Colonial Period Research Articles

Mindanao in the Journal of William Dampier: An Annotation of a 17th Century Source

This study revisits the precolonial history of Mindanao by closely examining William Dampier’s 17th-century journal, A New Voyage Around the World. While the historiography of the Philippines has primarily depended on documents from the Spanish colonial period, this paper underscores the importance of Dampier’s observations as a valuable and underappreciated historical resource. Dampier’s accounts provide profound insights into Mindanao’s geography, biodiversity, political systems, and cultural traditions before the extensive onset of Spanish colonization. His narratives depict a lively, decentralized community that actively participated in regional trade and was influenced by Islamic and Southeast Asian networks, countering colonial depictions of backwardness. Although Dampier's work has been referenced in a limited number of scholarly studies, it was an attempt to annotate Dampier in this study. By annotating Dampier’s descriptions, this study highlights the need to broaden Philippine historiography beyond sources focused solely on the Spanish perspective. It calls for future Filipino historians to engage with a more diverse range of historical documents, promoting a more inclusive, decolonized, and multifaceted comprehension of the nation's history. Through Dampier’s perspective, Mindanao is portrayed not as a marginal region but as a vibrant and crucial cultural and economic center in Southeast Asia.

Architectural heritage as filming location: impact on identity and significance

Using architectural heritage sites as filming locations has unintended and diverse effects on the sites and their relationships with stakeholders. While this phenomenon has attracted scholars largely from the heritage domain and film-induced tourism (hereafter FIT) discourse, the research has been minimal, is still evolving, and is located primarily in the global west; thus, more research in this area is needed. This paper responds to such gaps in the literature by studying a case from India, where scholarly knowledge on this phenomenon is scarce, available only in the FIT literature, and lacks a heritage conservation viewpoint. The selected case, the College of Agriculture in Pune, which has a colonial period structure and is one of the oldest educational institutes in India, has been officially branded as a filming location by the Film Facilitation Cell and Maharashtra Tourism Development Corporation. It has experienced a sudden rise in affection from its stakeholders and an upsurge in filming productions after its appearance in Bollywood’s blockbuster film Munna Bhai M.B.B.S. (Hirani, 2003). Such activities have tended to impact the perceptions of stakeholders about the historical identity and architectural significance of the site and, ultimately, its conservation. The study presents this impact using qualitative methods, including focus group discussions and personal interviews of stakeholders: management staff, teachers, students, heritage walk leaders, and tourists. The responses were simultaneously juxtaposed with the film analysis method, giving rise to the interpretive themes of pride, narratives, celebrity associations, and architecture and planning. The research findings reveal that the stakeholder’s overall approach prioritises the site as an ideal filming location over its historical identity, compromising the ethics of heritage conservation and, thus, overshadowing the site’s architectural significance. Studying other effects of this phenomenon, such as heritage conservation challenges and FIT management, is beyond the scope of this paper. This study, therefore, is a preliminary step in this understudied area and establishes the pressing need for more rigorous and holistic knowledge production in heritage discourse, particularly in India.

The Dynamics Of Islamic Education Policy In Indonesia: Historical Traces Across Eras (Pre-Independence - Reform)

This study examines the long and diverse history of Islamic education policies in Indonesia, from the pre-independence era to the present day. The study aims to trace the evolution of these policies, analyse the various policies issued by the government, and assess their impact on the advancement of Islamic education in Indonesia. This research employs a qualitative literature review approach, examining various sources such as books, journals, and relevant documents. The findings reveal significant changes in Islamic education policies over time. During the Dutch colonial period, policies tended to restrict its development. After independence, the Indonesian government gave greater attention to Islamic education, although challenges persisted. The Reform Era brought important changes by granting greater autonomy to Islamic educational institutions. In conclusion, Islamic education policies in Indonesia continue to evolve and are influenced by social, political, and cultural factors. This study is expected to provide a deeper understanding of the evolution of these policies and the challenges and opportunities in the development of Islamic education in the future

Sejarah Perkembangan Pendidikan Islam di Nusantara: Studi Literatur Tentang Pondok Pesantren dan Madrasah

The article discusses about history and development of two main Islamic educational institutions in Indonesia, Islamic boarding schools and madrasahs are well-known educational institutions in the Islamic tradition. Islamic boarding schools, in particular, have existed as traditional institutions since the early period of Islam's spread throughout the Indonesian archipelago, with a dormitory-based education system and teaching of yellow books. Meanwhile, madrasahs emerged as a response to the need for more systematic and structured Islamic education, especially during the period of Islamic renewal and colonialism. Through a historical-descriptive approach. This paper examines the developmental trajectories and growth dynamics of the two institutions, as well as their important roles in shaping the identity and direction of Islamic education in Indonesia. The findings indicate that, despite differences in their educational approaches and systems, Islamic boarding schools and madrasahs function complementarily in fulfilling the roles of religious and social education within the community.

