A History of Early Southeast Asia : Maritime Trade and Cultural Development 100-1500

"This book is a most valuable contribution, especially as it covers a period that few know well and that no one else is trying to synthesize into such a sweeping survey. Hall not only provides a much-needed economic and political analysis of his own and others' scholarship on the varied parts of Asia, he puts it all islands and mainland-into a thoughtful interpretive framework that advances our study of Southeast Asia considerably."---John Whitmore, University of Michigan

This comprehensive history provides a fresh interpretation of Southeast Asia from 100 to 1500, when major social and economic developments foundational to modern societies took place on the mainland (Burma, Thailand, Cambodia, and Vietnam) and the island world (Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines). Kenneth R. Hall explores this dynamic era in detail, which was notable for growing external contacts, internal adaptations of nearby cultures, and progressions from hunter-gatherer and agricultural communities to inclusive hierarchical states. In the process, formerly local civilizations became major participants in the period's international trade networks.

Incorporating the latest archcological evidence and international scholarship, Hall enlarges upon prior histories of early Southeast Asia that did not venture beyond 1400. extending the study of the region to the Portuguese seizure of Melaka in 1511. Written for a wide audience of nonspecialists, the book will be essential reading for all those interested in Asian and world history.