One can say that history is the guiding light for modern-day nation-states. Yet, we will often find that certain parts of the world today look nothing like they did a hundred, or even fifty years ago. Their histories, though rich and complex, are a far cry from their current geopolitics. Southeast Asia is one such region, whose history is laid bare and brought to life in Craig Lockard’s book, ‘Southeast Asia in World History’.
The book begins by raising the following question: can Southeast Asia even be considered a coherent region of its own? Lockard traces the ancient development of the region through its migration patterns, relationships with water and climate, and the rise and fall of its kingdoms in the ‘Golden Age’. With its explorations of the ‘Age of Commerce’, when both trade and foreign influences grew, particularly the spread of Islam and Theravada Buddhism, the book also focuses comprehensively on Southeast Asia’s experience with colonisation. Finally, it positions the region in the 21st century—the challenges of independence, nation-building and globalisation.
The book not only does justice to the civilisational achievements of Southeast Asia, but also scrupulously carves out the stories of its “subalterns”. The historical accounts are generously infused with refreshing anecdotes about the lives of these peoples, and their rituals, proverbs, and philosophies. Of significance is Lockard’s examination of the “white man’s burden” in colonising Southeast Asia, and its psychological effects on Indonesians. He even examines the role of the West in diminishing the status of women in the region, and thus questions its reputation as the “civiliser” in such contexts. Parts of the book also uncover the interplay between religion and politics through concepts like the Hindu mandala system, the Chinese ‘mandate of heaven’, and the Khmer tradition of priests leading a cult to worship the “God-king”.
The sheer amount of detail in Lockard’s work is a testament to his prowess as a historian: he reveals multiple fascinating aspects about Southeast Asian history through the stroke of a single sentence. At the same time, he adds arguments and observations that seem almost obvious when the historical facts have been considered, yet are deeply complex and difficult to conclude on their own. Whether the reader is interested in linguistics, religion, psychology or economics, this book has something for everyone. It not only provides a great introduction to the region’s history, but also creates a sustained interest for Southeast Asia in the reader’s mind through the rich diversity of its stories.
However, a shortcoming of ‘Southeast Asia in World History’ is that while Lockard explains the social processes that unfolded in the region, he fails to explain why they unfolded the way they did. For instance, the book highlights Southeast Asia’s tendency to “creatively adopt” and blend foreign influences, even the ones that seemed incompatible with its own culture. However, the question of why Southeast Asia was so culturally porous in the first place is at best, not obvious, and at worst, unresolved. Today, foreign influences in the form of religion or language are perceived as threats to a nation-state’s cultural identity and sovereignty. If ancient Southeast Asian societies were almost as politically sophisticated as today’s nation-states (as Lockard argues), then why did foreign influence arouse in them a sense of openness and flexibility, and not a sense of insecurity or threat? Furthermore, he writes that in certain Southeast Asian societies such as Malaya, imported cultures like Islam replaced pre-existing cultures, while in other societies like Java, pre-existing cultures proved to be much more resilient. The text most definitely traces historical “social patterns”, as claimed in the Editor’s Preface, but the underlying logic of these patterns is left unaddressed.
In the book’s final chapters, the focus shifts to Southeast Asia’s immense potential in the 21st century. Crucial questions are raised about what it means for a region that has historically been fluid and porous, to now be divided into rigid, Westphalian nation-states, and be governed by international organisations like the ASEAN. How would Southeast Asia, with such a starkly different ancient history, behave under new forms of socio-political organisation? The book was right at the periphery of these questions, but fell short of addressing them with the depth they deserved.
Weighing its strengths and weaknesses, Craig Lockard’s book makes for a remarkable introduction to the complex history of Southeast Asia. Alongside its comprehensiveness and clarity, what should be most appreciated is its humanity. By infusing his book with stories about Southeast Asia’s local people and their ‘waters of blue’, Lockard gives their history more than just an academic critique. And even though some questions remain unanswered, by virtue of its rich chronicles, this book is capable of creating readers who would hunt for these answers themselves. While this is a hope, what is certain is that with the end of his book, Lockard also puts a compelling end to the debate that he began with: Is Southeast Asia even a coherent region of its own? It most certainly is, and Craig Lockard has a remarkable way of showing us why.
