Unit name | Rise and Fall of European Colonialism (Level I Lecture Response Unit) |
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Unit code | HIST20027 |
Credit points | 20 |
Level of study | I/5 |
Teaching block(s) |
Teaching Block 1 (weeks 1 - 12) |
Unit director | Dr. Saha |
Open unit status | Not open |
Pre-requisites |
None |
Co-requisites |
None |
School/department | Department of History (Historical Studies) |
Faculty | Faculty of Arts |
By the start of the twentieth century, with a small number of exceptions such as Thailand, Southeast Asia from Burma in the west to the Philippines in the east was under colonial rule. This high watermark of Western dominance was reached at the end of over four centuries of direct interactions between European and Southeast Asian societies. Yet by the middle of the twentieth century these colonial states had either been dismantled or were in retreat. In this unit we trace the long history of European imperialism in Southeast Asia as it went from the early modern maritime trading empires, to the Victorian territorial colonial states, through to decolonisation. In doing so we will consider a host of questions: Why did European powers gain ascendancy? What impact did colonialism have on Southeast Asian societies? And, is it possible to write a history of Southeast Asia on its own terms?
Weekly 2-hour interactive lecture sessions Tutorial feedback on essay Access to tutorial consultation with unit tutor in consultation hours
A 3000 word essay (50%) and 2-hour unseen written examination (50%) will assess the student’s understanding of the ways in which historians have interpreted developments in the field; test the student’s ability to think critically and develop their own views and interpretations; and test the students’ understanding of the history of European colonialism.
Nicholas Tarling (ed.), Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, Volumes 1 and 2
M.C. Ricklefs, Bruce Lockhart, Albert Lau, Portia Reyes and Maitrii Aung-Thwin, A New History of Southeast Asia
Craig A Lockard, Southeast Asia in World History
Nicholas G Owen (ed.), The Emergence of Modern Southeast Asia
D.G.E. Hall, A History of South-East Asia
Nicholas Tarling, A Fleeting Passing Phase: Imperialism in Southeast Asia
Ian Brown, Economic Change in Southeast Asia, c.1830-1980
Victor Lieberman, Strange Parallels: Southeast Asia in Global Context, c.800-1830, Volumes 1 and 2