and at least acknowledge simultaneous in Colonial Encroachment and Dominance (2005) € 40,00 directly from CNWS Publications. the ‘social forces’, primarily, volun- developments in the region. In state-led All prices are excluding 6% VAT (EU only) Martha Chaiklin, Cultural Commerce and Dutch Commercial and postage and handling costs. tary, issue-oriented non-governmental developmentalism, President Garcia is Culture. 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IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 2 7 > Review Kerala’s cashew workers
Lindberg, Anna. 2005. Modernization and Effeminization in India: Kerala Cashew Workers since 1930. Copenhagen: NIAS Press. 200 pages, ISBN 87 91114 21 7
Manja Bomhoff forms of domination based on gender, 30% of the total workforce was male. motive, structures of domination, lack caste and class; and to show that people, Later years, however, have seen a trans- of female worker representation and n this richly documented study, Anna however suppressed or marginalised, formation in the status of factory jobs recourse (for instance, through a union) ILindberg uses history and anthropol- have the ability to think, describe and and their ‘gender coding’. Some of the and the process of ‘effeminisation’ mean ogy to analyse the lives of female fac- analyse their own situations. most detrimental and strenuous tasks that female factory workers are losing tory workers in Kerala: their working became ‘women’s jobs’, Lindberg finds, some of the authority and independ- conditions and the changing power and For these purposes the combination to the extent that current employers and ence they enjoyed in earlier decades. gender relations within the industry of techniques such as observation, in- trade union leaders find it difficult to Lindberg’s last chapter on ‘Marriage, Shelling cashew nuts takes place in dirty and and society. In the introduction Lind- depth interviews, questionnaires and believe that men had performed these Money, and Identity’ illustrates how unhealthy places. The majority of women work- berg explains how she aspires to bridge the investigation of historical sources tasks in the past. Industry power-hold- the increasing practice of dowry-giving ing here belong to the lowest castes. Anna Lindberg the gap between the historian’s focus is very beneficial. For instance, when ers have jointly developed a hegemonic in Kerala is not only characteristic but on colonial times and sociologists’ and comparing the written records of politi- gendered language defining women also exacerbates this process. Dowry is mentioned in the introduction but not development workers’ interest in con- cal discussions on labour laws with cur- as housewives who are helpless, weak, one of the most important and difficult pursued anywhere in the study – this is temporary society. Bridging this gap rent observations in the factories, one unskilled and dependent – and therefore issues that Malayalees will face in the probably (and understandably) the first is not this study’s only contribution. can understand policy makers’ motives legitimately underpaid and otherwise near future; Lindberg shows courage material sacrificed when an academic By covering a span of 60 years while and the implications of their decisions. ignored. In this respect Lindberg uses and finesse in the way she has included study is published for a larger public. maintaining a keen eye for details and For example, Lindberg describes how the term ‘effeminisation’ to indicate this delicate topic in her study. subtleties, it dissects processes of trans- the ‘male breadwinner model’ that the ‘way a woman’s dressing, behaving, Indeed, the wealth of information ana- formation such as ‘effeminisation’ and originated from a ‘western’ context was and acting in different spaces (ie, at the For lay reader and lysed makes the book exceptionally indicates precisely how gender identi- strategically applied to lower minimum factory, in union participation, in the academic alike interesting for a varied public: from a ties have been influenced over time by wages for women, even though many household, and in society at large) are While the author’s use of the term broad readership interested in Kerala, changing power relations. This helps us female employees were the main pro- perceived as differing from a man’s’. ‘effeminisation’ helps to describe a sig- the cashew industry, gender or class understand the origin of social phenom- viders for their families. nificant process, ‘modernisation’ is a dynamics to academics from the fields ena that may hitherto have been accept- To elicit the perspectives of female work- more problematic term. While Lindberg of anthropology, economics and history. ed as simply ‘traditional’ or ‘western’. ‘Women’s jobs’: ers, the author’s in-depth interviews are avoids major problems by not offering a The time and compassion the author revisionist history extremely helpful. For those who are prior definition, almost everything that has invested should convince those in The Indian state of Kerala is known Comparing historical documents and aware of the Malayalee’s political con- has happened since the 1930s becomes power to look at the many ways in which for its demographic and social achieve- oral history provides insight into the sciousness and participation rate, the part of a holistic process of ‘moderni- the lives of Kerala’s female cashew work- ments and vibrant civil society. It is influence of a hegemonic discourse on detailed explanations women provide sation’. The question remains whether ers could be improved. Lindberg’s book therefore particularly interesting that the ‘different versions’ of history. For about factory history, unions and their using the term in this way provides any could serve as their guide. < Lindberg has situated her study here, example, while employers, civil servants overall work situation do not come as a additional insight. Even though I would among the largest group of factory and trade union leaders now claim that surprise. Sadly enough, this book dem- have appreciated more elaboration on Manja Bomhoff hands in the state: the cashew work- the male participation rate in cashew onstrates how comprehension alone the theoretical issues involved in this PhD candidate ers, over 90% of whom are female. Her factories was never over 5%, written does not always lead to the ameliora- concept choice – such as on the relation- Research School CNWS, Leiden University purposes are twofold: to shed light on records from the 1930s show that almost tion of working conditions. The profit ship between ideology and discourse [email protected]
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2 8 IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Review Habermas in India
Rajeev Bhargava and Helmut Reifeld, eds. 2005. Civil Society, Public Sphere and Citizenship: Dialogues and Perceptions. New Delhi, Thousand Oakes, London: Sage. 420 pages, ISBN 0 7619 9832 2
Hans Schenk They make comparisons by drawing the society and legitimate British rule as the society take centre stage. Starting with convincingly to help explain the lack of western concept of public sphere into bearer of rationality, but the same lan- a few tragicomedies in Delhi, Nigam civic action following a dramatic case of oes the concept of the public their discourses and often conclude that guage was turned around by Indians to contrasts the rational behaviour of civil alcohol poisoning among the poor in Dsphere, born of 18th and early its pre-conditions and characteristics do critique colonialism as the embodiment society’s established institutions, such Bangalore, in 1981, which shed light on 19th century Western Europe, apply to not correspond to Indian societal condi- of unreason’ (p.156). as the press, with the irrational mind of the nature of the city’s civil society and (colonial) India? In addressing the con- tions. the common people, the ‘population’. public sphere.1 cept of the public sphere, the volume’s Some essays emphasise (in)equality The author shows the contradiction co-editor, political scientist Rajeev Bhar- Farhat Hasan explores the public sphere in the public sphere. Gopal Guru inherent to a liberal and bourgeois civil However, the book remains very rich gava, refers extensively to the German in Moghul India and finds it present argues that the inclusion of the former society trained in Nehruvian secular and every contribution illuminates sociologist Jürgen Habermas, whose throughout, where commoners and the untouchables (now called Dalits) into and rational discourse and paternalisti- aspects of Indian society, past and Structural Change of the Public Sphere intelligentsia participated in discussions constitutional arrangements has not cally opposing an Indian population still present, and irrespective of whether appeared in English only in 1991. Its in mosques and markets. However, brought about equal citizenship for this largely dominated by ‘underground’ Habermas’s concept of the public original publication, in German in 1962, Hasan provides a wealth of detail that section of Indian society. It instead faces Hindu and Muslim orthodoxy and par- sphere applies. While the book clari- spawned a European debate which the shows these were not meeting places internal exile, because the Indian public ticularistic communalism (Civil Society fies pluriform (British) India’s histori- book’s English translation helped turn for equal citizens; nor were they egali- sphere is based on mutually exclusive and its ‘Underground’, Explorations in cal and present societal conditions for into a global one. Embedded in Western tarian (Forms of Civility and Publicness social groups, and, for the Dalits, char- the Notion of ‘Political Society’, pp.236- those who have at least a good working European history, Habermas’s concept in Pre-British India, pp.84-106). Elites acterised by the Hindu purity-pollution 260). knowledge of these fields, it is certainly of the public sphere developed with the dominated the public sphere and the logic (pp.275-276). Addressing another not an introduction to ‘India: past and emergence of bourgeois society, con- presence of women was limited. form of inequality, Anuradha Chenoy Most essay authors are political scien- present’. Newcomers may get lost in the ceiving the ‘market’ as a meeting place discusses the impact on women of the tists and historians, which may explain sophistication, subtleties and details of of ‘equal’ members of an informed Inequality political sphere’s collapse during condi- why the concept of civil society is dealt essays that sometimes lose touch with bourgeoisie who engaged in critical, Neera Chandhoke demonstrates one tions of civil war (for example, in Punjab, with in a rather abstract manner, focus- Indian realities. Fortunately, essays by rational and enlightened discussions reason for this lack of egalitarianism. Kashmir, etc), when women were forced ing on institutions rather than on their Guru, Chenoy, Nigam and others bring ultimately aimed at formulating the She reminds the reader that Habermas’s to take part in armed conflicts and yet members. A conceptual extension of the reader back down to earth. < ‘common good’. Habermas states that concept of the public sphere requires a were not accepted as equal combatant public sphere and civil society is civil the public sphere reached its zenith in shared language and the same norma- partners (Women and the Breakdown of consciousness: the awareness among Note the mid-1800s and subsequently degen- tive, objective and subjective worlds of the Public Sphere, pp.365-384). members (or categories of members) of 1. Manor, James. 1993. Power, Poverty and erated to an arena of competing private its participants (p.334). What happens a society of being related, interdepend- Poison, Disaster and Response in an Indian interests. The logic of reason similarly when two languages expressing dif- Civil society and citizenship take a less ent and of sharing common responsi- City. New Delhi: Sage. became subjected to manipulation and ferent understandings encounter each dominant position in the book, despite bilities. Unfortunately, the authors do negotiations that created inequality and other in the public sphere? Chandhoke one chapter devoted to the constitu- not incorporate it. Civil consciousness Hans Schenk degraded citizens to a mass of consum- turns to the example of the large-scale tional arrangements of citizenship in is a sociological or even social-psycho- AMIDSt Research Institute ers. displacements of tribal communities India and another on refugees and logical analytical tool and its applica- University of Amsterdam for the construction of the Narmada illegal migrants. Only in the exciting tion could have enriched some of the [email protected] Public sphere? dam and reservoir. The government contribution by Aditya Nigam does civil essays. Manor, for example, applied it In his lengthy introduction to 16 essays used land ownership (demonstrated by NEW PUBLICATIONS OF THE IIAS.qxd 4-1-2007 13:12 Pagina 1 based on a workshop held in Bikaner, official documents) to determine the [advertisement] India, in 2001, Rajeev Bhargava dis- amount of compensation owed to tribal cusses this collection’s main concepts: households. However, because this con- civil society, public sphere and citizen- cept of land ownership was unknown NEW IIAS PUBLICATIONS ship. Civil society is defined by more to tribal communities, the govern- or less voluntary organisations outside ment simply gave no compensation at the purview of the state. Public sphere all. Chandhoke does not elaborate on sebastian bersick, paul van der velde refers to a common and publicly acces- bureaucratic indifference but instead wim stokhof, and sible space, such as a market place, pub, concentrates on language, seeing the newspaper or the internet, which serves example ‘… as a story about the collision paul van der velde josine stremmelaar the purpose of framing public opinion, of two languages and the victory of one while citizenship is membership in a at the expense of the other’ (p.338). political community. Two essays focus on western issues and the rest (14) on Neeladri Bhattacharya is more cautious. India and its colonial predecessor. Instead of making comparisons with the West European public sphere and ana- Bhargava answers his key question of lysing the differences, he investigates the concept of the public sphere apply- its conceptual power in the context of ing to (colonial) India in the negative. India’s colonial modernity. He con- The story of individuation and freedom cludes that there was no homogenous, in the West, he argues, cannot be rep- consensual unitary sphere; rather, it licated in India (pp.21, 44-45); Indian was deeply fragmented. Dialogues in relations between the family and the the public sphere did not end in con- individual are not conducive to the sensus; to the contrary, they often reaf- emergence of autonomous individuals. firmed differences and continued to be However, Bhargava concludes, the west- structured by power relations control- ern concept may help explain the nature led by colonial rulers. Thus the public of Indian public life and its historical sphere became an arena of struggle: trajectories (p.33). This nuance puts ‘The public language of reason was used Investigation of the A timely overview some authors in a challenging position. by the colonial power to critique Indian influence of multilateral and of the debates multiregional organisations around multiregionalism on political and economic in Asian studies relations between Asia Review a book for and Europe isbn 978 90 5356 959 7 isbn 978 90 5356 929 0 IIAS Newsletter: €24.95 / $29.95 / £15.00 €29.50 / $32.50 / £19.95 See Books Received p.20 amsterdam university press Available in your local bookshop or via www.aup.nl
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 2 9 > International Convention of Asia Scholars
ICAS is a meeting place for academics from all over the world to discuss new insights in Asia Studies in a multidisciplinary context. Members of other spheres of civil society are challenged to partake in the debates. A special feature of ICAS is its focus on young leaders through panels, roundtables and signature events. ICAS has grown into the largest biennial Asia studies Update event outside the US covering all subjects of Asia studies. Thus ICAS is the only major, regular Asia studies event to take place in Asia. On average the number of participants is fifteen hundred.
