Colonial Period Research Articles

Postcolonial Typology: A Pedagogical Note on the Field of Ecotheology

In the burgeoning field of ecotheology, scholars have been compelled to propose typologies to introduce and categorize existing but diffuse ecotheological insights. Taking ecotheology as a particular epistemic theology, I argue for an alternative way of typologizing that entails meticulously examining the extent to which ecotheologians engage with competing epistemes, namely “postcolonial typology”. To illustrate, I will examine a range of ecotheological works from a postcolonial nation, Indonesia. I present three groups of ecotheologies: the “expansionist”, the “tribalist”, and the “essentialist” approaches (or strategies). The expansionist group extends or expands the systematic theology formerly introduced by European missionaries during the colonial period as a way to ecologize their theology. The tribalist approach prioritizes retrieving and incorporating local or tribal wisdom. Finally, the essentialist group focuses on identifying categorical frameworks that may signify “Indonesianness”, which involves a “strategic” choice of essentialism that yields to a national or transtribal theological cohesion. In the end, I will also note one pedagogical implication of employing postcolonial typology.

Catholicism, religious diversity, and syncretism in the Latin American religious field and the immigrant religion contribution

This article seeks to recognise the role of immigrant religion in the current Chilean religious scenario. The analysis considers two approaches in the study of Latin American religion: (1) the monopoly that Catholicism has had since the colonial period to the recent increase of religious pluralism (i.e. the spread of Protestantism – Pentecostalism – and other religious expressions) and (2) the religious syncretism and heterodox religious practices outside the official religion. In addition, the research identifies a third trend: the role of immigrant religion in the revitalisation and cultural diversification of national parishes. This latter approach has been understood as a current phenomenon that produces national parishes integrated by Chileans and immigrants in the Chilean context.

Historical ecology reveals the "surprising" direction and extent of shifting baselines for the Florida manatee (Trichechus manatus latirostis).

Historical data are often overlooked in risk assessments and recovery plans for marine animals, resulting in the "shifting baselines." Historical ecological studies demonstrate the "surprising" extent to which contemporary assumptions misrepresent premodern baselines. The Florida manatee, a subspecies of the West Indian manatee found primarily in Florida, USA, faces several existential threats, but risk assessments and recovery targets for the species are hindered by poor understanding of historical baselines. We conducted systematic and opportunistic reviews of archaeological and historical records of manatee occurrence in Florida, USA. Our data reveal that manatee populations in Florida were very small in the Precolonial and Colonial Periods, possibly representing infrequent in-migration from the Caribbean during favorable climate conditions. Manatees expanded in number and range across the Florida peninsula during the Territorial/Early Statehood and Early Modern Periods, first northward on the Atlantic Coast and later along the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. These expansions track increasing human populations, associated anthropogenic landscape alterations, and social and policy changes. Historical ecology is critical for "shaping a better Anthropocene" for humans and manatees in Florida.

The Impact of Colonial Legal Systems on Indigenous Rights and Modern Legal Redress Mechanisms

Due to incomplete records from the colonial period, particularly regarding cases of infringement on indigenous rights that often went undocumented, research struggles to fully reflect the legal impacts of that era. Therefore, this study explores the profound influence of colonial legal systems on indigenous rights and analyzes how modern legal redress mechanisms address and compensate for these historical injustices. The article first outlines how colonial legal systems deprived indigenous rights in areas such as land ownership, judicial fairness, and identity recognition, drawing on relevant legal documents and historical literature. Subsequently, through case analysis, the study examines the specific impacts of colonial legal systems on indigenous rights across different periods, employing qualitative and quantitative analysis to assess the effectiveness of modern legal redress mechanisms in restoring indigenous rights, safeguarding cultural heritage, and promoting social justice. The findings reveal the depth and breadth of these historical impacts. Data indicate that indigenous land ownership during the colonial period rated only 2 out of 10. Additionally, economic restrictions imposed on indigenous populations disadvantaged them in competition with Portuguese merchants. The study shows that, through a comparative analysis of legal influences over different periods, the rating of indigenous land rights improved to 4 in the pre-reversion period but continued to face challenges in cultural protection, scoring only 3.

