Southeast Asia | Lectures

Historiography

The term "___" refers to how history is written, who writes it, and how historical perspectives change over time.

Oriental Studies

Before World War II, Southeast Asia was grouped under ___, a Western-centered study of all of Asia.

Cornell University

The US formalized Southeast Asian studies after WW2 through institutions like ___.

South East

The historical concept of SEA as a region south of China and east of India is captured by the label "___."

South-East

The geographical definition of SEA based on compass directions is known as "___."

Southeast

The modern, politically correct term that formally recognizes SEA as a distinct region is "___."

negotiable

SEA’s territories and boundaries have always been ___—they were shaped by history, wars, and colonial rule.

Thailand

___ was left alone as a "buffer zone" between British-controlled Myanmar and French-controlled Indochina.

Cambodia

___ was once the center of mainland Southeast Asia during the Khmer Empire.

Myanmar, Bangladesh

___ and ___ were previously part of India, leading to debates about their place in SEA.

ASEAN

___ is the organization intended to unite SEA, though it faces internal weaknesses.

CMLV

The abbreviation ___ stands for the countries considered the "poorest" in SEA.

Donee Status

CMLV countries often receive financial aid due to their ___ in the region.

Mainland SEA

Thailand, Myanmar, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam make up ___, also known as continental SEA.

Insular SEA

The Philippines, Indonesia, and Brunei are part of ___, also called maritime SEA.

Language Barriers

A key challenge in writing a unified SEA history is ___ among different SEA countries.

Jacob Cornelis Van Leur

___ is known as the "Father of Southeast Asian Studies" and wrote about Indonesia's trade networks.

G.D.E. Hall

___ wrote "A History of South-East Asia" and argued SEA should be studied as a region of its own.

SEATO

The US formed ___ during the Cold War to counter the spread of communism in SEA.

Cold War

The ___ made SEA strategically important to the US, which helped fund and develop SEA studies.

Western Scholars

Early SEA historiography was dominated by ___, raising questions about historical perspective and authority.

Southeast Asian, Westerners

Issue: Should SEA history be written by ___, or are ___ the "authority" just because they started it first?

Fragmented

Issue: Before WW2, the study of Southeast Asia was ___, with focus on individual colonies rather than the region as a whole.

Funan

The earliest recorded kingdom in Southeast Asia was ___, located in present-day Cambodia.

Oral tradition

Unlike China or Europe, Southeast Asia relied heavily on ___ to preserve its early history.

Buddhist calendar

Some Southeast Asians tracked time using the ___, which is over 2500 years old.

Stars

In precolonial Philippines, people relied on the ___ to track time instead of written calendars.

Colonial archives

Most of Southeast Asia’s historical records today come from ___ created by European powers.

outsiders

Issue: Are the historical sources we have actually from SEA, or are they influenced by ___?

Babaylan

In the Philippines, the ___ served as oral historians during the precolonial and colonial periods.

Record, Control

When the European colonizers arrived, they documented everything because they had a strong intention to ___ and ___.

Dutch

The ___ colonized Indonesia, then known as the Dutch East Indies.

Spanish

The ___ colonized the Philippines before the Americans.

British

The ___ ruled over Myanmar, Brunei, and Malaysia.

French

The ___ colonized Indochina, which includes Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia.

Americans

After defeating Spain, the ___ took control of the Philippines.

Majapahit

The only empire that united large parts of Southeast Asia before colonization was the ___ Empire.

Sinicization

The influence of China on Southeast Asia is referred to as ___.

Indianization

The spread of Indian religion, language, and culture across Southeast Asia is known as ___.

Islamization

The spread of Islam in Southeast Asia, mainly through trade, is referred to as ___.

Sinicization, Indianization, Islamization

Instead of looking at SEA's own developments, historians focused on outside influences: ___, ___, and ___.

European colonial

The geographical and political boundaries of SEA today were shaped by ___ rule.

Georges Coedès, Hinduization

_ used the term “_” to describe India’s influence on Southeast Asia.

Jacob Van Leur

___ believed Southeast Asians actively adapted Indian influences and rejected colonization theories.

Vietnam

___ was directly ruled by China for centuries and has extensive Chinese influence.

Laguna Copperplate Inscription

The ___ is one of the earliest written records in the Philippines, showing Indian influence.

Angkor Wat

The famous temple complex ___ in Cambodia was dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu.

Ramayana and Mahabharata

Indian epics like ___ were spread across Southeast Asia during the Indianization period.

trade, conquest

Islamization spread mainly through ___, not ___.

reclaiming

Post-WW2, Southeast Asian countries began ___ their own historical narratives.

Teodoro Agoncillo

Filipino historian ___ promoted a Filipino-centered view of Philippine history.

Japanese occupation

The ___ during WW2 weakened European control and led to independence movements in Southeast Asia.