Paul van der Velde & Josine Stremmelaar ally challenging Convention. In addition The ICAS Book Prize (IBP) is a global and 10 PhD theses. Long lists will be many organized and institutional panels competition which provides an inter- announced at the AAS Annual Meeting he Selection Committee of ICAS 5 have been submitted and were evaluated national focus for publications on Asia 2007 in Boston. A new feature of the H ?LL MOF Tmet in Kuala Lumpur in November when this Newsletter went to print. In all while at the same time increasing their IBP is the Colleagues Choice Award. >P WB 2006 to evaluate the individual abstracts these panels a cross-disciplinary border visibility worldwide. The book prizes This award has been established fol- F@ and almost all of them have been placed transcending approach is stressed which are awarded for: (1) best study in the lowing numerous requests to give the
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in panels. This was done in line with the enhances a fruitful dialogue among the humanities; (2) best study in the social academic community the opportunity
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spirit of ICAS. The Committee is most than 55 countries in Asia, Europe and for the most outstanding PhD dis- L
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pleased to report that more than 1200 America. They represent more than sertation in the field of Asia Studies. So visit our virtual polling station at B
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submissions have been received. The 600 institutions. A provisional list of So far we have received from more www.icassecretariat.org from 22 March L
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E B @ wide variety of themes, disciplines and panels and its participants is now online than 30 publishers 80 publications (46 until 15 July 2007 and vote! < P regions covered promises an intellectu- at www.icas5kl.com. Humanities and 34 Social Sciences) Park,Hyun Ok2005 Dreams inOne Two Bed: Empire, Social Life,and the Origins ofthe North Korean RevolutioninManchuria DukeUniversity Press, ISBN 978-0-8223-3614-3 Pholsena,2006Vatthana Post-warLaos: The Politics ofCulture, Historyand Identity InstituteofSoutheast Asian Studies, ISBN978-981-230-356-1 Pun,Ngai2005 MadeinChina:Workers Factory Women inGlobala Workplace 978-1-932643-00-8 ISBN Press, University Duke Rafael,Vincente L.2005 ThePromise ofthe Foreign: Nationalism ofinandTranslationthe the Technics SpanishPhilippines 978-0-8223-3664-8 ISBN Press, University Duke Raj,Kapil 2006 RelocatingModern Science: Circulation andthe Construction ofKnowledge in SouthAsia and Europe, 1650-1900 PalgraveMacmillan, ISBN 978-0-230-50708-1 Shin,Leo K.2006 TheMaking ofthe Chinese State CambridgeUniversity Press, ISBN978-0-521-85354-5 2006 Takayuki Tatsumi, Metal Full Apache: TransactionsBetween CyberpunkJapan and Avant-Pop America 978-0-8223-3774-4 ISBN Press, University Duke Dyke, Paul Van A.2005 Life TheandCanton Enterprise Trade: on theChina Coast, 1700-1845 HongKong University Press, ISBN978-962-209-749-0 Niel, Robert Van 2005 Java’sNortheast Coast1740-1840. A StudyinColonial Encroachment and Dominance CNWSPublications, ISBN 978-90-5789-111-3 Ernst Veen, van and Blussé, Leonard (eds.) 2005 Rivalryand Conflict. European Traders andnetworksAsian Trading inthe 16th and17th Centuries CNWSPublications, ISBN 978-90-5789-104-5 van der 2006Paul W. Veur, Thelion andthe gadfly: Dutch colonialism andthe spirit ofE.F.E. Douwes Dekker Press, KITLV ISBN 978-90-6718-242-3 Vickers,Adrian 2005 HistoryA ofModern Indonesia CambridgeUniversity Press, ISBN978-0-521-54262-3 - Kowallis,Jon 2006 TheSubtle Revolution: Poets ofthe “Old Schools”during Late Qing and Early RepublicanChina InstituteofEast Asian Studies, University of California,ISBNBerkeley, 978-1-55729-083-0 Leenhouts,Mark 2005 LeavingtoEnterthe World the World. HanShaogong and Chinese Root-Seeking Literature CNWSPublications, ISBN 978-90-5789-106-9 Lin,Hsiao-Ting 2006 Tibetand Nationalist China’s Frontier: Intriguesand Ethnopolitics, 1928-49 UniversityofBritish Columbia Press, ISBN978-0-774-81301-3 Long,Susan Orpett 2006 FinalDays: Japanese Culture and Choice atthe End ofLife UniversityofHawai’i Press, ISBN978-0-8248-2964-3 Lovell,Julia 2006 ThePolitics ofCultural Capital: China’s QuestforNobel a Prize inLiterature UniversityofHawai’i Press, ISBN978-0-8248-2962-9 Metzler,Mark 2006 LeverofEmpire: The International Gold Standardand the CrisisofLiberalism in PrewarJapan UniversityofCalifornia Press, ISBN978-0-520-24420-7 Mrázek,Jan 2005 Phenomenologyofpuppeta theatre: Contemplationsonthe art ofJavanese wayangkulit Press, KITLV ISBN, 978-90-6718-252-2 Niranjana,2006 Tejaswini MobilizingIndia: Music,Women, and Migrationbetween India and Trinidad 978-0-8223-3842-0 ISBN Press, University Duke Nordin,Hussin 2006 and Society Trade inthe Straits ofMelaka: DutchMelaka and English Penang, 1780- 1830 NIASPress (co-published bySingapore Uni versityPress), ISBN 978-87-91114-47-2 Ong,Aihwa 2006 NeoliberalismasException: Mutations in Citizenshipand Sovereignty DukeUniversity Press, ISBN 978-0-8223-3748-5 Ooi,Kee Beng 2006 TheReluctant Politician:Dr Ismail Tun InstituteofSoutheast Asian Studies, ISBN978-981-230-424-7 - Devy, G.N.Devy, 2006 NomadA Called Thief Reflections: on AdivasiSilence OrientLongman, ISBN 978-81-250-3021-8 Ghosh,Durba and Kennedy, Dane 2006 DecentringEmpire: Britain, India and the TranscolonialWorld OrientLongman, ISBN 978-81-250-2982-3 Goonetilleke,D.C.R.A. 2005 SriLankan English literature and the Sri Lankanpeople 1917: 2003- Publications, VijithaYapa ISBN978-0-955-809582-6 Gopinath,Gayatri 2005 ImpossibleDesires: Queer Diasporas and SouthAsian Public Cultures 978-0-8223-3513-9 ISBN Press, University Duke Havens,Thomas R.H. 2006 Radicalsand Realists inthe Japanese NonverbalArts: The Avant-Garde RejectionofModernism UniversityofHawai’i Press, ISBN978-0-8248-3011-3 Howes,John F.2005 Japan’sModern Prophet: Uchimura Kanzô,1861-1930 UniversityofBritish Columbia Press, ISBN978-0-7748-1146-0 Huters,Theodore 2005 BringingHome:the World Appropriating inLate the QingWest and Early RepublicanChina UniversityofHawai’i Press, ISBN978-0-8248-2838-7 Jacobs,Els M.2006 MerchantoftheinAsia. The Trade DutchEast India Company during the EighteenthCentury CNWSPublications, ISBN 978-90-5789-109-0 Kathirithamby-Wells,Jeyamalar 2005 Natureand Nation: Forests and DevelopmentinPeninsular Malaysia NIASPress (co-published bySingapore Uni versityPress and the University ofHawai’i Press),ISBN 978-87-91114-22-9 Knapp,Keith Nathaniel 2005 SelflessOffspring: Filial Children and SocialOrder inMedieval China UniversityofHawai’i Press, ISBN978-0-8248-2866-0 - Booksreceived for ICAS Book Prize 2007 80publications and 10PhD theses have been receivedfor the ICAS Book Prize 2007 com petition.the BestFor Study inHumanities 46 publicationshave been submitted and for the BestStudy inSocial Sciences 34. Humanties Andaya,Barbara 2006 Watson TheFlaming Repositioning Womb: inEarly Women Modern Southeast Asia UniversityofHawai’i Press, ISBN978-0-8248-2955-1 Anderson,2006Warwick ColonialPathologies: American Tropical Medicine,Race, and Hygiene inthe Philippines 978-0-8223-3843-7 ISBN Press, University Duke Appadurai,Arjun 2006 ofSmallFear Numbers: AnEssay onthe GeographyofAnger DukeUniversity Press, ISBN 978-0-8223-3863-5 Bargen,Doris G.2006 SuicidalHonor: General Nogi and the WritingsofMori Ogai and Natsume Soseki UniversityofHawai’i Press, ISBN978-0-8248-2998-8 Bhattacharya,Sanjoy 2006 ExpungingTheVariola: Control and EradicationofSmallpox inIndia, 1947–1977 OrientLongman, ISBN 978-81-250-3018-8 RichardBlurton, 2006 T. BengaliMyths 978-0-7141-2436-0 ISBN Press, Museum British Brummelhuis,H.ten 2005 KingoftheHoman Waters: van der Heide andthe origin ofmodern irrigation in Siam Press, KITLV ISBN 978-90-6718-237-9 Ian 2006Condry, Hip-HopJapan: Rap and the Paths of CulturalGlobalization 978-0-8223-3892-5 ISBN Press, University Duke Davis,Richard 2006 Picturingthe Nation: Iconographies of ModernIndia OrientLongman, ISBN 978-81-250-2908-3 > ICAS book prize ICAS book prize
3 0 IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > International Convention of Asia Scholars
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IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 3 1 > IIAS fellows ------(Japan) (Taiwan) (China) (Australia) (China) (China) NetherlandsOrganization for Scientific NationalScience Council, Taiwan NetherlandsInstitute Documentation for War Indo-DutchProgramme onAlternatives in EuropeanScience Foundation LeidenUniversity Medical Centre BureauofInternational Cultural and Educa ChineseScholarship Council RoyalNetherlands Academy ofArts and Sci AcademyofKorean Studies NetherlandsFoundation for the Advancement AmsterdamSchool for Social Science SchoolofAsian, African, and Amerindian Stud Research,the Netherlands tionalRelations, Ministry ofEducation, Taiwan ChineseAcademy ofSocial Sciences ies,the Netherlands Development ences Research RoyalGovernment ofBhutan Asia-PacificStudiesAdvanced of SchoolSwedish Researchof Tropical ShanghaiAcademy ofSocial Sciences
NWO: NSC: IDPAD: NIOD: ESF: LUMC: BICER: CASS: CNWS: CSC: KNAW: AKS: RoGB: SSAAPS: WOTRO: DrMINOHARA Toshihiro KobeUniverisity, Graduate School ofLaw Affiliatedfellow Pathtowar: European-Japanese relations from theManchurian Incident and 1931-1941SIGINT, October1 2006 30–September 2007 DrSHEN Yang PekingUniversity Affiliatedsponsored Fellow, byKNAW Markingunaccusatives inSinitic and its conse quences 15January 2007 –15June 2007 DrSunWarren MonashUniversity AffiliatedFellow Thepolitics oftransition inChina, 1972-1982 February1 2007 March1– 2007 Prof.TSAI Yen-zen NationalChengchi University IIASProfessor, holder ofthe European Chair in ChineseStudies Chinesereligion 28August 2006 September1– 2007 DrWANG Yi ChineseAcademy ofSocial Sciences Affiliatedsponsored Fellow, byChinese Acad emyofSocial Sciences (CASS) Femaleroles inChinese Novels, 15th-18th Cen tury 15April 2007 15–October 2007 DrWUYongping University,Tshinghua School ofPublic Policy andManagement Affiliatedsponsoredfellow, byKNAW eco and seeking rent of economypolitical The China in privilegenomic 20June 2007 20–September 2007 IIASpartners and fellow sponsors: ASSR: SASS: - - - (theNetherlands) (Korea) (Japan/Hungary) (China) (Taiwan) (Thailand) (USA) (China) AranyaSiriphon SoutheastAsian Studies Regional Exchange Program Affiliatedsponsoredfellow, bySEASREP-IIAS Culturalborder, contested landscape and hier archiesofpower: Sinicized migrant workersTai alongthe Burma-Yunnan frontier inthe labor tradecontext April1 2007 30–April 2007 Prof.Barend Jan Terwiel HamburgUniversity Affiliatedfellow Thefloodplains ofmainland Southeast Asia andenvironmental history January1 2005 31–May 2007 East Asia Prof.Arif Dirlik UniversityofOregon Seniorstationedfellow, atBranch Office Amsterdam Historicalrevisionism in20th century China May1 2007 30–June 2007 DrKatalin Ferber University,Waseda School ofInternational LiberalStudies AffiliatedFellow Thelegacy ofcameralist sciences inJapan, 1870- 1905 February1 2007 15–April 2007 DrGUO Xuetang University Tongji Affiliatedsponsoredfellow, byNWO, sta tionedatBranch office Amsterdam Theback ofgeopolitics and China-EU coopera tioninAsian Security Affairs February1 2007 30–April 2007 DrHEJin PekingUniversity Affiliatedsponsoredfellow, byBeijing- and LeidenUniversity Confucianclassics: Shangshu studies inthe 17th and18th century September1 2006 September1– 2007 ProfLEE Mei-Yen NationalUniversityPing-Tung ofEducation Affiliatedsponsoredfellow, byNSC Exploringthe Aesthetic Significance andof Value AncientChinese literati Art inthe Collections and WritingsofRobert van Gulik 15September 2006 31–January 2007 DrMyungshin Kim University, Yonsei Seoul Affiliatedsponsored Fellow, byAcademy of KoreanStudies (AKS) Thecorrelation ofaesthetics and politics; North Koreanliterature 25January 2007 24–January 2008 - - - - -