Die Veldkind

The term ‘veldkind’ is a singular noun (pl. ‘veldkinders’) that combines two words— ‘veld’, meaning ‘field’ or, better, the indigenous, uncultivated land in Southern Africa, and ‘kind’, which means ‘child’— to loosely refer to a ‘child of the earth’. Despite this etymology, the term ‘veldkind’ is not an endearing descriptor for a child but a racially and religiously loaded term used during the colonial and apartheid periods in South Africa to characterize Africans as childlike savages without religion. I explore what it means to encounter and appreciate this term with research collaborators from the Leliefontein Communal Area in South Africa who identify with the term even though their ancestors were previously classified as and subjugated for being ‘veldkinders’. I show how the research collaborators embody and express veldkind as an ontology and epistemology that illustrates their ways of being with and knowing the sacred through, with, and as the veld, plants, and sacred. Finally, I reflect on how the ontologies and epistemologies of research collaborators informed the research methods I used to ethically and respectfully observe and describe their engagement with the sacred, including deep listening, play, and plant intimacies.

Mayong’s Folk Traditions and the Colonial Gaze: Reclaiming Indigenous Knowledge in the Shadow of Superstition and Nationalism

This research delves into the intersection of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) and Mayong's folk traditions within the context of colonial encounters, exploring the impact of colonialism on the indigenous knowledge of this unique Assamese region. Mayong, long misunderstood through colonial stereotypes as a land of black magic and superstition, offers a fertile ground for examining the resilience of its cultural and folk practices amidst the shadow of colonial influence. Colonial narratives, shaped by European romanticism and nationalism, painted Mayong’s traditions as mystical and backward, leading to a historical neglect of its indigenous knowledge systems. This study aims to bridge the gap in IKS research by focusing on how Mayong’s folk traditions were both misrepresented and, later, reclaimed in post-colonial discourse. The paper will explore how these traditions were preserved, altered, and revitalized through colonial and post-colonial periods, with a particular focus on the tension between modernization and the desire to retain indigenous cultural practices.Through an interdisciplinary approach, this study will analyze the ways in which colonial perceptions shaped the image of Mayong, but also how local resistance to these external forces led to a reaffirmation of indigenous knowledge. The findings reveal a complex dynamic where Mayong’s people have, over generations, successfully maintained and adapted their cultural practices—ultimately contributing significantly to the larger discourse of IKS preservation. By examining Mayong's struggle, resilience, and transformation, this research sheds light on the role of folklore and indigenous knowledge in shaping both regional identity and national pride. This research adds a new dimension to the field of IKS studies by focusing on the localized experience of Mayong, offering insights into the on-going reclamation of its cultural legacy and the role of folklore in modern India.

Misrepresentation of Algerians: Contrapuntal Reading of Albert Camus “The Guest”

This study analyzes Albert Camus's short story The Guest using both postcolonial theory and contrapuntal reading to reveal its colonial dimensions. Postcolonial theory analyzes texts written during colonial periods, especially from the 18th and 19th centuries, to expose concealed narratives of imperialism. This study examines how the depiction of the Arab prisoner in The Guest transforms the colonized image and assesses whether the story supports the French civilizing mission in Algeria. The research shows that the narrative presents Arabs as passive subjects who lack control over their destiny. It romanticizes French colonial endeavors through Daru's character, who expresses sympathy towards the Algerians but remains integrated within colonial frameworks. The analysis demonstrates that, through the humanization of the colonizer, the text maintains a Eurocentric viewpoint, which strengthens colonial power structures instead of questioning them.

