On 5/2, please hand in a 2-3 pp. (no less than two, no more than three pages) response paper to one of the following three essay questions. Your essay should comprise a main thesis or theses, stated at the beginning, and an extended discussion of supporting evidence. Be analytical, not just descriiptive. At all cost, avoid being vague and too general in your argumentation; the clearer you state your own position and your own analysis, the better. Pay attention to the details of the essay question; stay focused on the topic. Be specific. For supporting evidence, the use of concrete historical examples from the readings, other materials, and/or lectures is recommended. The response paper needs to be type-written, double-spaced, with margins 1 inch all sides, common 12 pt. font. Proof-read for spelling, punctuation, grammar, syntax, etc.! This is an individual assignment; do not work with anybody else on this.
1) Compare and contrast the main features of coastal/maritime-based and interior/land-based empires of premodern Southeast Asia, using, for example, Sri Vijaya or Malacca and Angkor or Viet Nam as your cases. Pay particular attention to how geographical specifics and climatic conditions influenced their economic bases, concepts of state power, mechanisms of exerting political control over their realms, and interactions with the outside world. Bonus: bring Champa into the mix.
2) Compare and contrast longstanding Chinese imperial reach into Southeast Asia and early European mercantilist expansionism(s) in Southeast Asia (16th and 17th cs.). Who were the main actors and what prime motivations drove their actions? What differentiated European powers in those two centuries? By analyzing concrete historical examples, explain some of the economic, political and cultural consequences of these Chinese and Western practices in Southeast Asia.
3) In what ways was the second phase of Western expansion into Southeast Asia (later 18th and 19th cs.) different from the first phase? In your analysis, focus on at least two of the four major “high imperialist” powers: Great Britain, the Netherlands, France, and the USA. What are the main causes for these differences? How did this second wave of imperialism impact the lives of Southeast Asians?
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