(USA) (Thailand) (Lao PDR) (Malaysia) (Japan) (Belgium) (Sweden) (Japan) (USA) VéroniqueDegroot UniversiteitLeiden Affiliatedsponsoredfellow, bythe J.Gonda Foundation Candi,space and landscape. studyA ofdistribu tion,orientation and spatial organization ofcen tralJavanese temple remains January1 2007– 30June 2007 DrOmar Farouk HiroshimaCity University Affiliatedsponsored Fellow, byIIAS and ISIM IslaminCambodia December1 2006 March1– 2007 Prof.Gerald Fry UniversityofMinnesota Seniorfellow TheThais: The bamboo and the lotus 16April 2007 20–August 2007 DrHans Hägerdal UniversityofVäxjö Affiliatedsponsoredfellow, bythe Swedish Vetenskapsrådet Earlymodern Timor; The meeting between indig enousgroups and colonial interests 20April 2007 14–May 2007 and September1 200731–October 2007 Prof.Mashudi Bin Kader UniversitiSains Malaysia IIASProfessor, holder ofthe European Chair ofMalay Studies Themorphology and the movements ofconstitu entsinthe syntax ofclassical Malay September1 2006 September1– 2008 DrRitsuko Kikusawa NationalMuseum ofEthnology, Osaka Affiliatedsponsored Fellow, byNWO Anexamination ofthe genetic affiliation ofthe Malagasylanguages: their internal and external relationshipinthe Austronesian language family December1 2006 30–November 2007 Prof.Lawrence Andrew Reid UniversityofHawai’i Affiliatedfellow Reconstructionofsouthern Cordilleran “phrase markers” December1 2006- 30November 2007 DrBounleuth Sengsoulin Affiliatedfellow sponsored byNUOL TheChampassak Chronicle, Chitsavang Vat ver sion:contributionA toLao historiography January1 2007 April1– 2007 DrPornsiri Singhapreecha ThammasatUniversity, Bangkok Affiliatedsponsoredfellow, byNWO Therole and function ofclassifiers inChinese, Zhuangand Thai 15January 2007 –15July 2007 - - - (India) (USA) (Germany) (Malaysia) (Italy) (the Netherlands Poland)/ (Germany) (the Netherlands) a ofaHelârâja P a ofaBhartrhari, with the commentary Prak P rnaprakâ Mughalharam (16th 18th– centuries) January2 2006 January2– 2008 DrSuhnu Ram Sharma DeemedUniversity, Pune Affiliatedsponsoredfellow, bythe J.Gonda Foundation grammarA ofManchad language May1 2007 30–September 2007 DrMarkus Schleiter UniversityofHeidelberg, University ofFrank furtamMain Threemonths fellow Governmentaldevelopment work and its impacts oneveryday biomedical treatment ofdisease at theBirhor ‘tribe’ inOrissa, India March5 2007 June5– 2007 DrAnna Slaczka Threemonths fellow IndianShaivism and the religion among the Khmers:the study ofmutual relations during the AngkorPeriod November1 2006 30–April 2007 VincenzoVerdiani UniversityofRome “La Sapienza” Affiliatedsponsoredfellow, bythe J.Gonda Foundation Anannotated translation ofthe Sâdhanasamud de G March1 2007 30–June 2007 Southeast Asia DrJet Bakels Affiliatedfellow societychanging a intraditions tribalResearching March1 2006 March1– 2007 Prof.Robert H.Barnes UniversityofOxford Affiliatedfellow Documentationpertaining tothe political history ofNusa Timur Tenggara inthe Nationaal Archief andthe KITLV 15March 2007– 15April 2007 DrRuth Barnes UniversityofOxford Affiliatedfellow Earlytextile collections from Eastern Indonesia in theNational Museum ofEthnology, Leiden and photographiccollections from Eastern Indonesia inthe KITLV 15March 2007 15–April 2007 Whah DrCHIN Yee UniversitiSains Malaysia AffiliatedStationedfellow, atthe Branch Office Amsterdam Chineseentrepreneurship inMalaysia May1 2007 31–July 2007 - (the Netherlands) (USA./India) (Russia) (India) (India) (UK) (USA) (USA./India) StrengtheningAsia-Pacific multilateral security cooperation:European experience 15January 2007 31–December 2007 Central Asia DrMehdi Parvizi Amineh StationedatLeiden and the Branch Office Amsterdam Projectcoordinator, within the IIAS/Clingen dael‘Energy Programme Asia’ (EPA) July1 2002 15–April 2007 South Asia Prof.Chris Fuller LondonSchool ofEconomics SeniorFellow Brahmans: TheTamil traditionalA elite ina globalage 19Februari 2007 18–March 2007 DrScott Kugle Stationedatthe Branch Office Amsterdam Affiliatedfellow Pilgrimagetopluralism: Religious co-existence in Hyderabadand the Indian Ocean religion August1 2006 August1– 2007 Prof.Ruby Lal EmoryUniversity Seniorstationedfellow, atBranch Office Amsterdam DebatesonandFamily Childhood among the MuslimNobility inColonial North India. May1 2007 30–June 2007 DrViktoria Lysenko RussianAcademy for Sciences, Moscow Affiliatedsponsoredfellow, bythe J.Gonda Foundation Indianthinkers ondirect and indirect perception 10January 2007 –10March 2007 Prof.Gyanendra Pandey EmoryUniversity Seniorfelllow,stationed atBranch Office Amsterdam Mobility,culture and social inequality: Global flowsand local arenas May1 2007 30–June 2007 Prof.OmPrakash DelhiUniversity, Delhi School ofEconomics Seniorfellow 1500-1800Ocean,Indian the of worldtrading The May1 2007 31–July 2007 DrKaruna Sharma Affiliatedfellow Theexperiences oflove and sexuality inthe fellows - - - - -
(China)
(Japan) (the Netherlands)
(UK) (the Netherlands/Taiwan) IIAShosts several categories ofpost doctoral researchers(fellows) inAsian Studies. Spon sorshipofthese fellows contributes tothe institute’saim ofenhancing expertise and encouragingthe exploration ofunderdevel opedfields ofstudy. Moreinformation and IIAS fellowships appli cationforms are available at: www.iias.nl/iias/fellowships specific For information, please contact: [email protected] Fellowshipcategories fel Seniorfellows, Researchfellows, Affiliated Residence. in Artists andProfessors IIAS lows, IIASfellows can choose tobe based inLeiden oratthe Branch Office Amsterdam. Allfellows currently engaged atIIAS are listed belowselected byregion ofspecialty and in alphabeticalorder. General HugenholtzWouter NetherlandsInstitute for Advanced Studies in theHumanities and Social Sciences (NIAS) Affiliatedfellow Landrent tax onJava 1812-1920 January1 2007 30–June 2007 MelodyLu, MA Researchcoordinatorfellow, ofthe program ‘Cross-borderMarriages’ Intermediatedcross-border marriages inEast and SoutheastAsia February1 2006 September9– 2007 Prof.Hisashi Owada IIASProfessor, Special Chair atthe Facultyof Arts,Leiden University Relationsbetween Europe and Japan April1 2006 April1- 2009 Prof.Henk Schulte Nordholt (theNetherlands) IIASProfessor SpecialChair atthe Erasmus University Rot terdam,History’ ‘Asian October1 1999 October1- 2007 DrDavid N.Soo Affiliatedfellow Earthmonitoring and the social sciences October4 2002 April1– 2007 ZHENGYing Ping, MA InstituteofInternational Information Affiliatedsponsoredfellow, bythe Chinese ScholarshipCouncil (CSC) > IIAS fellows IIAS
3 2 IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > IIAS research
[advertisement] IIAS research programmes, Announcement networks & initiatives
Programmes Networks
Catalogue of Sanskrit manuscripts ABIA South and Southeast Asian art and archaeology In 1929, two crates of 17th and 18th century Sanskrit manu- index scripts arrived at the Kern Institute, University of Leiden. This The Annual Bibliography of Indian Archaeology is an anno- Gonda/IIAS project is preparing a scientific catalogue of the tated bibliographic database for publications covering South roughly 500 South Indian Sanskrit manuscripts written on and Southeast Asian art and archaeology. The project was palm leafs in ancient Indian scripts such as Grantha, Telugu, launched by IIAS in 1997 and is currently coordinated by the Malayalam, Nagari and Nandinagari. Postgraduate Institute of Archaeology of the University of Kel- Coordinator: Saraju Rath aniya, Colombo, Sri Lanka. The database is freely accessible [email protected] at www.abia.net. Extracts from the database are also available as bibliographies, published in a series by Brill. The project receives scientific support from UNESCO. Energy programme Central Asia Coordinator: Ellen Raven and Gerda Theuns-de Boer This programme on the geopolitics of energy focuses on Chinese, [email protected] Indian, Japanese and South Korean strategies to secure oil and www.abia.net natural gas from the Caspian region (Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Iran, and Russia) and the Persian Gulf. The pro- gramme is institutionally supported by IIAS and the Clingendael Islam in Indonesia: the dissemination of religious International Energy Programme (CIEP), Den Haag. authority in the 20th and early 21st centuries Coordinator: Mehdi Parvizi Amineh Forms and transformations of religious authority among the [email protected] Indonesian Muslim community are the focus of this research programme. The term authority relates to persons and books as well as various other forms of written and non-written ref- Caring for the Illegal but licit: transnational flows and permissive erences. Special attention is paid to the production, reproduc- polities in Asia tion and dissemination of religious authority in the fields of This research programme analyses forms of globalisation- four sub-programmes: ulama (religious scholars) and fatwas; from-below, transnational practices considered acceptable tarekat (mystical orders); dakwah (propagation of the faith); environment: (licit) by participants but which are often illegal in a formal and education. sense. It explores limitations of ‘seeing like a state’, and Coordinator: Nico Kaptein instead privileges the perspectives of participants in these [email protected] the role of religion and illegal but licit transnational flows. Coordinator: Willem van Schendel [email protected] Initiatives identity in Southeast Asia
Earth monitoring and the social sciences Socio-genetic marginalization in Asia The space age has dramatically impacted all nations. In Asia, The development and application of new biomedical and the ‘space-faring nations’ of India, China and Japan have Concern for the environment and potential solutions to environmental problems genetic technologies have important socio-political implica- successfully developed space technologies and applications. are expressed in a variety of ways, with local communities increasingly invoking tions. This NWO/ASSR/IIAS research programme aims to Other Asian nations have readily adopted these applications, cultural and religious traditions to express environmental concerns and means gain insight into the ways in which the use of and monopoly including satellites for telecommunications, for gathering to overcome them. Nor can leaders of world religions continue to ignore envi- over genetic information shape and influence population poli- data on the weather, and environmental and earth resources. ronmental problems or avoid responsibility for the ‘greening of their religion’. cies, environmental ethics and biomedical and agricultural IIAS has initiated a series of workshops on the topic. This workshop will discuss the state of the environment, including the caring for practices in various Asian religious and secular cultures and Coordinator: David Soo it, in relation to expressions and manifestations of cultural and religious identity across national boundaries. [email protected] in the Southeast Asian region. Coordinator: Margaret Sleeboom-Faulkner [email protected] Cross-border marriages in East and Southeast Asia Call for papers The past decade has seen a rapid increase in the intra-Asia Syntax of the languages of southern China flow of brides, particularly between Southeast and East Asia. Deadline to send in abstracts: 15 March 2007 This project aims to achieve a detailed description and in-depth While in Europe intermediated marriages continue to be seen analysis of a limited number of syntactic phenomena in six lan- as a form of the commodification of women, recent schol- Abstracts should be no longer than 200 words and be accompanied by a short guages, both Sinitic and non-Sinitic, spoken in the area south arship in intra-Asia cross-border marriages challenges this resume/CV (max. 2 pages). of the Yangtze River. The project will systematically compare dominant view. these descriptions and analyses to contribute to the develop- Coordinator: Melody Lu Joint workshop organised by ment of the theory of language and human language capacity. m.lu @let.leidenuniv.nl Center for Asia-Pacific Area Studies (CAPAS), Academia Sinica, Taipei Coordinator: Rint Sybesma International Institute for Asian Studies, Leiden [email protected] Piracy and robbery on the Asian seas Convenors Acts of piracy loom large in Asian waters, with the bulk of all Prof. Hsin-Huang Michael Hsiao (CAPAS) Trans-Himalayan database development: officially reported incidents of maritime piracy occurring in Dr Gerard Persoon (CML, Institute of Environmental Sciences, China and the subcontinent Southeast Asia during the 1990s. This is of serious concern Leiden University) The project’s main goal is to combine the database of cog- to international shipping, as the sea-lanes between East Asia, nate words in Tibeto-Burman languages, maintained by the the Middle East, and Europe pass through Southeast Asia. Date and venue Institute of Ethnology and Anthropology (Chinese Academy IIAS and the Centre for Maritime Research at the University 22-23 June 2007, Leiden, the Netherlands of Social Sciences) with language data of the George van of Amsterdam are currently identifying issues and concerns, Driem Himalayan Languages Project (Leiden University) to and are delineating core elements of an interdisciplinary For further information create a joint, online database of Tibeto-Burman languages research programme on piracy and robbery at sea in Asia. Manon Osseweijer, IIAS, [email protected] with a mirror-site in Leiden. The project’s second objective Coordinator: John Kleinen is to continue documentation of endangered Tibeto-Burman [email protected] languages in China in cooperation with the Institute of Eth- nology and Anthropology. Coordinator: Katia Chirkova For more information on IIAS research: www.iias.nl [email protected]
