Module 1 Colonial Legacies: Economic and Social Development in East and Southeast Asia

British Colonialism

Controlled South Asia (India to Burma) and Malayan peninsula; prioritized colonial financial self-sufficiency.

Dutch Colonialism

Governed Indonesian archipelago; post-$1900$, adopted "systematic mise en valeur" (development) and concern for "native welfare."

French Colonialism

Controlled French Indochina (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos); focused on infrastructure development as part of "mise en valeur."

American Colonialism

Administered the Philippines after 1898; emphasized preparing for self-government through mass education and promoting "American exceptionalism."

Japanese Colonialism

Only Asian colonial power (Taiwan, Liaotung peninsula, Korea) from 1895-1913; applied Meiji Restoration modernization policies, viewing colonies as assets for Japan's industrial catch-up.

Vent for Surplus Theory

Developed by Hla Myint, it explains how underdeveloped economies use previously idle land and labor for export production without reducing domestic output, especially in sparsely populated areas.

Open Dualistic Model

Economy split into modern (export-oriented) and traditional (subsistence) sectors with limited interaction; the colonial goal was to extract an "export surplus" from the colony.

Lewis's Refinement (Dualistic Model)

Identified both positive (e.g., payments for goods/labor, shared infrastructure) and negative (e.g., forced labor, destruction of traditional industries, "Dutch disease") effects of the export enclave on the traditional sector.

New Exports (Early 20th Century)

Products like rubber, palm oil, tin, and petroleum that were increasingly demanded by rapidly industrializing European/North American economies, shifting colonial economies.

Japanese Developmental Colonialism Debate

Argument suggesting Japan's