History Of Brunei Darussalam 1800 1967

Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin III preserved the absolute monarchy and links with Britain as Brunei grew wealthy on the exploitation of oil and natural gas. The story ends with the attainment of full independence in 1984 and a survey of the reign since then of Sultan Sir Hassanal Bolkiah, who celebrated the twenty-fifth anniversary of his coronation in 1993.

The contributors to this book examine the religious, social and administrative networks that governed both rural and urban areas in the North African and Middle Eastern parts of the world. This gives some idea of how power is allotted in the Islamic world.

This book presents extensive new research findings on and new thinking about Southeast Asia in this interesting, richly diverse, but much understudied period. It examines the wide and well-developed trading networks, explores the different kinds of regimes and the nature of power and security, considers urban growth, international relations and the beginnings of European involvement with the region, and discusses religious factors, in particular the spread and impact of Christianity. One key theme of the book is the consideration of how well-developed Southeast Asia was before the onset of European involvement, and, how, during the peak of the commercial boom in the 1500s and 1600s, many polities in Southeast Asia were not far behind Europe in terms of socio-economic progress and attainments.