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 3 3 > Announcements
Asia Alliance Clingendael Asia Studies ence on human rights and trade, and an escaped the shackles of colonial domina- Until now, most conferences on ICT have The European Alliance for Asian Stud- international conference on the EU-China tion by remaining the only independent, discussed the potential impact of new ies is a cooperative framework of Euro- New research project strategic partnership. sovereign nation-state in Southeast Asia. information and communication tech- pean institutes specializing in Asian www.clingendael.nl/asia nologies on commerce, governance and Studies. Its partners are: CAS launch on 17 October featured The discourse of nations achieving political education. The focus of such discussions The Netherlands Institute for Interna- supervisor Jan Melissen and individual independence and the characterisation of is on future possibilities of ICT rather NIAS - Nordic tional Relations ‘Clingendael’ launched researchers outlining the programme’s the years that followed as the ‘postcolonial’ than their current, often unintended, Institute of Asian Studies its new research project – Clingendael objectives and research to be undertaken, period has long been a mainstay of the aca- usages. Alongside these discussions are Director: Jørgen Delman Asia Studies (CAS) – on 1 September followed by a lively Q&A-session. Several demic agenda in studies of Southeast Asia, trade shows that highlight achievements Leifsgade 33 DK 2300 Copenhagen S, 2006. CAS aims to promote academic Asia-related events have been organised particularly in the disciplines of history, and developments in the technologies Denmark and public discussion on a wide range at the Clingendael Institute and since political science, economics, literature and themselves. Important as these topics T +45-35-32 9500 of topics relating to Asia’s international then, their breadth in topics illustrates the language, anthropology, and sociology. The are, they often overlook a crucial aspect: F +45-35-32 9549 relations, and will do so through publica- broad, open approach of the project. The road to independence was often long and the actual usage of ICT in everyday life. [email protected] tions by in-house researchers as well as seminars and lectures were attended by arduous. The years following the attain- Much less common are conferences www.nias.ku.dk through (public) lectures and seminars representatives from academic agencies, ment of national sovereignty were equally discussing what life in the information with researchers and guest speakers. Clin- government, non-governmental organi- troublesome with seemingly insurmount- society is really like. Despite the rheto- IFA gendael does not intend to cover Asia’s zations, the corporate sector and other able challenges. Whilst Malaysia faced ric of governments and the promises of Institute of Asian Studies international relations in a theoretical and interested parties, reflecting intensifying the sensitive issue of managing race rela- technical planners, we know very little Director: Günter Schücher all-encompassing sense, but rather aims Asian-European relations in both public tions, the Philippines struggled with a left- about the effects and consequences of GIGA German Institute of Global at focussed and policy-relevant research, and private domains. ist insurgency, Thailand ‘see-sawed’ with ICT in the Asia-Pacific region. Instead, and Area Studies including the geo-strategic implications weak civilian governments and military the evidence presented often comes from Rothenbaumchaussee 32, of China’s emergence as an economic Clingendael Asia Studies is a unique coop- juntas. Meanwhile Myanmar was secluded developed regions, whose experience may 20148 Hamburg, Germany power for the region, for Europe and eration of the Clingendael Diplomatic under a military dictatorship, and Cambo- have little relevance locally. Many ICT4D T +49-40-428 8740 for the Netherlands, and Asia’s growing Studies Programme and Security and Ener- dia experienced a nightmare following the researchers in Asian universities lack the F +49-40-410 7945 importance in the international economy gy Programmes, and is supported by the establishment of a genocidal regime. The skills and the network needed to develop [email protected] and issues of (resource) security. Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Publica- ups and downs of nation-building, the appropriate multidisciplinary research www.giga-hamburg.de tions, upcoming events and other details maintenance of political stability and eco- methodologies. Consequently, it is impor- Senior and junior fellows within CAS, are available at the CAS-website: www.clin- nomic sustainability are just some of the tant to bring together people doing work EIAS including Maaike Heijmans, Susann gendael.nl/asia. For further information, major issues that faced post-independent on the impact of ICT in the South, where European Institute for Asian Studies Handke and Frans-Paul van der Putten, please contact [email protected]. nation-states of Southeast Asia. the context presents new challenges and Director: Willem van der Geest are engaged in long-term research on implications (i.e. socio-cultural, language, 67 Rue de la Loi, (East) Asian political economy, security We invite articles addressing the above economic).The conference is significant 1040 Brussels, Belgium and energy issues. The project on political Independence and After in issues. Deadline for Working Papers: 1 June because it will bring together academics T +32-2-230 8122 economy begins with research on Japan’s Southeast Asia: Old and 2007. Individuals are invited to present a and researchers in the region who are F +32-2-230 5402 economic diplomacy towards China and New interpretations 20-minute working paper relevant to any investigating societal transformations in [email protected] the importance of collective memory aspect of the conference’s theme. They are the information age. The conference will www.eias.org within inter-state relations. In the field of APRU School of Humanities conference requested to submit an abstract (150-200 investigate how ICT affects our identities security, research themes include cross- 7-8 August 2007, Penang, Malaysia words) to the Secretariat. and relationships, the nature of work, the CERI - Sciences Po straight relations (China-Taiwan), chal- Call for Papers / Panels promises of governance, and the signifi- Fondation Nationale des Sciences lenges posed by North Korea and trans- Deadline 1 June 2007 Specialized Panels: Scholars who wish to cance of culture. Politiques port routes. Research on energy issues 2007 marks the 50th anniversary of organize a panel (4-5 presenters; 1-hour per Director: Christophe Jaffrelot focuses on the consequences of growing Merdeka (independence) for Malaysia. panel) based on a particular topic relevant For more information please contact 56 rue Jacob, 75006 Paris, France Chinese energy demand for other coun- Malaysia attained political independence to the conference’s overall theme should Dr. Erwin A. Alampay, erwin_alampay@ T +33-1-58717000 tries and for the environment, and the from British colonial rule in August 1957 contact the conference Secretariat: yahoo.com; or erwin_gaspar.alampay@ F +33-1-58717090 implications of increasing Chinese and through constitutional means. This led to The Second International Conference up.edu.ph or the conference secretariat [email protected] Indian interest in African resources. Wil- a smooth handing over of power to Tunku (2APRU) at: [email protected] www.ceri-sciencespo.com lem van Kemenade’s project on the EU- Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj - the prime Asia-Pacific Research Unit (APRU) US-China alliance will result in a book minister and architect of Merdeka. Other [email protected] CEAO publication in 2008. Over the course of countries in the region endured years of www.usm.my/APRU/index.html Sharing Experiences and Centro de Estudios de Asia Oriental 2007-08, Simone Eysink, Ingrid d’Hooghe conflict and bloodshed before independ- Prospects in Central Asia Director: Taciana Fisac and Maurits Berger will, respectively, ence from colonial rule was achieved, the Centro de Estudios de Asia Oriental organise seminars on democratisation in most recent being Timor Leste in 2002. Living the information European Society for Central Asian Stud- Universidad Autonoma de Madrid Muslim countries, a stakeholders confer- The notable exception is Thailand which society ies (ESCAS) conference Campus de Cantoblanco 12-15 September 2007, Ankara, Turkey 28049 Madrid, Spain [advertisement] Philippine ICT Researchers Network Inter- Call for Papers T +34-91-397 4695 national Conference Deadline 15 August 2007 F +34-91-397 5278 23-24 April 2007, Makati City, Philippines [email protected] "OOKS FROM The creation of the newly independent www.uam.es/otroscentros/ HTTPBOOKSHOPISEASEDUSG The Philippine ICT Researchers Network Central Asian Republics after 1991 accom- asiaoriental/especifica/ through the National College of Public panied by the opening of this region to 3/54(%!34 !3)! ). 3%!2#( /& !. Administration and Governance of the Uni- the world, marked a new era for Central !3%!. #/--5.)49 SOAS 2ODOLFO # 3EVERINO versity of the Philippines is hosting an inter- Asian studies.The tenth ESCAS Confer- School of Oriental and African Studies 3OFT COVER 53 national conference on ‘Living the Informa- ence provides Central Asian and Europe- (ARD COVER 53 Director: Paul Webly tion Society: The Impact of Information and an researchers with a golden opportunity University of London 6/)#%3 /& )3,!- ). 3/54(%!34 !3)! Communication Technologies on People, to study and to exchange views on the Thornhaugh Street / Russel Square, 'REG &EALY AND 6IRGINIA (OOKER Work and Communities in Asia’. region. Current developments in Central COMPILERS AND EDITORS London, WC1H 0XG, United Kingdom 3OFT COVER 53 Asia are reflected in all academic disci- T +44-20-7637 2388 (ARD COVER 53 The goal of the conference is to support plines, dealing with geopolitics, energy F +44-20-7436 3844 the growth of an Asian community of and economics, urbanism, society and 0)2!#9 -!2)4)-% 4%22/2)3- !.$ [email protected] 3%#52).' 4(% -!,!##! 342!)43 researchers and practitioners doing work communities and religious beliefs, eth- www.soas.ac.uk 'RAHAM 'ERARD /NG 7EBB EDITOR on the effects (social, cultural, psycholog- nography, history, archaeology and lin- 3OFT COVER 53 (ARD COVER 53 ical, economic, etc.) of information and guistics. SSAAPS communications technologies (ICT) in Conflicts can be triggered off between The Swedish School of Advanced 34!4% $/-).!.#% ). -9!.-!2 the region. The event encourages multi- neighbours and great powers over the Asia Pacific Studies 4IN -AUNG -AUNG 4HAN disciplinary participation and discussion, issues of water or oil, since Central Asia, 3OFT COVER 53 Director: Thommy Svensson (ARD COVER 53 in order to have a comprehensive under- rich in natural resources, is closely con- The STINT Foundation, Skeppargatan standing of the effects of ICT on culture nected with the neighbouring great pow- 3/54(%!34 !3)!. 345$)%3 ). #().! 8, 114 52 Stockholm, Sweden and society. In particular, the conference ers in competition for hydrocarbon, water 3AW 3WEE (OCK AND *OHN 7ONG EDITORS T +46-70-6355160 (ARD COVER 53 objectives are the following: and other resources. Nowadays Central F +46-8-6619210 - To bring together a multidisciplinary Asia attracts lots of attention from the 4(% 2%,5#4!.4 0/,)4)#)!. [email protected] /OI +EE "ENG group of researchers in the Asia-Pacific states of other regions and continents www.ssaaps.stint.se 3OFT COVER 53 to present their research and perspec- and serves as a new field for numerous (ARD COVER 53 tives regarding the effects of ICT in NGOs, Muslim, Christian and other mis- IIAS society sionaries. (secretariat Asia Alliance) */45*565&0'4065)&"45"4*"/456%*&4 - To map the current state of social sci- (ENG -UI +ENG 4ERRACE 0ASIR 0ANJANG 3INGAPORE ence research on the impact of ICT on The geographic domain of Central Asia, www.asia-alliance.org 4EL &AX % MAIL PUBSUNIT ISEASEDUSG Asian societies (according to the ESCAS definition), cov-