Decolonizing Nepal’s Kiranti-Kõits grammar and lexicon

This article proposes to explore how indigenous languages are colonized in terms of grammar and lexicon in daily usage whether in spoken or written forms by the speakers of Kiranti-Kõits कराँती-कोँइच , who were socio-psychologically and politically over-dominated by the imposed official language of the ruler-colonizers during the periods of internal colonization or invasion of the present-day eastern Nepal first by Shah Regime after AD1768 and later continued by Ranarchism for 104 years till AD1950 in the past-atrocious-history of Nepal. Due to such adverse socio-political situations following the loss of Indigenous Kirant’s (also spelt as ‘Kirat’ historically developed from ‘Oirat’) sovereign land territory, the Kiranti nations’ (sovereign peoples) languages were either pidginized or creolized (commonly as hybridization) by the colonizer’s privileged Khas-Nepali language in such a way that those languages in the near future will lose their organic linguistic structures along with lexicon of Kiranti-ness as for instance the Kiranti-Kõits is one of them. Thus, this article aims to reverse this grammatical colonization or linguistic imperialism by rediscovering, reviving, regaining, and reinterpreting or reestablishing those disappeared features of auxiliaries, phonemes, and indigenize or even re-indigenize such organic Kiranti- Kõits linguistic features and sovereignty of its own through decolonization or indigenization process as our giant neighbouring country—India’s, such as Kolkata from Calcutta, Mumbai from Bombay, Chennai from Madras. Scholars, researchers, writers, and higher education’s academia have already been doing so for decolonizing the colonized loconyms etc. and more importantly in 1989 Myanmar has decolonized itself from Burma.

From relegation to elevation

Kenya’s Marriage Act of 2014 was passed with the effect of harmonizing all matrimonial laws in operation in the country into one statute. The Marriage Act provides that all marriages in Kenya have equal legal status, and requires that all marriages, including those concluded under customary law, must be registered. This article analyses how customary marriages have been treated under Kenya’s law in three distinct time periods- the colonial, post-independence and contemporary Kenya. It argues that while customary marriages were treated as inferior during the colonial and post-independence periods, in contemporary Kenya, the Marriage Act has had the effect of elevating customary law marriages so that they are equal to marriages under other systems. Further, the article assesses the status of women married under customary law and demonstrates that the Marriage Act has resulted in the greater protection of the rights of married women in Kenya.

Buddhist Discourse in Changing Times: The Significance of Buddhist Magazines in Early 20th-Century Korea with a Focus on Bulgyo

In early 20th-century Korea, Buddhist magazines emerged as vital extra-canonical sources, offering a modern platform that complemented traditional Buddhist texts. These publications navigated the complexities between succeeding Buddhist tradition and embracing modernity, addressing the historical challenges of the 19th century while also contributing to the preservation of national sovereignty and the formation of a modern Korean Buddhist identity. Serving as a forum for scholarly works on Buddhist translation, doctrine, and history, as well as literature, education, and propagation, these magazines became central to both intellectual and spiritual discourse. Of the more than 30 periodicals published during the Japanese occupation, Bulgyo stood out as the longest-running and most influential magazine, with its complete archive preserved. Bulgyo brought together various members of the Buddhist community as both contributors and readers, broadening the scope of Buddhism to include a diverse range of topics such as academia, literature, art, women, and children. This article explores the role and significance of Korean Buddhist magazines during the Japanese colonial period, with a particular focus on Bulgyo, and examines how the publication helped shape Buddhist modernity within Korea’s complex political and religious landscape.

Pedogenic continental red beds: How, why and when red? Redox geochemistry and quantitative colour analysis of the Old Red Sandstone, South Wales, UK