A Study on D/HUR.SAGAškašipa

The subject of this study is Aškašipa, a god mentioned in Akkadian and Hittite cuneiform texts dating to the second millennium BC. Aškašipa is morphologically a combination of the word aška- (/door) and the suffix -šipa/-zipa (/spirit). Aškašipa is thought to mean the spirit of the door. The oldest record of Aškašipa is the treaty text Kt.00/k 6, dated to the Ib layer of Kaniš during the Assyrian Trade Colonial Period. Considering the record in tablet number Kt.00/k 6, which dates back to the Assyrian Trade Colonies Period, the cult center of Aškašipa in this period is the city of Kaniš. The earliest record of Aškašipa in cuneiform documents dating to the Hittite Imperial Period is the Akkadian version of the treaty with the Mitanni king Šattiwaza during the reign of Šuppiluliuma I. The name Aškašipa appears among the oath gods in monthly rituals, the AN.TAH.ŠUMSAR Fest, the Nuntarriašhaš Fest, oracle texts, ritual texts, prayer texts, and išhiul treaty texts. According to Hittite texts, there was a temple dedicated to the god. Aškašipa is consecrated in the cities of Kaniš, Karahna, and Ištanuwa. The cult center of Aškašipa must have been Kaniš during the Assyrian Trade Colonial Period and Karahna during the Hittite Imperial Period. The king performs the rituals to Aškašipa with a golden lion-shaped riton. Considering that the rituals performed for Aškašipa were performed with a lion-shaped golden rhyton, it is understood that the symbol of the god was the lion. Clay rhytons and statues in the shape of lions dating back to the Assyrian Trade Colonies Period in Kültepe and the Old Hittite Period in Hattuša were unearthed. Lion-shaped clay ritons and statuettes were found at Boğazköy and Kültepe. In Hittite cuneiform documents, Aškašipa appears together with the Kaniš gods Pirwa, Maliya, Kamrušepa, Haššušara, and Hašammili. The fact that the god was ritualized in the open land, Akkadian and Hittite records, and archaeological finds suggest that Aškašipa was associated with Mount Erciyes.

The Political Economy of Zimbabwe’s Communal Land (1890–2024)

This article employs a political economy perspective to analyse the political and economic trajectories that have shaped communal land tenure in relation to land grabs and displacements since their colonial creation. Using an integrative literature review, the paper focusses on three definitive phases in Zimbabwe’s history, that is, the colonial period (1890s up to 1980 when the country got its independence from Britain, the post-independence period from the 1980s up to the year 2000 when the country embarked on the Fast Track Land Reform Programme and finally the post fast track era (2000 to 2024). The paper brings to the fore the idea that the deliberate tenure insecurity of Zimbabwe’s communal land is historically rooted in colonial primitive accumulation by dispossession and that the post-colonial state inherited communal land administration that allows for arbitrary dispossession of land from communal land holders.

Sharia Courts in Colonial Tashkent: A Study of Qāḍī Records and Social Dynamics (1865-1917)

This article examines the qāḍī (Islamic judge) records in Tashkent during the Russian colonial period (1865–1917) as a vital source for understanding the social and legal history of Muslim communities in Central Asia. Following administrative reforms implemented by the colonial government, Islamic courts were required to systematically record judicial proceedings in two types of documents: akt daftar (transaction records) and ḥukm daftar (judgment records). This study employs a social-historical approach using document analysis, with primary data drawn from colonial archives containing qāḍī records. The researcher investigates the institutional structure of Islamic judiciary, documentation systems, legal language used, and transformations in Islamic legal practices under colonial influence. The findings reveal that despite experiencing administrative changes driven by colonial governance, the qāḍī records remained a significant reflection of the community’s social and economic life. These documents illustrate legal practices related to trade, rental agreements, inheritance, endowments (waqf), and labor contracts, while also showing the interaction between Islamic legal traditions and colonial regulation. Furthermore, the qāḍī records provide insight into colonial efforts to control local religious institutions and their role in society. Thus, the study of qāḍī records offers a significant contribution to the legal and social history of Muslim communities in colonial Central Asia.

Malay women’s narratives of gender-, class-, and race-based obstetric iatrogenesis in Singapore

Hypermedicalization is when medicalization is normalized and rendered invisible due to the cultural dominance of Western biomedicine. Medicalization in Singapore began in the colonial period and pathologized pregnancy and childbirth. Iatrogenesis is one of the effects of hypermedicalization of maternity care. This paper describes the nature of obstetric iatrogenesis on women birthing in private and subsidized care in Singapore hospitals, based on qualitative analyses of 29 interviews with self-identified Malay middle-class and working-class women in Singapore. Data collection utilized snowball and purposive sampling for a heterogeneous sample. Narrative analysis was applied to identify themes, and grounded theory analysis applied to ensure data saturation. Obstetric iatrogenesis in Singapore’s postcolonial maternity care system negatively impacts the agency and bodily autonomy of birthing women. Three types of iatrogenic harm were found to affect different strata: women in all patient classes experienced disrespect and routine episiotomy, women in private care experienced “don’t push,” and women in subsidized care felt objectified and were recruited into family planning policies without full understanding or consent. More research is needed to understand the full extent of obstetric iatrogenic harm and its impact on different strata of women in high-resource settings.