3 4 IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > Announcements
ers contemporary Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, The conference will be ready to discuss modern imperialism in the mid-nine- authority alone. The way in which power Treating diseases and Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, whatever critical thought and approach teenth century, to the successive episodes is harnessed to the maintenance of social epidemics in Southeast Asia Mongolia, Northern Iran, Northern generate on the broad theme of justice in of decolonisation, as well as on more and moral order in different Asian envi- through the ages Afghanistan, North-Western China, Trans- our minds. The list below suggests issues current issues surrounding heritage and ronments may reveal much about how Caspian and South Siberia. that may be addressed in the conference. ownership of media collections. security is conceived of and practiced HOMSEA/APRU conference: 9-10 January The list is only indicative and doesn’t according to cultural schemes. These 2008, Penang, Malaysia What are the different concepts used by exhaust the possilbe themes and sub- Visit the conference website: schemes may make the transpostion of Call for papers. scholars today when dealing with such a themes: www.media-and-imperialism.com ideas about national boundaries, human Deadline for abstracts 1 May 2007 wide range of topics? Due to its unique - A matter of methods: philosophies and [email protected] rights agendas, peace-building initiatives, Deadline for papers 15 November 2007 history, societies and religions, Central ethnographies of justice IAMHIST XXII: Media and Imperialism and development programmes that arise Asia cannot be studied solely through the - Forms of justice University of Amsterdam from other cultural settings problematic. The Second International Conference in prism of such concepts as “developed - Vision of justice: correcting historical Department of Media Studies Understanding how the power is con- the History of Medicine in Southeast Asia and developing countries” or “modern injustices stituted through socio-cultural process with the theme ‘Treating diseases and epi- and traditional societies”. - Justice and law Participants from third world countries requires also paying attention to issues demics in Southeast Asia over the centu- - Cultural representations of justice are especially encouraged. Those in need such as gender, trust and social networks. ries’ intends to explore how the inhabit- For the first time the conference will be - Administration of justice of funding, contact the conference office Indigenous conceptualisations of power ants of Southeast Asia faced the ravages held in Turkey at the Middle East Techni- - Rights and justice at [email protected] and order may shape ‘security’ in partic- of diseases and epidemics through the cal University, which has been a pioneer in - Social justice ular, dynamic ways and they should, we ages. Adopting a liberal time frame (pre- Eurasian Studies, establishing a research - Is feminsinsm a matter of looking at propose, be brought to bear on the secu- historic to modern times), participants centre on the region for the first time in justice in a different way Culture and the Configuring rity debate. are encouraged to trace the development Turkey. - The blindness in perceiving injustices. of Security of medical and religious responses to dis- This two and a half day conference will eases and the devastation of epidemics. For further information, see After the conference (24-25 September Nordic NIAS Council conference present keynote addresses focusing on www.escas.pz.nl 2007) there will be a 2 day workshop with 6-9 November 2007, Höör, Sweden the macro- and micro-level and invites Deadline for Abstracts: 1 May 2007. philospher Etienne Balibar. Call for papers. speakers to engage contemporary theory Deadline for Working Papers: Deadline abstracts 2 July 2007 from several fields in an investigation of 15 November 2007 Spheres of Justice For more information on the conference Deadline papers 22 October 2007 empirical data from Asia and, conversely, For further Information, contact the Con- contact [email protected] or see to bring insights from Asian contexts to ference Secretariat. Calcutta Research Group Conference www.mcrg.ac.in Security is currently one of the most bear upon theories of security. The Second International Conference 20-22 September 2007, Kolkata, India resonant concepts on the global political HOMSEA, Asia-Pacific Research Unit agenda. The mission of this conference is We welcome papers from senior research- (APRU), School of Humanities, Universiti The Calcutta Research Group’s second Media and Imperialism: to bridge gaps between macro- and micro- ers as well as doctoral students and oth- Sains Malaysia, [email protected]. critical studies conference will be held on Press, Photography, Film, Radio and Tel- perspectives and bring culture to the fore ers with an interest in the conference www.usm.my/APRU/index.html the theme of justice. Justice is a meeting evision in the Era of Modern Imperialism in debates concerning security. The objec- topic. Deadline for abstract 2 July 2007. ground of many ideas, situations, expec- tive is to break new theoretical ground by For information of academic content tations, mechanisms and practices and IAMHIST XXII conference exploring a plurality of discourses and contact Alexandra Kent, NIAS alix.kent@ there are several routes to approach the practices of security, and discussing ways swipnet.se. issue of justice. Amsterdam, 18-21 July 2007 of theorizing their embeddedness in For practical matters contact Nina Brand, social and cultural matrices. Centre for East and South Asian Studies, The philosophical path may tell us to go Organised by the University of Amster- Lund University. [email protected]. back to ancient philosophers whose theo- dam, dept. Media Studies in close cooper- A primary concern of the conference is the For further information www.asiansecu- ries of justice tells us of the correctness ation with the International Association for issue of power, which in the Asian con- rity.niasconferences.dk of social order and the virtue of maintain- Media and History and Utrecht University text has to do with far more than political ing it; or to the middle age theorists who combined religion, virtue and justice in We are entering a whole new era where the [advertisement] a comprehensive theory of ethics where circulation of images is concerned. Large- justice had no special place. To the mod- scale digitisation of archives and collec- VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT ern day social theorists in whose works tions has revolutionised existing practices justice becomes a complex arithmetic and of preservation, retrieval and distribution. DIRECTOR a strenous human effort to maintain it in We therefore signal an urgent need to a world marked by hierarchies and illiber- rethink the relationship between media and INTER-UNIVERSITY CENTER FOR JAPANESE LANGUAGE STUDIES alism. There is also a sociological route modern imperialism, particularly in light YOKOHAMA, JAPAN which sees justice, its demands and pro- of the complex process of globalisation. cedures, as a social phenomenon. There is These developments invoke critical discus- The Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Study seeks a Director, with term of also an historical route which offers what sions between various disciplines, such as service beginning autumn 2008. The IUC’s program trains students who are embarking can be called ‘regimes of justice’ which media studies, ethnology and history. on careers in Japanese studies or professions in which fluent Japanese is necessary. include several notions, institutions, dis- Training focuses on development of the ability to converse in Japanese on specialized courses and agencies of justice existing The conference will focus on the politics subjects, to comprehend and deliver public presentations, and to read and write materials simultaneously but in a relation of power of representation and media practices, in Japanese in order to function professionally in academia, business, government, and and subsidiarity. from the emergence of mass media and other fields. The Director is responsible for development and support of a summer in- tensive program and a 10 month program, supervision of staff and faculty in Yokohama, [advertisement] and fund-raising. The IUC is managed by Stanford University on behalf of a consortium of 16 American THE NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE universities. The Director works closely with the Executive Director at Stanford, the DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY Executive Board (made up of four professors from consortium institutions), and a Board consisting of representatives from each of the consortium members. The Department of History of the National University of Singapore is seeking to appoint an Assistant QUALIFICATIONS: Experience with American students in an academic setting; Ph.D. Professor in East Asian History (China and/or Korea) on tenure track for appointment in 2007. in a Japan-related field; fluency in English and Japanese; cultural experience in Japan. The successful candidate will be expected to have a strong research and teaching agenda in Chinese Experience with overseas study programs preferred but not required. and/or Korean history and a commitment to undergraduate teaching and advising graduate research. A competitive remuneration package, based on the qualifications and experience of the candidate, APPLICATION DEADLINE: Applications will be accepted until the position is filled. can be expected. Further program information is available at www.stanford.edu/dept/IUC.
History is a large and growing department within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences and a EMPLOYMENT CONDITIONS: The Director is paid a salary in Japanese currency, dynamic place to work. We include over 30 faculty members with a variety of national backgrounds; specializing in Asian, European, American, and global history; and possessing a range of thematic along with a housing allowance. Salary will be commensurate with experience and quali- teaching and research interests. fications.
All application dossiers, including a curriculum vitae, details about publications, research interests APPLICATION DIRECTED TO: and teaching areas, and the confidential recommendations of three academic referees, should be Dr. Steven D. Carter, Executive Director submitted either by mail or electronically by 28 February 2007 to: Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies Inter-University Center for Japanese Language Studies Chair, East Asia Search Committee, Department of History, National University of Singapore, 11 Arts Link, Singapore 117570 Encina Hall, Room E009 Stanford University OR email: [email protected] Stanford, CA 94305-6055 USA
Visit our websites at http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/ for information on the Faculty, and Or may be sent electronically to: [email protected] http://www.fas.nus.edu.sg/hist/ for information on the Department of History. The IUC is an equal opportunity employer.
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 3 5 > International arts agenda - - - - Amsterdam