ABSTRACTContinental red beds are coloured by secondary Fe(III)‐oxy‐hydroxides (mainly hematite) which makes them excellent archives of ancient near‐surface redox conditions. However, colour is often treated as a subjective physical property, and opinions differ widely as to the environment and timing of colouration of the red beds. This study utilizes diffuse spectral reflectance to address the degree of reddening (hematitization) of the Siluro‐Devonian Old Red Sandstone representing a dryland fluvial system with abundant palaeo‐Vertisols, coinciding with the period of land colonization by vascular plants. The hematitization was studied along with the stratigraphy, facies, pedogenic features, petrology, element and Molybdenum isotope geochemistry. The mudstones and palaeosols are typically red while sandstones are often grey. The red colouration corresponds to approximately 30 to 36% of red band (625 to 700 nm) reflectance and high hematite to goethite ratios. The red sediments contain hematitized biotite, submicronic hematite in mudstone and sandstone matrix, and hematite cement in calcretes. The hematitization was synchronous with formation of pedogenic mudcracks, Vertic slickensides, calcretes, reduction spots, sometimes hydrodynamic reworking, and accompanied by local (grain‐scale) depletion in Fe(II), enrichment in Fe(III), and mobilization of U, V, As, Cu, Zn and Mo. It is estimated that the hematite growth was rapid (several hundred to thousand years) but the average sedimentation rates were low (approximately 3 to 10 cm/kyr). Erosion led to development of reactivation surfaces separating layers with contrasting hematite content and geochemistry. It is suggested that high rates of pedogenesis and low sedimentation rates favour the reddening and may represent an important control on the formation of continental red beds. Limited levels of soil waterlogging, and the published δ13C values (−9 to −12‰ Vienna Pee Dee Belemnite) of the pedogenic carbonate, might reflect the changes in the nature of the soil biomantle during the early Devonian land colonization by vascular plants.

Bilingualism in Training and in the Professional Environment among Moroccan Laureates in Private Law

The linguistic landscape of Morocco is characterized by its complexity and diversity, the result of a rich history and a unique cultural blend. Several languages coexist, each playing a specific role in society: Arabic, Amazigh, French, and English. French, a legacy of the colonial period, occupies a prominent place in business, diplomacy, media, and particularly in the educational system, especially in higher education. This bilingualism, or even trilingualism, creates a significant linguistic gap when students transition from secondary education in Arabic to higher education predominantly in French, posing a major challenge for many students, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds or rural areas. This abrupt transition leads to adaptation difficulties at the university level, affecting students' academic performance. They have to master both academic concepts and be fluent in the French language as well. As French language instructors at the Faculty of Legal, Economic, and Social Sciences-Souissi in Rabat, we feel the need to study the Arabic/French bilingual practice among students in private law. This article presents the linguistic situation in Morocco, then moves on to analyze the bilingual specificities of students in training and professional settings through a semi-structured interview survey. The latter is supposed to suggest practical recommendations for better adaptation of language courses to this professional training.

Untwisting Beycesultan Höyük: the earliest evidence for nålbinding and indigo-dyed textiles in Anatolia

Cuneiform tablets indicate the importance of textile manufacturing in the Bronze Age Old Assyrian Colony Period and Hittite Empire, yet the organic traces of this industry rarely survive. Two burnt textile fragments found at Beycesultan offer an unexpected insight into the Bronze Age textile industry in Anatolia. Here, the authors present the results of chromatographic and microscopic analyses that indicate one fragment was made from hemp using the nålbinding, or single-needle knitting, technique and was dyed with the woad or indigo plant, while the other was a natural tabby weave. Both add to our understanding of the diversity of textile production in the Bronze Age.

Fragmented urban water governance: a case study of textile mills and water tanks in colonial Bangalore

Extreme water events such as flooding and scarcity are becoming a common occurrence in the city of Bengaluru, India. I use case studies of textile mills in colonial Bangalore to argue that continued uncoordinated industrial and urban planning has resulted in ineffectual water governance in the contemporary period. First, I point out that fragmented governance of urban water associated with industry is a historical phenomenon with roots in the colonial period. Second, I show that, in addition to the fragmented governance, the political-economic nature of the relationship between textile mills and the state allowed concessions and bypasses, making negotiation a key process for powerful stakeholders to navigate access to urban resources. Last, I highlight fundamental continuities in the way contemporary industries are planned and governed at the urban scale, particularly in their relationship with urban natural resources.