Wavelet-Based Analysis of Subsidence Patterns and High-Risk Zone Delineation in Underground Metal Mining Areas Using SBAS-InSAR

Underground metal mines operated using the natural caving method often result in significant surface collapses. Key parameters such as settlement magnitude, settlement rate, settlement extent, and the influence of underground mining on surface deformation warrant serious attention. However, due to the long operational timespan of mines and incomplete data from early collapse events, coupled with the inaccessibility of collapse zones for field measurements, it is challenging to obtain accurate displacement data, thereby posing significant difficulties for follow-up research. This study employs small baseline subset InSAR (SBAS-InSAR) technology to retrieve time series data on early-stage surface displacement and deformation rates in collapse areas, thereby compensating for the lack of historical data and eliminating the safety risks associated with on-site measurements. The 5th percentile of settlement rates across all monitoring points is used to define the severe settlement threshold, determined to be −42.1 mm/year. Continuous wavelet transform (CWT) is applied to calculate the time-series power spectrum, allowing the analysis of long-term stable and periodic settlement patterns in the collapse area. The instantaneous change rate at each point in the study area is identified. Using the 97th percentile of change rates in the time series, the number of severe change events at each point is determined. High-incidence zones of sudden surface deformation are visualized through QGIS 3.16 heat map clustering. The high-risk collapse area, identified by integrating both long-term stable settlement and sudden surface deformation patterns, accounts for multiple deformation modes. This provides robust technical support for the management of mine collapse zones and offers important theoretical guidance.

‘In Flat Country’: A Space‐Time Approach to the Common Spanish League

ABSTRACTAlthough widely used throughout the territories colonized by Europeans, the colonial league remains difficult to consistently translate to a unit of distance. Attempts to convert the league to modern units have returned varied results, depending on where and when distances were reported. This confusion seems to be the result of a conflation of the league as a unit of distance and the league as a measurement of space‐time. The common league, used frequently in travel accounts and guidebooks through the 18th century, was loosely defined as the distance a man could walk in 1 h. As a result, the common league is resistant to consistent quantification in terms of Euclidean distance. For historical archaeologists seeking to identify sites from archival documents or maps, this inconsistency can make it difficult to move outward from known sites. In this article, I examine the utility of Tobler's hiking function and minimum travel time to approximate the common league. To do so, I compare travel time results with reported common leagues along two segments of Spain's royal highway in South America: one flat and one hilly. The results suggest that in both flat and hilly terrain, travel time serves as a more reliable predictor of known sites than previously proposed linear distances. These results also direct attention to the fact that spatial knowledge in the colonial period was gathered through human experiences of movement, experiences that were often subsequently erased or obscured in the process of mapping and tabulating distance.

Somalia: In the Shadows of Former Intelligence Culture

In Somalia, the National Security Service (NSS) was the first attempt to establish an intelligence agency in the country after the colonial period. The NSS was modeled after the Soviet Committee for State Security (KGB) and was tasked with intelligence, information gathering, and reconnaissance, among others. It was dissolved in 1990, only to be reestablished over two decades later as the National Intelligence and Security Agency (NISA). The formation and reorganization of the Somali intelligence apparatus is also highlighted, taking into account the environment and society at that time. It is important to note that, besides NISA, the Somali National Army, the Somali Police Force, the African Union Transitional Mission in Somalia, and foreign secret services are all involved in intelligence activities in the country. The involvement of foreign actors impacts the secret service and what challenges it needs to overcome to become more effective. It is vital to pay due attention to the study of the Somali secret service because former intelligence culture continues to live on and there is a lot to learn if we are able to draw the right parallels.

Introduction

The political transition processes of the 1990s in Mozambique and Angola came short of expectations in terms of promoting effective pluralism and democratisation. Within a long historical tradition of authoritarianism, violence and autocratic rule, from the colonial period through the anti-colonial struggle and the so-called socialist single party period, former single parties won elections and retained power, re-legitimising (domestically and internationally) their autocratic and authoritarian governance and hegemony [...]

