Images of Economic History in Southeast Asia that Have Spread Inside and Outside the Region

Abstract

This collection of twelve papers concerns the economy of Southeast Asia from the end of the 19th century into the 1.930s. Each paper fully demonstrates the high level this field of reseach has reached.In recent years, a new historical image has been appeared via a new approach, and in this review I would like to discuss how this book, published in the 21st century, has responded to that approach.1. The Inward Vector(1) The impact on inhabitantsThere are several contributions to this collection considering the impact on local inhabitants while the colonial economy prospered and declined. In particular, the fact that plantations became source of cash income is important and needs further study.(2) Domestic tradeThe 5th and 6th papers consider the formation of the trade network in rice that connected the overseas market to domestic agriculture.(3) What is not easily visible from statistical dataMore and more research these days has been concerned with the history not easily found in statistical data. The 8th paper pays attention to the ecology of Java at the time and shows clearly that the rice crop economy changed owing to the reduction in forest land.2. The Outward Vector(1) The Development of the “Intra-Asian Trade”It is shown in the collection that a division of labor among the parties in the “Intra-Asian Trade” materialized at this time. Even during the 1930s, the amount of trade did not decrease.(2) Chinese merchant networksThe predominance of the Chinese merchant in the Southeast Asian economy, is described in many papers and widely recognized. However, I think that more specific researh in terms of time and field should be done concerning this issue.(3) Southeast Asia and JapanThe collection points out that the import of Japanese products into Southeast Asia area was rapidly increasing during the 1920s and 1930s. However, it is not clear how Japanese products circulated in the markets there.From now on, in order to deepen our knowledge of Asian commercial activities, it will be necessary to study by the historical records written in Asian languages.