The Netherlands StedelijkMuseum Oosterdokskade5 1011AD +020T 5732 911 www.stedelijk.nl March9 17-June 2001 PaulChan: Lights and Drawings Soloexhibition ofvideo and digital artist Paul Chan. GroningerMuseum Museumeiland1 9700MEGroningen +31-50T 3666555 www.groninger-museum.nl/ Until30December 2007 AsianDecorative Arts Studio– Job Thisexhibition juxtaposes work byStudio Job (JobSmeets and Nynke Tynagel)with seleca tionfrom the Groninger Museum’s Chinese andJapanese porcelain, lacquerware, and objectscarved from wood and ivory. Pakistan MohattaPalace Museum Hatim7 Alvi Road Clifton,Karachi 75600 (92-21)+T 583 7669 www.mohattapalacemuseum.com/ Until30September 2007 ofthe Tile: Tale the Ceramic Traditionsof Pakistan TheMohatta Palace Museum presents a panoramicview ofthe ceramic traditions of Pakistanfrom c.3800 BCE tothe present day. Themore than 400 historical objects consist ofarchitectural elements, tiles, and vessels fromMehrgarh, Multan, Uch, Lahore,Sitpur, Sehwan,Kamarro Sharif, Thatta, Hala, and Hyderabad.Highlights include stunning calli graphicpanels ofPersian verses byBahauddin Zakaria. Singapore SingaporeArt Museum 71Bras Basah Road Singapore189555 +65T 3323215 www.museum.org.sg/SAM/ Until8April 2007 Convergences:HsiChen Centennial Wen Exhibition HsiChen was Wen proficient inboth tradi tionalChinese ink and western oil painting andexperimented with varietya ofstyles includingFauvismand Cubism. This exhibi tionexamines the artist’s artistic life, creative development,and profound influence onthe Singaporeart community. - - - - 21April 21-October 2007 Inthe Sign ofthe Dragon On–the Beauty of ChineseLacquer Art: Homage toLow-BeerFritz Thisexhibition presents the extensive col lectionformerly belonging toLow-BeerFritz (1906-76),who isregarded asthe pioneer of Chineselacquer art inthe The West. exhibition isintended tooffer aninsight into the tech niquesand decoration ofChinese lacquer art. Thecollection focuses oncarved lacquers and archaeologicalfinds from the WesternHan period(202 BC-9 AD). Japan FukuokaAsian Art Museum 8th&7 Floors, Riverain Center Bld. 3-1Shimokawabata-machi Hakata-ku,Fukuoka-shi +092T 7718600 http://faam.city.fukuoka.jp Until3April 2007 AsiainLove Loveinwidea variety offorms isthe focus ofAsia inLove. example, For anaffectionate personinChinesea painting welcomes you at theentrance ofthe exhibition; mothera and daughtera examine their relationship and lovefor each other inSingapore; and lovers in Indiawhisper the story oflove. MoriArt Museum 53FRoppongi Hills Mori Tower 6-10-1Roppongi, Minato-ku 106-6150 Tokyo +81T 57773 8600 www.mori.art.museum UntilMay6 2007 TheSmile inJapanese Art Thisexhibition looks at‘smiles’ inJapan’s classicalart, presenting works that range fromarcheological finds toearly 20th century painting. Korea ClayarchGimhae Museum 358Songjeong-ri Jillye-myeon Gimhae-si,Gyeongsangnam-do 621-883 +82T 55340 7016 www.clayarch.org Until22April 2007 DreamingToilet Thisexhibition extends Marcel’s Duchamp’s Fountain.Itdisplays various works that are givennewa life byartists through paint ing,installation, mixed-media, sculpture, photography,and ceramics. The curator,art ists,and the related sanitary ware industry areall involved inthe process from the very beginning. - - - - - vases,necklaces, mirrors, belts, and glass ware.The exhibition ismade upby finds from fourarchaeological sites: Ai-Khanoum, the necropolisofTillia-Tepe, Begram, and Fulol. Germany Kunst-und Ausstellungshalle derBundesrepublik Deutschland GmbH MuseumsmeileBonn Friedrich-Ebert-Allee4 53113Bonn +49(0)228/T 9171-0 www.kah-bonn.de UntilApril9 2007 AngkorSacred- Heritage ofCambodia Theshow offers surveya ofCambodia´s cul ture,beginning inthe 6th century with stone sculpturesfrom the Pre-Angkor kingdoms ofandFunan Zhenla. The main focus isthe artand architecture ofthe Angkor-Period (9th13th- centuries). management, Water ricecultivation, and trade relations will also beaddressed asfactors contributing tothe wealthofthis culture. 21February 28-May 2007 Chambers Treasure Their Open Monasteries – Tibet Thisexhibition displays art from Tibet’s most importantmonasteries. Dating from the 5th tothe early 20th centuries, the masterpieces reflectthe diversity ofTibetan art which has beengreatly influenced byBuddhism.Works fromChina, India, Nepal, and Kashmir illus tratethe close religious and artistic exchange betweenTibet and its neighbours. MuseumofEast Asian Art Universitätsstraße100 D-50674Cologne +49T 221 940518-0 www.museenkoeln.de/english/museum-fuer- ostasiatische-kunst/ Until22April 2007 GildedSplendor: ofTreasuresChina’s Liao Empire(907-1125) Thisexhibition highlights more than 200 recentlyexcavated objects from Inner Mon goliathat reveal the complex cultural and reli giousaslegacy,well asthe geopolitical impact ofthe Khitan and their reign over China during theLiao dynasty.Using stunning works ofart anddidactic materials, the exhibition will be structuredaround four topical themes that illuminatethe complex nature ofLiao culture The– Steppe Tradition;The Chinese Tomb Tradition;Religious Life; and Luxuries and Necessities. Linden-MuseumStuttgart StateMuseum ofEthnology Hegelplatz1 D-70174Stuttgart +49-(0)711/2022-3T www.lindenmuseum.de - - - China GalerieUrs Meile 104Caochangdi Cun, Cui Gezhuang Xiang ChaoyangDistrict, Beijing +0086T 10643 333 93 www.galerieursmeile.com Until31March 2007 Xingwei Wang Thisexhibition iscomprised ofworks bycon temporaryChinese Xingwei. painter,Wang HongKong Heritage Museum Man1 Lam Road ShaTin, Hong Kong +852T 2180 8188 www.heritagemuseum.gov.hk/english/ Until30July 2007 CamerasInside Out Thefirst part ofthis exhibition showcases a numberofcameras collected byDavid Chan thatdate back asfar as100 years. Italso probesthe development ofphotographic art throughworks bysenior local photographers includingKan Hing-fook, Fou-li, Leo Tchan K.K.andWong, Ngan Chun-tung. The second partofthe exhibition presents the diversity of modernphotography through the works offive contemporaryartists: Almond Chu Tak-wah, SoHing-keung, Bobby Sham Ka-ho, Lam Wai- kit,and Chow Chun-fai. TheMacau Museum ofArt MacaoCultural Xian Centre,Xing Hai,Av. s/n, NAPE Macau +853-791T 9814, 853-791 9800 www.artmuseum.gov.mo Until10June 2007 19thCentury Chinese Scenic Etchings The50etchings inthis exhibition reflect the sceneryand livelihood ofthe people ofthe PearlRiver Delta and the northern part of Chinainthe 19th century.The works depict the sceneryand traditional activities inChina dur ingthe 19th century. France NationalMuseum ofAsian Art Guimet- Place6 d’Iéna 75016Paris +01-56T 5253 0 www.museeguimet.fr Until30April 2007 Afghanistan:Recovered fromTreasures the Col lectionsofthe National Museum, Kabul Thisexhibition pays homage tothe history ofAfghanistan, once centre ofkingdoms and empiresthat extended toCentral Asia and NorthIndia. Over 200 Bronze Age pieces from Afghanistanwill beon display, illustrating the culturalinfluences ofIndia, Scythia, China, Greece,Iran, and the Near East including - presents paintings and prints Austria Thyssen-BornemiszaArt Contemporary Himmelpfortgasse13/9 1010Vienna +43T 5131 9856 www.tba21.org Until30March 2007 SculpturalThis IsNot You: For Discourses Sculpturalpractices today encompass divera sityofapproaches, materials, and formats. Thisexhibition includes works byAsian artists AiWeiwei,Chen Qiulin, and Suh Doho. Belgium NationalCardMuseum Druivenstraat18 B-2300Turnhout www.turnhout.be/speelkaartmuseum/ UntilMay6 2007 GanjifaThe-of IndianWorld Playing Cards Thisexhibition covers widea variety ofcards, showinghow they flourished inMughal courts andwere adapted inmany different ways to suitHindu tastes. Also displayed are further transformationsinfluenced bywestern tastes andbythe inventive Krishnaraja WodeyarIII of Mysore.The images onthe cards were part of themainstream ofIndian culture and may be seenonanything from Mughal miniatures to religioushangings. There issectiona onhow cardsare made and onsome ofthe artists that stillpaint them, along with other examples of theirwork. Canada RoyalOntario Museum 100Queen’s Park M5SON Toronto, 2C6 +416T 586 8000 www.rom.on.ca/index.php UntilMay 2007 HeavenorHell: Images ofChinese Buddhist and DaoistDeities and Immortals HeavenorHell datingfrom the 10th to20th centuries. These worksexpress the prevailing Chinese religious andphilosophical thinking ofthe time. The exhibitionoffers vivid depictions ofdivine figuresworshipped byBuddhists and Daoists, andthe journey souls take once their earthly existenceends. - - - , the, artist’s last , his, first work directed SongofApollo PrincessKnight Australia Art Modern of Gallery / Gallery ArtQueensland StanleyPlace, South Bank Brisbane,Queensland 4101 +61T (0) 38407 7303 or+61 (0) 38407 7350 www.asiapacifictriennial.com/ Until27May 2007 The5th Asia–Pacific ofTriennialContemporary Art(APT5) Thisisthe only major series ofexhibitions to focusexclusively onthe contemporary art of Asiaand the Pacific, including Australia. APT5 willinclude around 270 works by37 individual artists,filmmakers and performers, aswell astwo multi-artist projects. Highlights will includeworks byartists such asAi Weiwei (China)and Dinh LeQ(Vietnam). MelbourneMuseum 11Nicholson St Carlton,Victoria 61+T83413 7777 melbourne.museum.vic.gov.au/ 23March 22-July 2007 GreatofChina: Wall Dynasties, Dragons & Warriors Nationaltreasures tell the 2,000-year-old storyofthe building ofthe walls across China aspart ofsuccessive defensive and offen sivestrategies. Themes include the origins, construction,and function ofthe walls, the culturesofthe peoples living thenearby, introductionofBuddhism that followed the SilkRoad trade routes along the course ofthe walls,and the significance of`The Great Walls ofChina’ asnationala symbol, precious cul turalheritage, and tourism icon. TheArt Gallery ofNew South Wales ArtGallery Road, The Domain SydneyNSW 2000 +02T 9225 1700 www.artgallery.nsw.gov.au/ 23February 29-April 2007 The MarvelTezuka: ofManga Thisexhibition presents Osamu Tezuka as the artisticmaster through selectiona ofpen and inkdrawings and original colour cover designs for22individual manga, or‘comic picture’ stories.These represent the expansive scope oeuvreof Tezuka’s including children’s manga suchas atgirls and the workabout life after globala nuclear holo caust. > Arts agenda Arts agenda
3 6 IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > International arts agenda ------Until29April 2007 ContainTeruya Yourself:Yuken isbest Teruya known Yuken for his intricate cut-papersalvagesart. Teruya discarded fast foodbags and carves out silhouettes oftrees. Thesecut-outs are then folded back into the spaceinside ofthe bags, the whole forming miniaturedioramas. this For exhibition Teruya willcreate newa work inspired byworka from theAsia Society’s permanent collection. TheMetropolitan Museum ofArt 1000Fifth Avenue at82nd Street 10028-0198 New NewYork York, 212+T 535 7710 www.metmuseum.org/home.asp Until26August 2007 Journeys:Mapping the Earth and Mind in ChineseArt Thisexhibition, featuring 70works dating fromthe 11th tothe 21st centuries, explores thetheme ofjourneys both real and imag ined.Depictions ofreal journeys range from intimatescenes togrand imperially commis sionedpanoramas. But Chinese artists have moreoften been inspired byjourneys ofthe mind:roaming through the mountains or escapingtowilderness retreats orutopian paradisesthat can provide refuge, ifonly vicar fromiously, challenging realities. TheRubin Museum ofArt 17th150 West Street 10011NY New York, +212T 620 5000 www.rmanyc.org/ Until16April 2007 Mongolia:Beyond Chinggis Khan Thisexhibition celebrates the 800th anniver saryofthe founding ofthe Mongol empire by ChinggisKhan in1206. selectionA ofMongo liansculptures, paintings, manuscripts, and otherritual objects will becomplemented by imagesofMongolia made bythe contempo raryphotographers Builder Levy and Elaine Ling.Highlights include collectionthe RMA’s ofMongolian dance masks. GalleryFreer ofArt Until10June 2007 Daoisminthe Arts ofChina Sinceits inception more than 2,000 years ago,Daoism has permeated every aspect of Chineselife and culture, from politics, phi losophy,literature, and music tochemistry, medicine,and the martial arts. This exhibition looksatfour aspects ofDaoism: its founda tionsasschoola ofthought based onDaojia; imagesofDaoist immortals and paradises; waystoachieve immortality; and Daoist gods andthe influence offolklore, Confucianism, andBuddhism onDaoism. - - - - history. From the From historicalhistory. woman warrior tothe fictional Tomoe sorceress Takiyasha, fromancient empresses topresent-day crimi nals,Kuniyoshi’s dynamic portrayals show womenwho were not just passive beauties but strong,courageous, talented, and sometimes evenwicked. ArthurM.Sackler Museum, Harvard University 485Broadway Cambridge,Massachusetts 02138 +617T 495-9400 www.artmuseums.harvard.edu/sackler/ Until8April 2007 CultivatingVirtue: Botanical Motifs and Symbols inEast Asian Art Inspiredbythe beauty and resilience of nature’sflora, East Asian poets and artists haveimbued varietya ofplants and flowers withauspicious, literary resonances, and moralovertones. This exhibition presents a selectionofworks that feature popular botani calthemes and symbols astheir principal subjects. PeabodyEssex Museum EastIndia Square Salem,MA01970-3783 +978T 745 9500, 866 745 1876 www.pem.org/ Until25March 2007 TheEmperor Looks West courtA painting from the 18th century shows ceremonya inthe Forbidden City marking the Qianlongemperor’s military victory inregiona ofwestern China. Other objects including a European-styleclock, Mughala jade bowl, ceramics,enamels, and cloisonné reflect the rangeofinternational influences that help to shapeimperial art during the Qianlong era. Until3June 2007 EpicIndia: Paintings byM. F. Husain Thisexhibition features contemporarya art ist’svisions ofone ofIndia’s oldest stories. Husainfirst painted seriesa ofseven major canvasesabout the Mahabharata epic for the 1971Sao Paolo Biennale. Husain, For the cen tralparadox ofthe epic, and ofhuman nature, isthe competition and jealousies that divide membersofforcingfamily,a them tochoose sidesand moving them all inexorably towards anArmageddon. AsiaSociety and Museum 725Park Avenue (at 70th Street) NY10021 New York, +212T 288 6400 www.asiasociety.org - - -
