In typical Indonesian fashion, when you land at Palembang, the first public name to greet the visitor is that given to the airport: Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II, the last of the Palembang sultans, the provincial National Hero (Pahlawan Nasional), who resisted Dutch annexation, was subsequently exiled in 1821 and later died in Ternate. As you …
In anthropological fieldwork between 2005 and 2007 on genetically-related illness among British Bangladeshi Muslims, I was struck by the absolute faith which people expressed in Allah in relation to whatever healing and medical options they might adopt. Whether the problem was regarded as an upri (jinn, i.e. spirit-related) or daktari (biomedical) problem, the families were …
This paper is an attempt to detail the dualism observed in the cosmology of both the Cham monuments and contemporary Cham society. It first outlines the dualistic cults as represented in two royal sanctuaries, My Son in the north and Po Nagar Nha Trang in the south of the Champa kingdom. The My Son sanctuary was …
MESSAGE FROM CHAIR OF INTERNATIONAL ADVISORY BOARD Prof Tommy Koh I am very pleased to congratulate the Asia Research Institute for an eventful year of many achievements. This is an opportune moment to look back on the last five years and to thank ony Reid for his leadership and extraordinary contributions. Tony completed his tenure …
This collection of essays by leading scholars focuses on two controversial propositions central to the contemporary issues faced by multi-religious societies. Firstly, societies that are culturally and ethnically diverse can be more diffi cult to govern than those that are homogenous. Secondly globalization, particularly of religion, makes these problems increasingly endemic, global and potentially catastrophic. …
Bryan Turner’s writing on citizenship and human rights has placed him at the forefront of sociological research in this area. Over the last three decades his essays and other contributions have led to a fundamental reconsideration of the debate about individual and social rights in social theory. His work compares in its breath and scope …
Dedicated entirely to the study of the societies of South, Southeast and East Asia, the Ecole Francaise d’Extreme-Orient (EFEO) is the oldest and most prestigious French academic institution in Asia. However, there is surprisingly little general awareness of this society, beyond the facts that is headquarters are now located in Paris and its foremost area …
A Century in Asia: The History of the École Française d’Extrême-Orient 1898-2006 Read More »
Collection of essays by Singapore participants in the Fulbright educational exchange program.
Weber’s claim that Buddhism is an otherworldly religion is only partially true. Early sources indicate that the Buddha was sometimes diverted from supra-mundane interests to dwell on a variety of politically related matters. The significance of Asoka Maurya as a paradigm for later traditions of Buddhist kingship is also well attested. However, there has been little …
This book discusses the practice and institutionalization of the discipline of archaeology under British Rule and its current manifestations. Using Sir Mortimer Wheeler’s tenure as the Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of India (1944-48), it assesses the extent to which colonial intervention shaped the nascent discipline in South Asia. The study investigates two important areas …
Colonial Archaeology in South Asia: The Legacy of Sir Mortimer Wheeler Read More »
