Asian history Books

Book SynopsisThe first book to provide a social and cultural history of bacteriology in colonial India, situating it at the confluence of colonial medical practices, institutionalization, and social movements. During the nineteenth century, European scientists and physicians considered the tropics the natural home of pathogens. Hot and miasmic, the tropical world was the locus of disease, for Euopeans the great enemy of civilization. Inthe late nineteenth century when bacteriological laboratories and institutions were introduced to British India, they were therefore as much an imperial mission to cleanse and civilize a tropical colony as a medical one to eradicate disease. Bacteriology offered a panacea in colonial India, a way by which the multifarious political, social, environmental, and medical problems and anxieties, intrinsically linked to its diseases, could have a single resolution. Bacteriology in British India is the first book to provide a social and cultural history of bacteriology in colonial India, situating it within the confluence of advances in germ theory, Pastuerian vaccines, colonial medicine, laboratory science, and British imperialism. It recounts the genesis of bacteriology and laboratory medicine in India through a complex history of conflict and alignment between Pasteurism and British imperial medicine. By investigating an array of laboratory notes, medical literature, and literary sources, the volume links colonial medical research with issues of poverty, race, nationalism, and imperial attitudes toward tropical climate andwildlife, contributing to a wide field of scholarship like the history of science and medicine, sociology of science, and cultural history. Pratik Chakrabarti is Chair in History of Science and Medicine, University of Manchester.Trade ReviewThis monograph . . . deserves attention for its use of a huge amount of evidence, for filling in a glaring gap in our understanding of colonial medicine, and for challenging and modifying our understanding of colonial medicine in important new ways. * JOURNAL OF THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE *This book is a meticulously researched appraisal of the meanings of bacteriology and the laboratory. It provides an authoritative challenge to the generalist assumptions inherent in Euro-centered writing. It is bound to become a vital reference source for future research. * ISIS *Pratik Chakrabarti's book is enormously enlightening. Its most obvious achievement is a framing of the history of bacteriology from the perspective of global history. A true eye-opener, it is set to provide insight and inspiration for future studies of the history of medical bacteriology and of colonial science. * BULLETIN OF THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE *This is a highly innovative study that explores the intersections of laboratory science, medicine, and colonial imperialism. In it, Pratik Chakrabarti persuasively reveals how a blend of Pasteurian ideology and an older 'climatic medicine' produced a new imperial morality in India. --Ilana Löwy, senior research fellow, * INSERM, Paris *[T]his is an extremely detailed book, whose every page is crammed with information from across a diverse range of primary sources. . . . The sheer volume of material present reinforces the meticulous and thorough nature of the research. * BRITISH JOURNAL FOR THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE *Chakrabarti . . . is placing the seemingly benign paternalism of the colonial powers squarely and uncomfortably into relief. To this end, he is continuing a laudable trend in his own writing that relentlessly investigates the claims made about 'improvement' in the colonial crucibles of experimentation. As such, this is an essential contribution to the literature of the history of medicine in India. * MEDICAL HISTORY *This is a stimulating volume for scholars, teachers and students doing sciences/social sciences and anyone who yearns to know the politics about the establishment of laboratories and animal experimentation or in other words 'the intellectual, social and cultural history of bacteriology in British India'. * STUDIES IN HISTORY *Table of ContentsIntroduction Bacteriology in India: A Moral Paradigm Moral Geographies of Tropical Bacteriology Imperial Laboratories and Animal Experiments "A Land Full of Wild Animals": Snakes, Venoms, andImperial Antidotes Pasteurian Paradigm and Vaccine Research in India Pathogens and Places: Cholera Research in the Tropics Conclusion Notes Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisWith new photography of extraordinarily rare works of art, this pioneering study features discoveries and research essential to understanding the origins and meaning of Buddhist artistic traditions “Both the show and the book are extraordinary achievements. . . . They will astonish even those who think they are familiar with the art of Buddhism.”—William Dalrymple, New York Review of Books Named for two primary motifs in Buddhist art, the sacred bodhi tree and the protective snake, Tree & Serpent: Early Buddhist Art in India is the first publication to foreground devotional works produced in the Deccan from 200 BCE to 400 CE. Unlike traditional narratives, which focus on northern India (where the Buddha was born, taught, and died), this groundbreaking book presents Buddhist art from monastic sites in the south. Long neglected, this is among the earliest corpus of Buddhist art surviving, and among the most sublimely beautiful. An international team of researchers contributes new scholarship on the sculptural and devotional art associated with Buddhism, and masterpieces from recently excavated Buddhist sites are published here for the first time—including Kanaganahalli and Phanigiri, the most important new discoveries in a generation. With its exploration of Buddhism’s emergence in southern India, as well as of India’s deep commercial and cultural engagement with the Hellenized and Roman worlds, the definitive study expands our understanding of the origins of Buddhist art itself. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press Exhibition Schedule: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (July 21–November 13, 2023) National Museum of Korea, Seoul (December 22, 2023–April 14, 2024)Trade Review“A spectacular achievement . . . [that] opens a window onto a sophisticated courtly and monastic world previously known to only a handful of art historians. . . . Tree & Serpent—beautifully curated and spectacularly well lit—is accompanied by an exceptional scholarly catalog. Both the show and the book are extraordinary achievements. . . . They will astonish even those who think they are familiar with the art of Buddhism.”—William Dalrymple, New York Review of Books