- - - exhibits works bythree lens- Chain Ten Thousand Ten Liup Riverthe Yangtze 13April 17-June 2007 Chain ‘Chain’implies notiona ofconfinement and restraint.However,it can also beunderstood simplyasconnectiona ofseriesa ofthings whichare linked together bysomething in common. basedartists: HeChengya, Annie Hsiao-Ching and Wang, Amy Cham. Using their personal storieswith their mothers, and the experi enceofbeing mothers themselves, they aim toillustrate anaspect ofthe reality offamily intimacy. TheHarley Gallery WelbeckWorksop NottinghamshireS80 3LW 01909+T 501700 www.harleygallery.co.uk/home.htm 19May 15-July 2007 Beyondthe Page: Contemporary Art from Paki stan Sixcontemporary Pakistani artists transform miniaturepaintings beyond the limitations of medium,technique, and tradition. This exhibi tionofnew work taken from the simultaneous 2006shows inLondon’s Asia House and theManchester Art Gallery includes works byHamra Abbas, Aisha Khalid, Mohammed ImranQureshi, Nusra Latif Qureshi, Hasnat Mahmood,and Usman Saeed. United States MuseumofFine Arts Avenueofthe Arts, 465 Huntington Avenue Boston,Massachusetts +1-617T 267 9300 [email protected] www.mfa.org Until1August 2007 ThroughSix Generations: CollectionThe Weng of ChinesePainting and Calligraphy Thisexhibition presents 30rarely seen mas terworksofChinese painting and calligraphy fromCollection.the Weng Among them isa handscrollbySouthern Song artist Liang Kai (13thcentury), the only known example ofhis courtlystyle. Also onview isthe handscroll painting Hui (1632-1717)byWang and personala scroll ofletters Zhengmingfrom Wen (1470-1559) tohis sons. Intandem with these works, thehistory offamilythe Weng itself istold throughhistorical photographs, manuscripts, andartworks created bygenerations offamily members. Until8October 2007 ofRenown:Women Female Heroes and Villains inthe Prints ofUtagawa Kuniyoshi (1797-1861) ArtistUtagawa Kuniyoshi combined the popu lartheme ofbeautiful women with his person alspecialty, warrior prints showing legendary heroicfigures from Japanese and Chinese
------, - - Collec shufa CollectiveIdentity ) during) the found Tiananmen ofMao’s people. ).Deeply concerned with the psycho shufa Taipei Fine ArtsTaipei Museum 181ZhongShan N.Road, Sec. 3 10461 Taipei +02T 2595 7656 www.tfam.gov.tw UntilMay7 2007 CommemoratingExhibition Marking the 100th AnniversaryofLi Shin-Chiao Thisexhibition marks the 100th anniversary ofthe birth ofLi Shin-Chiao. His painting not onlyestablishes his personal style but also reflectsthe trend and features ofart develop ment inTaiwan. United Kingdom TheMuseum ofEast Asian Art 12Bennett Street BathBA1 2QJ +44-1225T 464 640 www.bath.co.uk/museumeastasianart Until15April 2007 Chasingthe Unseen: Chinese Calligraphy Withselectiona ofnew and recent works ina varietyofmedia including ink, oil, and water thiscolour, exhibition explores Zhao Yizhou’s livelyinterpretation ofliteral meaning and aes theticbeauty inherent inChinese calligraphy ( logicaland philosophical potential of manyofZhao’s pieces challenge the viewer’s perceptionofwhat they are seeing. Until15April 2007 WelcometoChina Thisshow aims tointroduce and uncover someofthe defining historical, cultural and contemporarycharacteristics ofthe country hostingthe 2008 Olympics. Illustrating tradi tionaland contemporary aspects ofChinese culturewith historical and modern artefacts, thisexhibition gives snapshota ofChina’s ever-changingsociety. ChineseArts Centre MarketBuildings, Thomas Street Manchester,M41EU +44T (0)161 832 7271 www.chinese-arts-centre.org UntilApril1 2007 CollectiveIdentity Theappearance ofMao onthe Gate ofHeav enlyPeace ( ingofthe People’s Republic ofChina added newa political dimension tothe imperial building,symbolising the beginning ofnewa era.However,this project does not focus on Maoexclusively; itturns the lens back onthe massesthemselves, inother words, the tiveIdentity featuresthe work ofHu Jieming, Liu Dahong, MiaoXiaochun, Qui Zhijie, Shao Yinong and Muchen,Chuan, Jinsong,Wang Wang and Wu Yiming. - - e Bookse r d View:d Painting, Calligraphy and JuWare UntilApril9 2007 Kannon:Divine Compassion WhenBuddhism spread across Japan inthe 7thcentury,Kannon quickly became very pop This exhibitionular. presents anexceptional selectionofthe most beautiful sculptures and paintingsofKannon from the 7th tothe 14th centuries.Photographs byHiroshi Sugimoto ofsculptures ofKannon Bosatsu complement theexhibition. SenjuKannon Kamakuraperiod, 13th century Woodwith gold leaf over lacquer, H. 168.8 cm Chôkôji,Hyôgo ImportantArt Object © Kyoto National Museum Taiwan TheNational Palace Museum 221Chih-shan Rd. Sec 2,Taipei +886T 28812 2021 www.npm.gov.tw/index.htm Until25March 2007 Gran fromthe Northern Sung Dynasty, and Sung DynastyRa the ofcelebration in place takesexhibition This newly-renovatedPalaceNational the of opening muse the of entirety thedisplays It Museum. well as items, SongNorthern ofcollection um’s in museums from loan on piecesimportant as an and JapanBritain, Great States, United the exhibitionThis China. inarcheological institute Northernthemes: three around centered is Ru Northern calligraphy, and paintingSong books. Song and ware, ------AsianCivilisations Museum Empress1 Place Singapore179555 (65)+T 6332 7798 www.nhb.gov.sg/ACM/about_overview.shtml Until15April 2007 MysteryMen: Finds from China’s Lost Age In1986, workers inSichuan Province, China, discoveredsacrificiala pit which was filled withelephant tusks, bronze human heads, ceremonialjades, gold, and fantastic-looking masks.The site, known asSanxingdui, chal lengedall previous understanding ofearly Chinesecivilizations. This exhibition brings 103ofthese artefacts toSoutheast Asia for the firsttime. Switzerland KunstmuseumBern Hodlerstrasse12 3000Bern 7 +41T 31328 0944 www.kunstmuseumbern.ch/ UntilApril1 2007 ChineseWindow: JiDachun and Liu Ye ChineseWindow consists of two solo exhibi tionsfrom painters of the middle generation: JiDachun and Liu Ji Ye. Dachun’s paintings anddrawings mix Chinese tradition and west ernmodernism to create an ironic, some timeshumorous, cocktail. Liu brings Ye forth anartistic world that on the surface appears tobe childlike, but in no way proves to be naïve. Abegg-StiftungMuseum Abegg-StrasseWerner 67 CH-3132Riggisberg +0041T (0)31 808 1201 www.abegg-stiftung.ch 29April 11-November 2007 DragonsofSilk, Flowers ofGold: Treas Textile uresofthe Chinese Liao Dynasty (907-1125) Thisdisplay reveals the refinement and rich coloursof medieval Chinese dress. High lightsinclude embroidered boots, trousers, skirts,jackets, coats and the headdress of a lady.Together with exquisite gold-mounted porcelainvessels, they introduce the world ofluxury and beauty that accompanied the nobilityof the Liao-Dynasty even into their graves. MuseumRietberg Zürich Gablerstrasse15 Zurich,Switzerland 41+T(0)44 206 3131 www.rietberg.ch/
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 3 7 > International conference agenda
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29May 2007 Leiden,the Netherlands SentencesExpressing Three Arguments inBetsi misarakaMalagasy IIASFellow Lecture byDr Ritsuko KIKUSAWA, contact:Marise van Amersfoort [email protected] 29May 2007 Leiden,the Netherlands Howtosay ‘No’ inManchad: StudyA of NegativeConstructions IIASLecture byProf. Suhnu Ram Sharma contact:Marise van Amersfoort [email protected] May31June2– 2007 Poland Warsaw, TheEU-India: The problems ofstrategic partner shipand its significance for transformations in theworld system. Workshop Economics of School Warsaw EADI/ Convenors: Contact:Victor Krasilshchikov Institute of EconomyWorld and International Relations (RussianAcademy ofSciences) [email protected]_ias2004@ yahoo.co.in ImreLevai Institute for Political Science (HunugarianAcademy ofSciences) [email protected]@ella.hu June 1-3June 2007 Akureyri,Iceland GenderedModernity and Vulnerabilities inAsia Conference OrganizedbyNIAS Contact:[email protected] 12June 2007 Leiden,the Netherlands TheIntelligence inFactorDiplomacy: The Failure ofthe 1941 US-Japan Negotiations and Advent of theAsiaPacific War IIASFellow Lectureby Minohara DrTosh contact:Marise van Amersfoort [email protected] -
10-12May 2007 Berlin,Germany MegacitiesinAsia Conference Convenor:German Ass. for Asian Studies [email protected] www.asienkunde.de 15-17May 2007 Honolulu,Hawai’i LookingAtAsia: Changes, Continuities and Consequences41st– Annual Conference ofAsian Studiesonthe Pacific Coast Convenors:East-West Centerof Univ. / Hawaii’sSchool ofHawaiian, Asian and PacificStudies Contact:[email protected] www.mcel.pacificu.edu/aspac/aspac2007/ index.html 22-27May 2007 Beijing,China EcoSummit2007: Ecological Complexity and Sustainability:Challenges and Opportunities for 21st-Century’sEcology Organizedby: Elsevier inassociation with the EcologicalSociety ofChina Contact:Sophie Peters www.ecosummit2007.elsevier.com 23-25May 2007 Leiden,the Netherlands Confucianismamong Religions:World DialogueA Weiming with Tu IIASworkshop Convenor:European Prof. Tsai, Yen-Zen Chair forChinese Studies Contact:Marloes Rozing [email protected] 23-25May 2007 Ningbo,China CrossingCultural Boundaries Organizedby: The Institute ofComparative CulturalStudies atthe University ofNotting ham,Ningbo www.cultural-boundaries.com 24-27May 2007 Bangkok,Thailand 2ndSSEASR Conference: Syncretism inSouth andSoutheast Asia Adoption– and Adaption OrganisedbySouth and Southeast Asian Associationfor the Study ofCulture and Religion(SSEASR) Information:DrSophana Srichampa [email protected]@gmail.com DrAmarjiva Lochan [email protected] www.sseasr.org
GillesdeGantes and
27-29April, 2007. LosAngeles, USA SouthAsia Engaged foundation SASA’s South Asia Conference www.sasia.org. 30April 2007 Beijing,China Markets Water ChinaandWater, Developments inChina to2015 Conference Organizedby: ACON AG, Zurich, Switzerland www.hkc22.com/chinawater.html May 3-5May 2007 Aix-en-Provence,France Vietnam,the modernist conjuncture (1905- 1908).The reactivity ofsocietya confrontedtothe irruption offoreigna modernity/Vietnam, lemoment moderniste (1905-1908):Laréactivité d’une société face à l’intrusiond’une modernité exogène Conference Organised byDr. Nguyen Dr. Phuong Ngoc Contact:Gilles deGantes [email protected] [email protected] 3-6May 2007 USA Tempe, Studies Lao on InternationalConference Second The Organizedbythe FacultyofSoutheast Asian Studies,Arizona State University Center/ for LaoStudies, San Francisco, CA www.laostudies.org www.asu.edu/asian 11May 2007 Nijimegen,the Netherlands CultureIslamic of Dynamics Seminar LanguageEastern Middle of Dept. by Organised Nijmegen University, RadboutCulture, and Contact:Nicolet van der Voort [email protected] MiriamGazzah [email protected] JoasWagemakers [email protected] 8-11May 2007 Izmir,Turkey ArchaeologyEurasion of InternationalCongress 1st Convenors:Dept. ofArchaeology, Dokuz Eylul Inst./ Univ. ofAnatolia and Eurasia Inst./ for MongolianAltai Studies Ministry/ ofCulture andTurkey Tourism, www.ficea2007.org - - - -
