Southeast Asia in the Fifteenth Century: The China Factor by Geoff Wade, Geoff Wade (Editor), Sun Laichen (Editor) - 2010-05-10

Singapore.: Singapore University Press.. 2009.. Maps, xi + 508 pages, colour photographic illustrations, index, bibliography, paperback. "The fifteenth century is an enigma in Southeast Asian history - too late for classical inscriptions, and generally too early for indigenous texts or European observations. The arrival of European ships, ideas and economies in the early sixteenth century has long been seen as the origin of the early modern era in Southeast Asia, but the present collection challenges this view, suggesting that intense and lasting political and economic changes were already well underway by 1500. The argument rests on developments such as the introduction of firearms, more intensive rice agriculture, Thai and Viet ceramic exports, Korean and Ryukyu contacts with Southeast Asia, the demise of Champa, the climax of Viet and northern Tai statecraft, the birth of the Malayo-Muslim kingship in Melaka and the creation of a new Muslim Javanese civilization on the island's north coast.… Read More

Singapore: NUS Press, 2010. Paperback. New. New. This century is a period that's generally skipped over by historians because of the lack of documentary and inscriptional evidence. However, the academics who have contributed papers to this volume claim that this century laid the foundation for early modern Southeast Asia. The argument rests on developments such as the introduction of firearms, more intensive rice agriculture, Thai and Viet ceramic exports, Korean and Ryukyu contacts with Southeast Asia, the demise of Champa, the climax of Viet and northern Tai statecraft, the birth of the Melayu-Muslim kingship in Melaka and the creation of a new Muslim Javanese civilization on Java's north coast. Coincident with these changes, Ming China's engagement with Southeast Asia grew as a result of overland expansion into the Tai and Viet polities, state-sponsored maritime voyages, and private Chinese trade and migration to the region. 512 pages. New Paperback Weight 0.70 Kg. . Postage within Malaysia is free