Racial Difference and the Colonial Wars of 19th Century Southeast Asia

1. While there are several works that have looked at the history of colonization in Southeast Asia, this work focuses specifically on the wars/conflicts that were fought between the colonial powers and native societies of the region. As such it fills a gap in Southeast Asian studies where the colonial wars in the region have received relatively less attention from historians of Southeast Asia. The chapters will also look at different wars in different parts of Southeast Asia, covering the conflicts waged in Peninsula Malaysia, Borneo, Java, Indochina and the Philippines; thus covering a large area and also offering critical analyses of different kinds of colonial policies (British, French, Dutch, American). 2. Additionally our focus will be on the question of race/racial difference and how the colonial wars/conflicts in Southeast Asia were often rationalized and justified by reference to theories of racial difference/supremacy; and where native communities were categorized and framed as 'violent', 'backward', 'uncivilized; etc. While some authors (such as Syed Hussein Alatas) have looked at the framing of the native as a means to perpetuate the logic of racialized colonial-capitalism, we offer a fresh perspective that considers how the framing of the Other was also used as a justification for colonial militarism and conquest. 3. The chapters in this book will address the question of racially-framed organised violence, and also look at the military culture and understandings of martial conduct/identity were framed during the colonial period. While there have been several excellent works that have looked at the development of theories and praxes of hygiene, social management, colonial education, etc. in the Southeast Asian colonial context, our work will focus on the nexus between racial theory and militarism/conquest and colonial military culture.