The Encyclopedia Of Malaysia Early History

A look at Malaysia's early history, complete with in-depth detail of the various historical phases and archaeological finds that have been made throughout the country.

Using the archaeological record, O'Reilly traces the rise of the state in Southeast Asia in a general synthesis.

A look at the diverse crafts and visual arts found in Malaysia and an exploration of the origins and development of the country's rich artistic heritage.

History states and defines rights. A history that is one-sided, that tends to be on the side of the colonizers and disregards the actual truths is an erred discourse, which nullities the rights, self-identity and pride of a nation This book aims to correct the lopsidedness and neglect. Penang and Seberang Perai have kept ancient proofs of population long before the arrival of Francis Light. For the sake of uncovering a history that reaches further in the past and unearths more truths, this book presents three scholars and well-known experts who reveal these early proofs. They are Dr Mokhtar Saidin, an archaeologist, Dr Mahani Musa, a historian and Dr Noriah Mohamed., a linguist. Their researches begin from the early proofs and lead us to the earlier decade of the arrival of East India Company.

Despite the existence of about a thousand ethnolinguistic groups in Southeast Asia, very few historians of the region have engaged the complex issue of ethnicity. Leaves of the Same Tree takes on this concept and illustrates how historians can use it both as an analytical tool and as a subject of analysis to add further depth to our understanding of Southeast Asian pasts. Following a synthesis of some of the major issues in the complex world of ethnic theory, the author identifies two general principles of particular value for this study: the ideas that ethnic identity is an ongoing process and that the boundaries of a group undergo continual—if at times imperceptible—change based on perceived advantage. The Straits of Melaka for much of the past two millennia offers an ideal testing ground to better understand the process of ethnic formation. The straits forms the primary waterway linking the major civilizations to the east and west of Southeast Asia, and the flow of international trade through it was the lifeblood of the region. Privileging ethnicity as an analytical tool, the author examines the ethnic groups along the straits to document the manner in which they responded to the vicissitudes of the international marketplace. Earliest and most important were the Malayu (Malays), whose dominance in turn contributed to the "ethnicization" of other groups in the straits. By deliberately politicizing differences within their own ethnic community, the Malayu encouraged the emergence of new ethnic categories, such as the Minangkabau, the Acehnese, and, to a lesser extent, the Batak. The Orang Laut and the Orang Asli, on the other hand, retained their distinctive cultural markers because a separate yet complementary identity proved to be economically and socially advantageous for them. Ethnic communities are shown as fluid and changing, exhibiting a porosity and flexibility that suited the mandala communities of Southeast Asia. Leaves of the Same Tree demonstrates how problematizing ethnicity can offer a more nuanced view of ethnic relations in a region that boasts one of the greatest diversities of language and culture in the world. Creative and challenging, this book uncovers many new questions that should revitalize and reorient the historiography of Southeast Asia.

Here, at last, is the massively updated and augmented second edition of this landmark encyclopedia. It contains approximately 1000 entries dealing in depth with the history of the scientific, technological and medical accomplishments of cultures outside of the United States and Europe. The entries consist of fully updated articles together with hundreds of entirely new topics. This unique reference work includes intercultural articles on broad topics such as mathematics and astronomy as well as thoughtful philosophical articles on concepts and ideas related to the study of non-Western Science, such as rationality, objectivity, and method. You’ll also find material on religion and science, East and West, and magic and science.