The dental clinic on the postcard with the theme of Taiwan street scene during the Japanese colonial period: The story of a Japanese immigrant, Dr. Akira Sugiyama

The dental clinic on the postcard with the theme of Taiwan street scene during the Japanese colonial period: The story of a Japanese immigrant, Dr. Akira Sugiyama

Nationalism and Social Development in the Late Colonial Period

Colonial education is often conceptualized within the confines of rigorous indoctrination, which contributes to the false notion that colonized people could only react to colonization as victims or rebels. Without delegitimizing the violence and exploitation of colonization in Africa, it must also be recognized that Africans responded to colonialism in a myriad of ways, not just submission or confrontation. This essay argues that the British colonial educational mission in Nigeria was intentionally Christianized and dismissed until it was deemed necessary to the benefit of the metropole and administrative functionality, rather than for African social development. Regardless, Nigerian educated elites strategically acquired and appropriated skills from the colonial education that fostered nationalist movements, anti-colonial publications, reinvestment in the school system, and shaped Nigerian national identity. Through colonial documents, Nigerian nationalist publications, and secondary sources, this essay first analyzes colonial education philosophies and policies in Nigeria; then, expands upon how educated elites became successful nationalists through an appropriation of colonial education; and finally, shows how education was a major factor in the nationalist project and to Nigerian identity.

Losing Empathy With Assimilation: Immigrants' Attitudes Toward Other Immigrants in Europe

ABSTRACTAccording to cultural assimilation theories, immigrants generally tend to adopt the values and attitudes of the native population, as seen in areas such as gender equality, religiosity, and trust. This study analyzes immigrants' attitudes toward immigrant groups using European Values Study data, finding strong evidence for cultural assimilation. Overall, immigrants initially exhibit more positive attitudes toward immigrants than natives, but these attitudes become increasingly negative across generations and with longer settlement periods. Muslim migrants show some exceptions to this trend while still displaying signs of assimilation. Additionally, the influence of education on attitudes increases among second‐generation migrants, mirroring patterns seen in the native population. These findings strongly support cultural assimilation theory, suggesting a broad and general process even in attitudes toward immigrants.

Exploring Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Dictee Through Trauma Theory And Postmemory

This paper examines Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Dictee through Cathy Caruth’s trauma theory and Marianne Hirsch’s concept of postmemory. It argues that Caruth’s notion of trauma - as an event not fully experienced in the moment but reemerging through involuntary repetitions and disruptions - explains Dictee’s non-linear, fractured narrative. The text’s frequent silences, gaps, and linguistic ruptures reveal how colonial, and war trauma remain unspoken, and resurface through fragmented testimonies and archival materials. Similarly, Hirsch’s concept of postmemory demonstrates how Cha, born after Korea’s colonial period, reconstructs a past she never directly experienced. Through multilingual experimentation, shifting narrative perspectives, and the integration of historical figures into personal and national memory, Dictee reflects postmemory by reinterpreting and embodying inherited trauma instead of merely narrating it. By engaging with both belated trauma and postmemory, Dictee deconstructs a linear historical narrative and instead presents a fragmented, multi-voiced testimony to the ongoing impact of colonial violence and displacement.

Analysis of Post-colonial identity and Cultural Adaptation of people based on Amitav Ghosh’s Novels

Amitav Ghosh is an acclaimed Indian author known for his thought-provoking novels and non-fiction works that explore a wide range of themes, including history, culture, environment, and migration. Many of his works examined the intersections of different cultures, particularly those influenced by the Indian subcontinent and the Western world. Ghosh analyses and writes in his novels, how people's identity and culture have been changed after colonial periods. Hence, the present research focused on Post-colonial identity and cultural adaptation of the characters in the selected novels of Amitav Ghosh. The novels are 1) “The Glass Palace” spans generations and geographies, exploring colonialism, war, and cultural change in India and Burma during a time of upheaval, 2) The “Hungry Tide” delves into the complex relationship between humans and the environment in the Sundarbans, following a marine biologist and a translator, 3) “Sea of Poppies”, the first book in the Ibis Trilogy, portrays characters from diverse backgrounds on a journey aboard the Ibis amidst the opium trade in the 19th century, and 4) A “River of Smoke”, the second in the Ibis Trilogy, continues the saga as characters navigate the opium trade and the events leading to the First Opium War. The present research analysed the characters from these novels and observed how their identity was changed and how they adapted to the new culture.