The Mists of Ramanna

The Mists of Ramanna PDF Author: Michael Aung-Thwin
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 462

Get Book Here

Book Description
"The Mists of Ramanna is a tour de force that challenges our fundamental understanding of early Southeast Asia. It will be essential reading for those interested in the history, art history, linguistics, ethnic studies, and archaeology of the region."--BOOK JACKET.

The Mists of Ramanna

The Mists of Ramanna PDF Author: Michael Aung-Thwin
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN:
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 462

Get Book Here

Book Description
"The Mists of Ramanna is a tour de force that challenges our fundamental understanding of early Southeast Asia. It will be essential reading for those interested in the history, art history, linguistics, ethnic studies, and archaeology of the region."--BOOK JACKET.

The Mists of Rāmañña

The Mists of Rāmañña PDF Author: Michael A. Aung-Thwin
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 0824874412
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 448

Get Book Here

Book Description
Scholars have long accepted the belief that a Theravada Buddhist Mon kingdom, Rāmaññadesa, flourished in coastal Lower Burma until it was conquered in 1057 by King Aniruddha of Pagan—which then became, in essence, the new custodian and repository of Mon culture in the Upper Burmese interior. This scenario, which Aung-Thwin calls the "Mon Paradigm," has circumscribed much of the scholarship on early Burma and significantly shaped the history of Southeast Asia for more than a century. Now, in a masterful reassessment of Burmese history, Michael Aung-Thwin reexamines the original contemporary accounts and sources without finding any evidence of an early Theravada Mon polity or a conquest by Aniruddha. The paradigm, he finds, cannot be sustained. How, when, and why did the Mon Paradigm emerge? Aung-Thwin meticulously traces the paradigm's creation to the merging of two temporally, causally, and contextually unrelated Mon and Burmese narratives, which were later synthesized in English by colonial officials and scholars. Thus there was no single originating source, only a late and mistaken conflation of sources. The conceptual, methodological, and empirical ramifications of these findings are significant. The prevalent view that state-formation began in the maritime regions of Southeast Asia with trade and commerce rather than in the interior with agriculture must now be reassessed. In addition, a more rigorous look at the actual scope and impact of a romanticized Mon culture in the region is required. Other issues important to the field of early Burma and Southeast Asian studies, including the process of "Indianization," the characterization of "classical" states, and the advent and spread of Theravada Buddhism, are also directly affected by Aung-Thwin’s work. Finally, it provides a geo-political, cultural, and economic alternative to what has become an ethnic interpretation of Burma’s history. An electronic version of this book is freely available thanks to the support of libraries working with Knowledge Unlatched, a collaborative initiative designed to make high-quality books open access for the public good. The open-access version of this book is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0), which means that the work may be freely downloaded and shared for non-commercial purposes, provided credit is given to the author. Derivative works and commercial uses require permission from the publisher.

A History of Myanmar since Ancient Times

A History of Myanmar since Ancient Times PDF Author: Michael Aung-Thwin
Publisher: Reaktion Books
ISBN: 1861899394
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 328

Get Book Here

Book Description
In A History of Myanmar since Ancient Times, Michael Aung-Thwin and Maitrii Aung-Thwin take us from the sacred stupas of the plains of Pagan to grand, colonial-era British mansions, revealing the storied past and rich culture of this country. The book traces the traditions and transformations of Myanmar’s communities over nearly three millennia, from the relics of its Neolithic civilization to the splendors of its pre-colonial kingdoms, its encounters with British colonialism and the struggles for the republic that followed the end of World War II. The authors also consider the complexities of present-day life in Myanmar and examine the key political events and debates of the last twenty-five years that have brought the world’s attention to the country. By exploring current developments within the broader patterns of Myanmar's history, culture and society, they provide a nuanced perspective on the issues and questions surrounding Myanmar’s future. This updated edition considers the changes that have taken place since the elections of 2010, the reforms that the civilian government introduced, and the ramifications of the country's new international status. It also assesses the implications of the 2012 by-elections, the ensuing political dynamics among various stakeholders, and the continuing socio-economic challenges facing Myanmar in the twenty-first century. The most comprehensive history of Myanmar ever published in the English language, this book makes a significant contribution to our understanding of Southeast Asian history and will surprise, challenge, and inform in equal measure.

New Perspectives on the History and Historiography of Southeast Asia

New Perspectives on the History and Historiography of Southeast Asia PDF Author: Michael Arthur Aung-Thwin
Publisher: Routledge
ISBN: 1136819630
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 495

Get Book Here

Book Description
Using a unique "old–new" treatment, this book presents new perspectives on several important topics in Southeast Asian history and historiography. Based on original, primary research, it reinterprets and revises several long-held conventional views in the field, covering the period from the "classical" age to the twentieth century. Chapters share the approach to Southeast Asian history and historiography: namely, giving "agency" to Southeast Asia in all research, analysis, writing, and interpretation. The book honours John K. Whitmore, a senior historian in the field of Southeast Asian history today, by demonstrating the scope and breadth of the scholar’s influence on two generations of historians trained in the West. In addition to providing new information and insights on the field of Southeast Asia, this book stimulates new debate on conventional ideas, evidence, and approaches to its teaching, research, and understanding. It addresses, and in many cases, revises specific, critically important topics in Southeast Asian history on which much conventional knowledge of Southeast Asia has long been based. It is of interest to scholars of Southeast Asian Studies, as well as Asian History.

