Pirates of Empire


Book Description

This comparative study of piracy and maritime violence provides a fresh understanding of European overseas expansion and colonisation in Asia. This title is also available as Open Access on Cambridge Core.




The History of Sulu


Book Description

The History of Sulu by Najeeb M. Saleeby: Discover the history and culture of the Sulu Archipelago in the southern Philippines with this comprehensive study by Najeeb M. Saleeby. Covering various aspects of Sulu's past, including its political organization, trade, and social customs, this book provides valuable insights into the rich heritage of the region and its significance in Southeast Asian history. Key Aspects of the Book "The History of Sulu": Cultural Heritage: The book delves into the cultural traditions and practices of the Sulu Archipelago, shedding light on its diverse and vibrant heritage. Historical Events: Saleeby provides a detailed account of significant historical events that shaped the political and social landscape of Sulu. Southeast Asian Studies: "The History of Sulu" contributes to the understanding of the broader history and cultural connections within the Southeast Asian region. Najeeb M. Saleeby was a Filipino physician, writer, and scholar who made significant contributions to ethnology and anthropology in the Philippines. Born in 1870, Saleeby was of Lebanese and Filipino descent and dedicated much of his life to the study of indigenous peoples and their cultures. "The History of Sulu" is one of his seminal works that continues to be a valuable resource for researchers and enthusiasts interested in the history of the Sulu Archipelago.




Captain Herman Leopold Schück


Book Description

The rise of Germany as an empire in 1872 and the weakening of the Sultanate of Sulu and Spain converged in Jolo through the friendship of Captain Herman Leopold Schuck, an adventurous German sea captain and Jamalul Alam, the famous sultan of Sulu. This work chronicles that friendship as it to seeks to better understand how a Prussian from Upper Silesia, steeped in Germanic culture and driven by a lucrative trading relationship with the sultan, developed a fascination with Tausug culture.




The Sulu Zone, 1768-1898


Book Description

"First published in 1981, ""The Sulu Zone"" has become a classic in the field of Southeast Asian History. The book deals with a fascinating geographical, cultural and historical ""border zone"" centred on the Sulu and Celebes Seas between 1768 and 1898, and its complex interactions with China and the West. The author examines the social and cultural forces generated within the Sulu Sultanate by the China trade, namely the advent of organized, long distance maritime slave raiding and the assimilation of captives on a hitherto unprecedented scale into a traditional Malayo-Muslim social system. How entangled commodities, trajectories of tastes, and patterns of consumption and desire that span continents linked to slavery and slave raiding, the manipulation of diverse ethnic groups, the meaning and constitution of ""culture, "" and state formation? James Warren responds to this question by reconstructing the social, economic, and political relationships of diverse peoples in a multi-ethnic zone of which the Sulu Sultanate was the centre, and by problematizing important categories like ""piracy"", ""slavery"", ""culture"", ""ethnicity"", and the ""state"". His work analyzes the dynamics of the last autonomous Malayo-Muslim maritime state over a long historical period and describes its stunning response to the world capitalist economy and the rapid ""forward movement"" of colonialism and modernity. It also shows how the changing world of global cultural flows and economic interactions caused by cross-cultural trade and European dominance affected men and women who were forest dwellers, highlanders, and slaves, people who worked in everyday jobs as fishers, raiders, divers or traders. Often neglected by historians, the response of these members of society are a crucial part of the history of Southeast Asia."--




Sailing the Sulu Sea


Book Description




The Sultan of Sulu


Book Description




The Indonesia-Malaysia Dispute Concerning Sovereignty over Sipadan and Ligitan Islands


Book Description

In 2002, ASEAN made history when two of its founder members—Indonesia and Malaysia—amicably settled a dispute over the ownership of the two Bornean islands of Sipadan and Ligitan by accepting the jurisdiction of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which ruled in favour of Malaysia. The case at once assumed great significance as a beacon of hope for the region which is plagued by numerous disruptive territorial disputes. As both the historical evidence and legal milieu are vital considerations for the ICJ to award sovereignty, this book covers in detail the historical roots of the issue as well as the law dimension pertaining to the process of legal proceedings and the ICJ deliberations. The work concludes by offering a set of guidelines on cardinal principles of international law for successfully supporting a claim to disputed territories. These may be usefully utilized by interested parties. “An invaluable account of the dispute between Malaysia and Indonesia over the Sipadan and Ligitan Islands. Written skilfully by a historian who is in clear command of the facts. Highly recommended for anyone who wishes to understand border disputes in Southeast Asia.”—Professor James Chin, Director, Asia Institute, University of Tasmania




