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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. IIAS runs a database for Asian Studies with information on researchers and research-related institutes worldwide. As an international mediator and a clearing-house for knowledge and information, IIAS is active in creating international networks and launching international cooperative projects and research programmes. In this way, the institute functions as a window on Europe for non-European scholars and contributes to the cultural rapprochement between Asia and Europe. IIAS also administers the secretariat of the European Alliance for Asian Studies (Asia Alliance: www. asia-alliance.org) and the Secretariat General of the International Convention of Asia Scholars (ICAS: www.icassecretariat.org). Updates on the activities of the Asia Alliance and ICAS are published in this newsletter. < www.iias.nl 2 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.