Connecting through colonisation?
Résumé
The 500-year connection between Europe and Southeast Asia has often been told as the story of a slow takeover, then a short apex, followed by a quick demise of European hegemony. However, things were not so linear, or homogenous. Until at least the end of the 18 th century, the ability of most Asian societies to master their own destiny remained, by and large, intact. For Westerners, entering Asian networks and accommodating Asian states was a more rewarding strategy than confronting them. In Southeast Asia, Europeans fought against each other with more force than against Asians. Actually, cultural and religious cross-fertilisation, as as well as cross-breeding, had been a major phenomenon from as early as the 16 th century. Individuals did not act necessarily as Westerners or Asians, and could even sometimes forget their nationality, and Western societies have often been more deeply transformed by Asia than the reverse.
Domaines
HistoireOrigine | Fichiers produits par l'(les) auteur(s) |
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