This course examines the forms of polity, society and economy of Southeast Asia, before and during the entry of the Portuguese into the region, ca.1100-1570 AD.

It will examine the nature of the religious- Brahman Hindu, Mahayana- and Thervada-Buddhist and Islamic - and political form of polities in Southeast Asia- the peninsula "empires" of the Khmer (IX-XIVc) and Thai (XII-XVc) and the seabourne "empires" of Srivijayan (VII-XIIIc), Majaphit and Malacca (XIV-XVIc). Social organisation and popular belief amongst the inhabitants of these polities will be examined, as will their economic activities- urban, commercial and agricultural. Utilising archaeological materials as well as primary and secondary texts, the nature and form of these Southeast Asian societies-economies in their international context will also be investigated.

Aims, objectives and intended learning outcomes. This course aims to provide an understanding of the nature of 'medieval' Southeast Asian society, in such a manner that students will develop an understanding of problems concerning the validity and reliability of available data emanating from the 'medieval' period. They will learn methods of contextual analysis and interrogation, and gain insights into how to conceptualise and analyse such materials, utilising both political science and social science methodologies - all highly transferable skills.

LECTURES / SEMINARS: You will find, by double clicking here, lecture list and booklets, seminar reading lists, archaeological site plans and photographs of sites.

PAST EXAM PAPERS: 2005

CLASS TIMES

Monday 11.10-13.00 Rm 217 WRB

PROJECTS

Students will also be given the opportunity to examine particular aspects of the subject, which interest them, by undertaking project work. This will be based on documentary, epigraphic or archaeological materials, relating to specific regional aspects of South-east Asian society.

Some hints on project presentation

1. The project is the most important formal piece of work you will do. To some extent it is an extension of the tutorial, designed to test your ability to draw together the information found in primary source materials and to assess and assimilate them into an answer. You should formulate YOUR OWN IDEAS as to what issues are to be analysed, and above all present your arguments IN YOUR OWN WORDS, clearly and concisely. Plan your argument carefully and make sure that a new paragraph represents a new direction in your thoughts and not just the place you paused for coffee. IT IS VITALLY IMPORTANT NOT TO INCORPORATE CHUNKS FROM SECONDARY MATERIALS VERBATIM INTO YOUR PAPER. Unacknowledged copying is always penalised. (The rare event of copying from other students is now, in work which contributes to an overall class grade, defined by the Faculty as a University disciplinary offence.) We place a strong emphasis on originality and there is no 'right' answer on any topic, but the literature and lectures are there to provide you with the means of formulating your ideas, and should never be ignored; if you want to reinterpret your subject, you must demonstrate the inadequacies of the existing materials by reasoned argument. Above all, avoid irrelevance and unsupported assertion.

2. Use A4 paper. Number all pages. Make sure your own name is on the front page and also your tutor's name. Head the essay with the exact title of the topic you have chosen to study.

3. LEAVE MARGINS SUITABLE FOR THE TUTOR'S COMMENTS ON THE LEFT-HAND SIDE OF THE PAGE, and please write only on ONE SIDE of the paper.

4. Legibility is important. We encourage you to type, and double-spacing is especially welcome.

5. You should give careful attention to spelling and punctuation, and not use abbreviations (eg 'WWI', 'govt', 'NI' etc). If you know you are weak in spelling, make a point of consulting a dictionary.

6. Right from the start it is a good idea in your writing to get used to following a few normal scholarly conventions. If you take phrases or sentences from other authors, put them in quotation marks and footnote the source, including the page number. At the end of the essay include a list of the works you have read for the essay, following the style of the essay handouts (books and journal titles underlined, journal articles titles in quotation marks, year and/or volume number for journal articles etc).

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