Iranun and Balangingi


Book Description

The aim of this book is to explore ethnic, cultural and material changes in the transformative history(s) of oceans and seas, commodities and populations, mariners and ships, and raiders and refugees in Southeast Asia, with particular reference to the Sulu-Mindanao region, or the "Sulu Zone". Examining the profound changes that were taking place in the Sulu-Mindanao region and elsewhere at the end of the eighteenth century, this book, the companion volume to The Sulu Zone published in 1981, establishes an ethnohistorical framework for understanding the emerging inter-connected patterns of global commerce, long distance maritime trading and the formation and maintenance of ethnic identity. It also provides a new conceptual framework for understanding the problem of ethnic self-definition and political processes and conflicts in the recent history of the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia. Iranun and Balangingi seeks to probe these themes through an inter-disciplinary approach, using archival sources and literature, as well as period testimony, interviews, diaries, and fieldwork observations from sites primarily located in the Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia.




Homelands


Book Description

A story about the land is a story of its people. Enfolded in the varied landscapes of the Philippine archipelago are communities that have remained rooted to place against great and unrelenting adversity: those whom we call “Indigenous.” From 2011 to 2020, Jacob Maentz paid visits to these communities to listen and learn from within, that is, from the people who have called these lands home since time immemorial. What unfolds in Homelands is the photographic narrative of Jacob Maentz’s close and continuing collaboration with various Indigenous communities and groups who have been historically marginalized in the Philippines. Having lived in the archipelago since 2003, Maentz is ever mindful of the trust placed in him as honored guest, as well as the power of his position as an outsider. Needless to say, the stories and knowledge that these communities have chosen to share with Maentz have indelibly shaped his own journey of unlearning, inviting him to deeply reimagine the intimate, intricate, and inextricable relationships between place and people. In a symposium of dialogues and essays, Homelands further reflects on Indigeneity as cultural identity, as rallying banner, and as multitudinous question. The text explores even as it introduces the diverse concerns of Indigenous communities: the importance of solidarity in the clash between self-interest and shared interests; the submerged history of political resistance; alternative education and Traditional Knowledge systems; food sovereignty; and the successes and challenges of reclaiming land recognition after centuries of colonization and modern development aggression. Finally, Homelands stands in support of Indigenous peoples as the environmental frontliners of the world: holding the line against irreversible ecological devastation. With his lens and his presence, Maentz listens to and holds space for those who have never left, and those who continue to fight to live.




Under the Alien Sky


Book Description

Under the Alien Sky is a very different kind of novel from the mainstream fictional genre. It is written as an oriental fable, which means it has a subtext in addition to its surface story. It sets out to paint a picture of a remote and secretive state in the middle of Sulu Sea the Sultanate of Michaeli, which is a small island seldom shown on maps and many people in the southeast are unaware of its existence. By good chance, the writer manages to establish that the Sultanate of Michaeli really exists and he gets the rare opportunity to visit it. The story describes his voyage to the island, and the odd people and weird events he encounters during his week there. Unfortunately, this little paradise on earth became a living hell when the Gang of Four sidelined the Sultan and ushered in a reign of stygian gloom. The story is essentially about the Southeast Asian way of life as seen by the western visitor. The intention is to paint a picture of what it is like living under the alien sky as the writer has done for the past 30 years. Under the Alien Sky is a work of fiction based on fact. A feature of the book is the comical and satirical subtext which should lift the spirits of the armchair reader especially in the current economic gloom. Another feature of the book is the copious end-notes which are for those English teachers who have never been beyond Portsmouth, or Irish reader who have never been further south than the city of Cork. People in the Americas and other parts of the globe travel more widely and may have some knowledge of Southeast Asia even though a former US president could not tell Iraq from Iran. Under the Alien Sky is light reading, perfect for the long train journey, or holiday reading. It has all the ingredients of a good read a stimulating story, larger-than-life characters, exotic location, and candid observations on the oriental way of life. Being based on fact, it reads almost like an authentic journal. The settings are authentic but the characters are fictional. As far as the subtext is concerned, the story is an oblique indictment of political intrigue, corruption and religious bigotry. It attacks shame and hypocrisy as well as stony-faced religious zealots. In putting the focus on the Sultanate of Michaeli, the writer is synthesising the current political situation in any one of a dozen Southeast Asian democracies. He exposes the frailty of the ruling class, their crass avarice, corrupt practices, cronyism, and their not-so-subtle methods of silencing all opposition. However, the characters and events described in the novel are purely fictional.