Myanmar in the Fifteenth Century

Myanmar in the Fifteenth Century PDF Author: Michael Aung-Thwin
Publisher:
ISBN: 9780824875688
Category : Burma
Languages : en
Pages :

Get Book Here

Book Description
When the kingdom of Pagan declined politically in the late 13th and early 14th centuries, its territory devolved into three centres of power and a period of transition occurred. Then two new kingdoms arose: the First Ava Dynasty in Upper Myanmar and the First Pegu Dynasty in Lower Myanmar. Their story is the only missing piece in Myanmar's mainstream historiography, a gap this work is designed to fill.

The Mists of Ramanna

The Mists of Ramanna PDF Author: Michael Aung-Thwin
Publisher:
ISBN:
Category : Burma
Languages : en
Pages : 0

Get Book Here

Book Description


A History of Early Southeast Asia

A History of Early Southeast Asia PDF Author: Kenneth R. Hall
Publisher: Rowman & Littlefield Publishers
ISBN: 0742567621
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 400

Get Book Here

Book Description
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). Incorporating the latest archeological evidence and international scholarship, Kenneth R. 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 non-specialists, the book will be essential reading for all those interested in Asian and world history.

A Companion to Asian Art and Architecture

A Companion to Asian Art and Architecture PDF Author: Rebecca M. Brown
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons
ISBN: 1119019532
Category : Art
Languages : en
Pages : 691

Get Book Here

Book Description
A Companion to Asian Art and Architecture presents a collection of 26 original essays from top scholars in the field that explore and critically examine various aspects of Asian art and architectural history. Brings together top international scholars of Asian art and architecture Represents the current state of the field while highlighting the wide range of scholarly approaches to Asian Art Features work on Korea and Southeast Asia, two regions often overlooked in a field that is often defined as India-China-Japan Explores the influences on Asian art of global and colonial interactions and of the diasporic communities in the US and UK Showcases a wide range of topics including imperial commissions, ancient tombs, gardens, monastic spaces, performances, and pilgrimages.

Old Myths and New Approaches

Old Myths and New Approaches PDF Author: Alexandra Haendel
Publisher: Monash University Publishing
ISBN: 1921867280
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 312

Get Book Here

Book Description
Old Myths and New Approaches: Interpreting Ancient Religious Sites in Southeast Asia brings together recent research by leading experts on Southeast Asia in the pre-modern era. The authors examine sites from early and Angkor-period Cambodia and Vietnam, on the mainland, to temples in Java and Bali, and discuss many different aspects of these sites’ uses and functions. This comprehensive, innovative and interdisciplinary work will be invaluable to scholars and students of historical Southeast Asia.

A Heritage of Ruins

A Heritage of Ruins PDF Author: William R. Chapman
Publisher: University of Hawaii Press
ISBN: 0824836316
Category : History
Languages : en
Pages : 378

Get Book Here

Book Description
The ancient ruins of Southeast Asia have long sparked curiosity and romance in the world’s imagination. They appear in accounts of nineteenth-century French explorers, as props for Indiana Jones’ adventures, and more recently as the scene of Lady Lara Croft’s fantastical battle with the forces of evil. They have been featured in National Geographic magazine and serve as backdrops for popular television travel and reality shows. Now William Chapman’s expansive new study explores the varied roles these monumental remains have played in the histories of Southeast Asia’s modern nations. Based on more than fifteen years of travel, research, and visits to hundreds of ancient sites, A Heritage of Ruins shows the close connection between “ruins conservation” and both colonialism and nation building. It also demonstrates the profound impact of European-derived ideas of historic and aesthetic significance on ancient ruins and how these continue to color the management and presentation of sites in Southeast Asia today. Angkor, Pagan (Bagan), Borobudur, and Ayutthaya lie at the center of this cultural and architectural tour, but less visited sites, including Laos’s stunning Vat Phu, the small temple platforms of Malaysia’s Lembah Bujang Valley, the candi of the Dieng Plateau in Java, and the ruins of Mingun in Burma and Wiang Kum Kam near Chiang Mai in northern Thailand, are also discussed. All share a relative isolation from modern urban centers of population, sitting in park-like settings, serving as objects of tourism and as lynchpins for local and even national economies. Chapman argues that these sites also remain important to surrounding residents, both as a means of income and as continuing sources of spiritual meaning. He examines the complexities of heritage efforts in the context of present-day expectations by focusing on the roles of both outside and indigenous experts in conservation and management and on attempts by local populations to reclaim their patrimony and play a larger role in protection and interpretation. Tracing the history of interventions aimed at halting time’s decay, Chapman provides a chronicle of conservation efforts over a century and a half, highlighting the significant part foreign expertise has played in the region and the ways that national programs have, in recent years, begun to break from earlier models. The book ends with suggestions for how Southeast Asian managers and officials might best protect their incomparable heritage of art and architecture and how this legacy might be preserved for future generations.