The Acculturation of Pakistanis in Singapore

ABSTRACT This article explores the process of acculturation for Pakistanis in Singapore and their later generation descendants from the country’s colonial period to the present day, focusing on the complexities brought about by migration, colonialism, and nationhood. It analyses how the historical context, namely Singapore’s unique position as a multicultural British colony situated in the Malay peninsula has shaped the experiences of this diaspora community in a variety of ways. Using qualitative research methods and employing cross-cultural psychologist John Berry’s acculturation strategies and multicultural adaptation hypothesis, the article argues that the acculturation process has been facilitated by the sense of cultural and socio-economic security among Pakistani immigrants and their families, amidst evolving political developments and top-down policies during Singapore’s transition from a British colony to an independent nation. The findings of this study will contribute to our understanding of diaspora experiences in multicultural societies and provide insights into the complex dynamics of acculturation in a rapidly changing social context.

Indigenous use and conservation of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) at Yakutat, Alaska since the sixteenth century

Sustainable Indigenous resource use reflects balance between animal populations and levels of human consumption, influenced by natural cycles of faunal abundance, community size and subsistence needs, procurement technologies, and the requirements of trade or commodity production. Sustainability is “epiphenomenal” when animal populations are preserved, and community needs met, without deliberate measures to prevent overharvesting. Alternatively, Indigenous conservation—cultural practices that moderate use of a resource to prevent its depletion—may play a determinative role. In this study from the Tlingit community of Yakutat, Alaska in the Northwest Coast cultural region, we interweave Indigenous and scientific perspectives to trace the use and conservation of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) from before Western contact through the Russian and American colonial periods to the present. Harbor seals, which concentrate in large numbers at a summer ice floe rookery near Hubbard Glacier, are the community's most important subsistence food and a key to its culture and history. The Smithsonian Institution and Yakutat Tlingit Tribe undertook collaborative research in historical ecology and archaeology in 2011–2014 including oral interviews with elders and subsistence providers, excavations at sealing sites, archaeofaunal analysis, historical and archival research, and consideration of climate cycles and biological regime shifts that influence the harbor seal population in the Gulf of Alaska. We compare technologies and hunting practices before and after Western contact, estimate harvest levels in different periods, and evaluate the effectiveness of traditional conservation practices that included hunting quotas enforced by clan leaders and the seasonal delay of hunting with firearms to prevent abandonment of the rookery by the seal herd.

Pembelajaran Sejarah Berbasis Sejarah Lokal Peran Blitar dalam Mempertahankan Kemerdekaan Indonesia 1948-1950

This study analyses Blitar's role as one of the Republic of Indonesia's guerrilla bases during the Dutch military aggression period and the struggle for independence. Located in East Java, Blitar has a long history, starting from the Dutch colonial period, the Japanese occupation, to the post-proclamation of Indonesian independence. Blitar became an important centre for military and emergency government activities in East Java, especially after the Dutch launched Military Aggression I and II. This research illustrates how Blitar became a gathering place for long march troops from various regions, as well as the formation of a military government structure that played an important role in defending the sovereignty of the Republic of Indonesia. Using data from various sources, including official reports and historical studies, this research seeks to present a picture of the socio-political and military dynamics in Blitar during this critical time in Indonesian history. However, despite its significant role, local history studies related to Blitar's role in this struggle are still minimally explored in history learning in schools. Therefore, the integration of Blitar's local history in the curriculum is expected to strengthen students' understanding of the importance of their region's contribution to national history.

CRIME IN EKA KURNIAWAN’S NOVEL LELAKI HARIMAU

The novel Lelaki Harimau by Eka Kurniawan describes the life of Javanese people during the Japanese colonial period. In the novel, there are various kinds of social problems, one of which is crime. This research aims to describe the forms of crime in the novel. This research uses a qualitative descriptive method with data collection techniques in the form of library research. The theory used is criminal psychology with a literary psychology approach to bridge the study of psychology and literature. The results of the research show that there are three forms of crime in the novel: domestic violence, sexual harassment and rape committed by the major characters. The domestic violence as well as raping is done by a husband towards his wife; something weird but that is the truth. Sexual harassment is experienced by other female characters owing to hegemony of power and money. The research shows that crime is one of the social problems that occurs in society. These crimes can be caused by various factors, such as poverty, social inequality and family conflict.

