Indonesia
Subtitle: peoples and histories
By: Jean Gelman Taylor.
Publisher: Yale University Press
Published: 2003
Place of publication: New Haven
Language: eng
Number of pages: 420
Subjects: Indonesia -- History; Indonesia -- Ethnic relations -- History
Description: "Indonesia is the fourth largest country in the world. It comprises more than 17,000 islands inhabited by 230 million people who speak over 300 different languages. Now the world's largest Muslim nation, Indonesia remains extraordinarily heterogeneous due to waves of immigration - Buddhist, Hindu, Arab, and European - that have defined the region's history.".

"Fifty years after the collapse of Dutch colonial rule, Indonesia is a nation in the midst of dramatic upheaval. In this broad survey, Jean Gelman Taylor explores the connections between the nation's many communities, and the differences that propel contemporary breakaway movements.".

"Drawing on a broad range of sources, including art, archaeology, and literature, Taylor provides a historical overview from the prehistoric period to the present day. The text is enlivened by capsule histories on topics ranging from pepper to Maharajas to smallpox." "This book - the first new history of Indonesia written in more than twenty years - will be essential reading for anyone interested in the history of Southeast Asia and the future stability of the region."--BOOK JACKET.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. 391-411) and index.
Table of contents: title: Early beginnings; title: Communities and kingdoms; title: Sultans and states; title: Monarchs, mentors, and mobile men; title: Newcomers in the Muslim circle; title: Inside Indonesian sultanates; title: New and old states; title: Maps and mentality; title: Many kingdoms, one colony; title: Breaking dependence on foreign powers; title: Rearranging map and mind; title: Majapahit visions.