11-12April 2007 Bogor,Indonesia Translation&Cultural Dialogue FIT5th Asian Translators Forum Organizedby: HPI (Association ofIndonesian Translators) http://wartahpi.org/asia_forum.php 12April 2007 Leiden,the Netherlands LanguagePlanning and Implementation in Malaysia:Reassessment,A current impact and thefuture challenges IIASlecture byProf. Abdullah Hassan (University ofEdu cation,Sultan Idris) Contact:Marloes Rozing [email protected] 19-21April 2007 Leiden,the Netherlands Production,distribution and collection ofSan skritmanuscripts inAncient South India Seminar OrganizedbyIIAS and KULeuven Convenor:Saraju Rath Contact:Marloes Rozing [email protected] 23-24April 2007 MakatiPhilippinesCity, Livingthe Information Society: The Impact of Informationand Communication Technologies onPeople, and CommunitiesWork inAsia OrganizedbyPhilippine ICT Researchers Net workNational/ College ofPublic Administra tionand Governance, ofthe Univ. Philippines Information:Erwin A.Alampay [email protected]_gaspar. [email protected] Conferencesecretariat: [email protected] 24April 2007 Leiden,the Netherlands MusicLife ofthe Scholar-Officials inMing and QingDynasty IIASFellow Lecture Yi by DrWang contact:Marise van Amersfoort [email protected] 24April 2007 Leiden,the Netherlands CombinationA ofAesthetics and Politics: TheDevelopment ofNorth Korean Literature IIASFellow Lecture byDrMyunshim Kim contact:Marise van Amersfoort [email protected] - -
22March 2007 London,United Kingdom TheState ofthe Economy Conference AffairsEconomic of InstituteThe by:Organised www.marketforce.eu.com/economy/ 23-24March 2007 Ukraine Kiev, WindsofChange: The Impact ofGlobalization onEurope and Asia Conference Organisedby: CASE and CASE Ukraine, www.case.com.pl/strona--ID-winds,nlang-710. html 24-25March 2007 Jeonju,Korea (South) HumanSecurity inAsia: Emerging Issues and Challenges Conference Organisedby: Asia Association for Global Studies(AAGS) http://asia-globalstudies.org/ 26March 2007 Leiden,the Netherlands “AdministrativeConsultants” inMeiji Japan IIASFellow Lecture byDr Katalin affili Ferber, atedfellow contact:Marise van Amersfoort [email protected] 26-27March 2007 Beijing,China Asia-ChinaAlternative Energy Conference 2006 OrganizedbyINC Global Conferences Contact:Kelly Tan www.inc-global.com April 1-9April 2007 Galle,Sri Lanka CulturalImpact Assessment Camp; Maritime Archaeology 3rdAAHM Field School OrganizedbyUNESCO-ICCROM Asian Acad emyfor Heritage Management Contact:[email protected] 2-3April 2007 Manila,the Philippines OneHundred ofRepresentative Years Politics PhilippinePolitical Science Association Conference Information:Ronald D.Holmes [email protected] Tigno JorgeV. [email protected] Encarnacion-Tadem Teresa [email protected] -
March March6 2007 Leiden,the Netherlands AnInterpretation ofthe Confucian Classics as Scripture IIASFellow Lecture byProf. Tsai, Yen-Zen EuropeanChair for Chinese Studies contact:Marise van Amersfoort [email protected] 12-16March 2007 GuangdongandMacao, China Cantonand Nagasaki compared: 1730-1830 Conference OrganisedbyZhongshan University, Guang dong Contact:Evert Groenendijk [email protected] 14-17March, 2007 Oslo,Norway TheJapan Anthropology Workshop (JAWS) 18thConference 2007, JAWS Dept. ofEthnography /Museum of CulturalofOslo History,Univ. Contact:[email protected] www.khm.uio.no/jaws-2007 19-20March 2007 Durham,UK MadeinChina vs. Made byChinese: Global IdentitiesofChinese Business conference NetworkResearch ChinaWorld the by organized http://chinaworld.cbs.dk/menu/ nextworkshop.asp 19-23March 2007 Bangkok,Thailand Technologyand Culture: Genetics and its social andethical implications inAsia and Europe ASEF-AllianceWorkshop Organisedby: Center for Ethics ofScience and Technology Contact:Soraj Hongladorom [email protected]@chula.ac.th 21-23March 2007 Singapore 3rdAsian Space Conference OrganizedbyIIAS Nanyang/ Technological UniversityLee/ Foundation contact:Timo Rolf Bretschneider, Nanyang TechnologicalUniversity [email protected] DavidSoo, International Institute for Asian Studies [email protected] > International conference agenda Agenda
3 8 IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 > International conference agenda - -
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www.iias.nl/portal mation on events, grants and funding, job opportunities, and websites. can You subscribe to the portal at the address above and stay up to date through regular RSS feeds. Event informa tion posted on IIAS portal will be considered for publication in thisnewsletter’s International Conference Agenda. IIAS January 2008 10-9January 2008 Penang,Malaysia Diseases Treating and Epidemics inSoutheast Asiaover the Centuries TheSecond International Conference inthe HistoryofMedicine inSoutheast Asia OrganisedbyAsia-Pacific Research Unit (APRU),School ofHumanities, Universiti SainsMalaysia Information:[email protected] www.usm.my/APRU/index.htm July 2008 9July-6 2008 Brisbane,Australia AustralasianPolitical Studies Association Con - ference Organisedby: School ofPolitical Science and InternationalStudies University- ofQueens land www.uq.edu.au/apsa2008 September 2008 Datetobe confirmed TheHague, the Netherlands IntelligenceFailures and Cultural Misperceptions conference OrganisedbyNetherlands Ingelligence StudiesAssociation (NISA) Information:www.nisaintelligence.nl September5–1 2008 Leiden,the Netherlands 12thInternational Conference ofthe European AssociationofSoutheast Asian Archaeology (EurASEAA) OrganisedbyIIAS Contact:Marloes Rozing [email protected] www.iias.nl/euraseaa12 - - - -
12-15September 2007 Naples,Italy EUROSEASConference Contact:Pietro Masina [email protected] http://iias.leidenuniv.nl/institutes/kitlv/ euroseas.html 20-22September 2007 Kolkata,India SpheresofJustice CalcuttaResearch Group Conference Information:mcrg@[email protected] www.mcrg.ac.in 27-28September 2007 Brussels,Belgium Expressionsoftraditional wisdom Internationalsymposium OrganizedbyThe Royal Academy for Over seasSciences Contact:Danielle Swinne [email protected] October 11-14October 2007 Dublin,Ireland ‘Ising who am’:I Identity, ethnicity and individu alityinChinese music. 12thCHIME meeting Information:KouwenhovenFrank [email protected] http://home.wxs.nl/~chime 18-21October 2007 Seattle,USA CentralEurasian Studies Society (CESS) 8th annualconference Contact:www.ces.fas.harvard.edu/CESS_Con ference.html November 6-9November 2007 SwedenHöör, Cultureand the Configuring ofSecurity conference OrganisedbyNordic NIAS Council Information:Alexandra Kent, NIAS [email protected] NinaBrand, Centre for East and South Asian Studies,Lund University. [email protected] www.asiansecurity.niasconferences.dk 2224-November 2007 Lucknow,India Asianand Childhoods Youth 2007 Organisedby: Research Committee onSociol ogyISA ofYouth, http://ayc2007.com
27-30July 2007 Changsha,China ChineseEconomists Society China Conference 2007 Contact:Belton Fleisher (English) [email protected] ZhiqiangLiu (Chinese) [email protected] www.china-ces.org August 2-5August 2007 KualaLumpur, Malaysia Sharingfuturea inAsia ICAS5 www.icassecretariat.org 7-8August 2007 Penang,Malaysia TheSecond International APRU Conference: Independenceand After inSoutheast Asia: Oldand New Interpretations OrganizedbyAsia-Pacific Research Unit (APRU),School ofHumanities, Universiti SainsMalaysia, Penang, Malaysia Contact:Ooi Keat Gin [email protected] ShakilaAbdul Manan [email protected] 18August 23–August 2007 ChuncheonRepublicCity, ofKorea NinthAsian Urbanization Conference OrganizedbyKangwon National University Contact:[email protected] 24-26August 2007 Copenhagen,Denmark TranslatingJapan and Korea 7thconference ofthe Nordic Association for Japaneseand Korean Studies www.najaks.dk September 5-8September 2007 DenHaag/Leiden, the Netherlands Carefor the Elderly: Asia and Europe compared NSC-IIASconference Convenors:Prof. Carla Risseeuw and Prof.Chen-Li Cheng Contact:Manon Osseweijer [email protected] 12-15September 2007 Ankara,Turkey Asia Central in ProspectsExperiencesand Sharing EuropeanSociety for Central Asian Studies (ESCAS)conference www.escas.pz.nl
5-7July 2007 Amsterdam,the Netherlands Peopleand the Sea ‘WhoIV: owns the Coast?’ fourthbiannual conference organizedbyMARE, ‘Centre for Maritime Research’ www.marecentre.nl 9-11July 2007 Leiden,the Netherlands 5thUrban Language Seminar Organized by: LUCL/ IIAS/ NWO Convenor:Marinus van deBerg and Vincent vanHeuven Contact:Marloes Rozing [email protected] www.iias.nl/ilci 12-14July 2007 Leiden,the Netherlands ChinaSummerschool: “The Spread ofPTH” Convenor:Marinus van deBerg and Vincent vanHeuven Organizedby: LUCL/ IIAS/ NWO Contact:Marloes Rozing [email protected] www.iias.nl/ilci 18-21July 2007 Amsterdam,the Netherlands Press,Photography, Film, Radio and Televisionin theEra ofModern Imperialism IAMHISTXXII conference Organisedby: Dept. ofMedia Studies Univ. ofAmsterdam International/ Association for Mediaand History Utrecht/ University Contact:[email protected] www.media-and-imperialism.com 19-20July 2007 Singapore Indonesia in Peace Reconciliationand of Search In workshop OrganisedbyIndonesia Study Group, Asia ResearchInstitute, National University of Singapore Contact:Birgit Bräuchler [email protected] MaribethErb, [email protected] PriyambudiSulistiyanto, [email protected] JamieDavidson, [email protected] www.ari.nus.edu.sg 26-28July 2007 Singapore 2ndSingapore Graduate Forumon Southeast AsiaStudies OrganizedbyThe Asia Research Institute (ARI)ofthe National University ofSingapore (NUS) Information:[email protected] - - - -
22-23June 2007 Leiden,the Netherlands Caringfor the Environment: The role ofreligion andidentity inSoutheast Asia CAPAS-IIASworkshop Convenors:Prof. Michael Hsiao and DrGerard Persoon Contact:Manon Osseweijer [email protected] 22-24June 2007 Harbin,China Harmony,Diversity and Intercultural Communication OrganizedbyChina Association for Intercul turalCommunication International/ Associa tionfor Intercultural Communication Studies, HarbinInstitute ofTechnology Contact:Robert N.St. Clair (English) [email protected] Jia (Chinese)Yuxin [email protected] www.trinity.edu/org/ics/ 23-24June, 2007 Japan Tokyo, EleventhAsian Studies Conference Japan OrganizedbyAsian Studies Conference (ASCJ) www.meijigakuin.ac.jp/~ascj/ 2426-June 2007 Melbourne,Australia Transitions:Health and Mobility inAsia and the Pacific Conference Organisedby: ARC APFRN and Social Scienc esand Health Research, Monash University Contact:Kathleen Nolan [email protected] July 2-20July 2007 Bali,Indonesia GamelanMusic Dance& Summer Institute OrganizedbyÇudamani Gamelan Music & Dance.Summer Institute Bali www.cudamani.org 1-4July 2007 Canberra,Australia JapaneseStudies Association ofAustralia (JSAA) fifteenthbiennial conference: Japan 2007: Adjust ingtochange; respecting the past. Convenor:Australian National University Contact:[email protected] 5-6July 2007 Canberra,Australia AustralianNetwork for Japanese Law annual internationalconference Contact:[email protected]
IIAS Newsletter | #43 | Spring 2007 3 9 Staff Board IIAS Extraordinary Chair IIAS Main Office Leiden Max Sparreboom (Director) Peter van der Veer - chairman (Utrecht University) Henk Schulte Nordholt P.O. Box 9515 Marise van Amersfoort (Fellowship Programme) Barend ter Haar (Leiden University) Special Chair at Erasmus University Rotterdam 2300 RA Leiden Manuel Haneveld (IT-Manager) Janny de Jong (Groningen University) ‘Asian History’ the Netherlands Takeo David Hymans (Managing Editor) Marcel van der Linden (IISG/University of Amsterdam) 1 October 1999 - 1 October 2007 Visitors: P.J. Veth 5th floor Natasja Kershof (Editor) Mario Rutten (University of Amsterdam) Nonnensteeg 1-3, Leiden Jeroen de Kloet (Coordinator, Amsterdam) Oscar Salemink (Free University, Amsterdam) Hein Steinhauer T +31-71-5272227 Leonie Lindenbergh (Secretary) Ivo Smits (Leiden University) Special Chair at Radboud University Nijmegen F +31-71-5274162 Heleen van der Minne (Secretary, Amsterdam) Patricia Spyer (Leiden University) ‘Ethnolinguistics with a focus on Southeast Asia’ [email protected] Manon Osseweijer (Academic Affairs) 1 September 1998 - 1 September 200 Anne-Marie Petit (Secretary) Academic Committee IIAS Branch Office Amsterdam Joost Postma (Database Programmer) Gerard Persoon - chairman (Leiden University) Spinhuis Anushka Premchand (Office Assistant) Touraj Atabaki (IISG/University of Amsterdam) Oudezijds Achterburgwal 185 Marloes Rozing (Seminars & Publications) Ellen Bal (Free University, Amsterdam) 1012 DK Amsterdam Josine Stremmelaar (Executive Manager) Harm Beukers (Leiden University) the Netherlands Paul van der Velde (Senior Consultant) Chris Goto-Jones (Leiden University) T +31-20-5253657 Sikko Visscher (Project Manager, ASiA) Peter Ho (University of Groningen) F +31-20-5253658
> IIAS who & where Thomas Voorter (WWW) Boudewijn Walraven (Leiden University) [email protected] Anna Yeadell (Editor) Staff
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4 0 IIAS Newsletter | #42 | Autumn 2006