Social sciences

Post-independence scholars used ___ like anthropology and sociology to study Southeast Asian societies.

Nativist

After gaining independence, Southeast Asian nations developed more ___ approaches to their own history—focusing more on precolonial identity.

Mediterranean Sea

The ___ was the historical crossroads of Europe, Africa, and Asia through trade and culture.

Chinese, Indian, Arab

The three ancient civilizations that shaped Asia were ___, ___, and ___ civilizations.

Southeast Asia

___ became a cultural and trade crossroads for Chinese, Indian, and Arab civilizations, like the Mediterranean did for Europe.

South China Sea

The ___ is the world’s largest sea in terms of trade volume and is central to SEA’s economic power.

Global Trade Routes

SEA’s central location gives it power because it sits in the middle of important ___.

economic, political

The South China Sea is crucial for world trade—whoever controls it has major ___ and ___ power.

ASEAN

The ___ has the potential to become the world’s 4th largest economy.

strategic location, resources

SEA is powerful due to its ___ and rich ___, such as rice, oil, and spices.

Unity

ASEAN’s biggest challenge is the lack of ___ among its member countries.

biased

SEA Studies from Within can be ___ because each country tends to focus on its own national pride and history.

objective, cultural understanding

SEA Studies from the Outside are sometimes seen as more "___" but may lack ___.

Americans

During colonization, the ___ often viewed Filipinos more like Mexicans than Asians.

John Smail, cultural core/substratum

___ wrote about SEA’s ___ and argued for an autonomous SEA history in the 1960s.

Autonomous History

John Smail believed that SEA should be studied through its own ___ rather than just foreign influences—studying local traditions and internal forces that shaped SEA.

Adaptation

SEA didn’t just absorb outside cultures—it also shaped them through ___.

Georges Coedes

French historian ___ identified SEA’s four cultural “binding agents.”

Rice Farming

According to Coedes, SEA civilizations centered around ___ as a way of life.

women, matrilineal

SEA had strong recognition of ___’s roles, including queens and ___ societies.

Mythology

In SEA, ___ often shaped kingdoms' origin stories and were more influential than written history.

extended, nuclear

SEA society values ___ family structures over ___ family structures.

blood, alliances, affinity

In SEA, kinship networks were built not only through ___ but also through ___ and ___.

Cultural Binding Agents

Rice, gender relations, mythology, and kinship are Coedes' four ___ that unite SEA culturally.

Cultural Core

Despite colonization, SEA retained a ___ that reflects its unique identity and internal strength.

Mandala

The concept of ___ in pre-colonial Southeast Asia emphasized shifting political centers without fixed borders.

Circles

The term “mandala” refers to ___, symbolizing spheres of influence around regional rulers.

No Fixed Boundaries

In the mandala system, there were ___, which meant territories often overlapped and were politically fluid.

What the Eye Can See

The phrase “___” was a popular idea among kings to describe the extent of their rule, though other rulers might claim the same area.

Patani People

The ___ are geographically in Southern Thailand but identify more with Malay culture.

People, Territory

In the mandala system, control of ___ was more important than control of ___.

territory

With colonialism, Southeast Asia shifted from valuing loyalty of people to valuing ___.

Sacred Spaces

Terms like Megara, Kraton, Karuwin, Mu-ang, Kailihan, Kabanwahan show how SEA societies define ___.

Trade

In SEA, ___ antedates state formation; understanding it is key to understanding SEA's history and identity.

survival, trade, conquest

SEA developed more for ___ and ___ than for ___.

Myth, History

In SEA, ___ and ___ are deeply intertwined; many origin stories blur the lines between fiction and historical fact.

Necessary Fictions

Myths in SEA aren’t lies but “___” used to build identity, group pride, and legitimacy of states.

Syncretic

SEA culture is best described as ___, meaning it blends local and foreign ideas while actively adapting them.

Religious

In SEA, ___ often coexist peacefully—even if they come from different or opposing belief systems.

theatrical, performative

Filipino Catholicism is known for being "___" and ___, full of processions, fiestas, and public rituals.

Indonesia

SEA is a global haven for ethnic studies, second only to Africa, with countries like ___ having over 700 ethnolinguistic groups.

language; shared

Writing SEA-wide history is hard due to ___ barriers and limited ___ historical records.

colonizer

English can’t serve as SEA’s unifying language because nations tend to favor their ___'s language more.

mirage

The Philippines glorifies English, but this is a ___; other countries advanced without English dominance.

Oversimplification; complexities

Writing regional SEA history risks ___ and ignoring the unique ___ of each nation.

Local History Trap

Focusing only on one nation’s past without comparison may lead to a "___" —a scholarly dead end.

Publishers

Area Studies is shaped not just by scholars but also by ___ that often prioritize English and global market appeal.

sense

Local SEA works, when translated, can lose their original ___ and cultural depth.