“Extremely Stupid Guidelines”: On The Development of Historical Questions Around Guru Tegh Bahadur’s Martyrdom

ABSTRACT In 1675, Mughal authorities beheaded Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru and, today, the martyrdom has become a highly contested historical question within scholarly circles. This article investigates the emergence of the event as a historical question and how the emphasis of historical fact-finding refashioned scholarly approaches to the Sikh tradition in the colonial and postcolonial periods. I end by exploring how the famous Sikh intellectual and politician, Sirdar Kapur Singh (1909-1986), drew upon the Sikh tradition to challenge the very premises of such historiographical framing in his landmark essay, “Who Killed Guru Tegh Bahadur?” and the limits to his challenge. I ask: What do we make of Kapur Singh’s frustration and disgust at the history writing that came to dominate the Sikh tradition? I show how Kapur Singh does not transcend the epistemological constraints of history through a better or more accurate rendition of the past. Instead, he disrupts the historiographical operation in his frustration with history writing and what he calls its “extremely stupid guidelines.”

POLÍTICAS PÚBLICAS SOBRE DROGAS: ORIGENS E DESDOBRAMENTOS DO MODELO PUNITIVISTA BRASILEIRO

This article presents a critical analysis of the evolution of drug policies in Brazil, from the colonial period to the present day. The research demonstrates how the prohibitionist model, present since the Philippine Ordinances, has been consolidated as the only strategy to combat drugs over the centuries, undergoing few changes only in the last three decades. Historical analysis reveals a tightening of laws, especially during the Civil-Military Dictatorship, with the criminalization of drug use and the strengthening of the logic of the "War on Drugs". With the promulgation of the 1988 Constitution, there was a paradigm shift, with the recognition of health as a fundamental right and the creation of the Unified Health System. Despite this, the prohibitionist model persisted, although with some nuances. The article reflects on the ineffectiveness of the prohibitionist model in reducing consumption and organized crime, arguing for the need for a more humanitarian approach based on scientific evidence. Finally, the present work also proposed to critically analyze the current public policies, unraveling the characteristics of each one of them.

Camel Imports and Transport Fantasies in German Southwest Africa, 1884–1915

ABSTRACT This article focuses on the import and introduction of camels to German Southwest Africa (modern-day Namibia) in the period 1884 to 1915. It identifies, narrates, and quantifies the import of camels and explains the camel’s role in transport and warfare during the German colonial period. Gestures towards how the camel and its ‘non-German expert handlers’ were ‘unlikely agents’ in this story are part of the discussion. Arguably, centring German animal transfers can help complicate existing understandings of German imperial fantasies, shed more light on everyday colonial violence and genocide, and alert us to silences regarding non-German experts and African labourers.

FROM THE TRAFFICKERS TO THE OUTSKIRTS: DOMINATION, RESISTANCE AND STRUGGLE

This article examines the subordination of the black population in Brazil from the colonial period to the present day, highlighting the persistence of racist legislation in the Brazilian legal system and the marginalization of Afro-Brazilian voices in literary historiography. Using the interdisciplinary approach of Law and Literature, the research analyzes divergences and convergences in the treatment of Afro-descendants throughout Brazilian history, focusing on the short story A escrava, by Maria Firmina dos Reis. It is argued that Firmina's exclusion from canonical historiographies is a reflection of a political-ideological project rooted in Brazilian Romanticism, whose purpose was to sustain an elitist and Eurocentric national identity. The study concludes by defending the implementation of an anti-racist education, based on Law 10.639/2003, as a way to decolonize knowledge, promoting representation and recognition of Afro-Brazilian contributions in the literary, historical and cultural spheres.

The Case of Dutch and Japanese Colonial Political Policies on Islamic Education in Indonesia

During the colonial period, education must have been very difficult to get, because the colonizers who were in power at that time did not want education to reach the indigenous people. The Islamic education system during the Japanese occupation was basically the same as the Islamic education system in the Dutch era, namely in addition to the pesantren education system established by traditional scholars, there was also a classical education system as seen in madrasas. The Dutch have colonized Indonesia for centuries. And during the Dutch colonial period, access to Islamic education was very difficult because Dutch education was more dominant in non-Islamic education. While Japan actually gave relief to Islamic education in Indonesia, it was precisely the waiver from Japan that made Japan withdraw from Indonesia. The research method used in this study is a Literature Study that collects data from various written sources. This research aims to find out the cases of political policies related to Islamic Education in Indonesia during the Dutch and Japanese colonial periods.