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Book SynopsisFeaturing texts by leading scholars of the history and culture of medieval Armenia, this book offers an in-depth look at its art, trade, and religious traditions The papers in this volume, first presented at an international symposium celebrating The Met’s blockbuster 2018 exhibition, Armenia!, explore the art and culture of a civilization that served as a pivotal crossroads on the border between East and West. Contributors address Armenia’s roles in facilitating exchange with the Mongol, Ottoman, and Persian empires to the East and with Byzantium and European Crusader states to the West. Essays also explore the ways in which elements of these cultures commingled in Armenian art and religion—Armenian artists and craftspeople produced an astonishing range of religious objects that drew upon influences from both Europe and Asia but ultimately created a uniquely Armenian visual identity. The authors explore the effects of this dualistic tension in the history of Armenian art and how it persists into the present, as this land situated at a crossroads of civilization continues to grapple with the legacy of genocide and counters new threats to its sovereignty, integrity, and cultural language. Published by The Metropolitan Museum of Art/Distributed by Yale University Press

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Book SynopsisThe impact of Harukanaru Sanga ni upon its publication in 1947 was immediate and dramatic - the impetus, many have argued, for a post-war peace movement in Japan that has lasted over half a century. Now the text is available for the first time in English as in the Far Away Mountains and Rivers, a heart-wrenching and thought-provoking collection of letters, journal entries, and essays written by University of Tokyo students as they were drafted to fight in World War Two. Many of these students faced certain death as pilots in the kamikaze squads, many of them deplored the war, and many were simply motivated by a sense of duty to their families and their country. They turned to poetry, philosophy, and religion - all in an attempt to make sense of the universal tragedy of war.

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Book SynopsisExplores the important interconnections involving questions of race, ethnicity, gender, and sexuality on world screens by examining a range of films, videos, and digital works associated with global Chinese cultureTrade Review"Marchetti offers a sophisticated analysis of the thoroughgoing transformation of contemporary "Greater China" as mediated by an integrated international cinema system held in a curious interplay between state-controlled and 'free-market' institutions." Darrell Y. Hamamoto, University of California, Davis

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Book SynopsisThe Coolie Speaks focuses on Chinese laborers who worked side by side with African slaves in Cuba and wrote of their experiences of new bondage. Examining these narratives of resistance, the book reconceptualizes diasporic representations and histories to offer transformative re-examinations of "Chinese," "African," and "Latino" in mutually imbricated contexts.Trade Review"The book begins with an impressive contextualization of the movement of coolie labor across the Pacific, by far the most detailed analysis at hand. The core of Yun’s book, however, is an examination of the coolie testimonies themselves.... This is a major addition to our understanding of the subjectivity of subaltern peoples and of the power relations in which subaltern texts are embedded. It should be obligatory reading for historians working in many fields—Latin American and Caribbean history, most obviously, but also the politics of testimonial production in general." —The American Historical Review"The Coolie Speaks is a breakthrough of scholarship. It provides a new map not just of the Atlantic slave trade, Chinese diaspora, and modern capitalism, but of scholarly means to articulate the words, places, and stories that tumble outward from the violent and fractured history of modernity. Like Toni Morrison’s Beloved, The Coolie Speaks seems to find a root language to remember and memorialize human suffering and agency, while teaching us again as scholars and citizens of the world to listen carefully to the cries, whispers, and exhortations of the past." — Callaloo“[L]ittle critical attention has been paid to one of the most important testimonials in Latin American history: The Cuba Commission Report. Lisa Yun’s timely and well-written book is undoubtedly the most complete study to date on this jewel for the study of race relations, labor migration, and the international division of labor. Her outstanding analysis of the testimonial is complemented with other testimonies related to the so-called coolie trade in Cuba. In this sense, the book rescues from oblivion the abuses committed against southern Chinese indentured laborers… The Coolie Speaks is of interest not only for Chinese diaspora studies but also for Latin American, Caribbean, and Pan-African studies and literary criticism. This book is bound to become a seminal work for the study of the Chinese presence in the Americas.” —The Colonial Latin American Historical Review“In this exceptional study, Yun uniquely compares the original depositions in Chinese with the translated versions and meticulously explores the fascinating, complex world views of this element of the population. She superbly contextualizes the heterogeneous world of contract labor involving Africans, Indians, and Chinese around the world. This examination...represents an enormously significant contribution to the field. Summing Up: Highly recommended.” —ChoiceTable of ContentsIntroduction: Epistemic ElasticitiesChapter I/ Historical Context: Coolies to the Americas The Narrative of Transition The Early Experiments Chinese and Indian Coolie Labor Chinese Coolies and Tea with Sugar Coolies on Ships and The Passage Coolies on American Ships Coolies on Land: Coolie Slavery The Beginning of the EndChapter 2/ The Coolie Testimonies Coolie Testimonies The Commission and Transpirational Testimony Methodological Challenges Apprehending Testimonies as Narratives: Methods for Reading Reading the Testimonies: Who Were the Coolies?Chapter 3/ The Petitions The Petitions: Writing as ResistanceThe Witness Petition: Shouting Out the NamesThe Verse Petition: "Thousands of words are under the sweep of our brushes" The Argument Petition: Radical Visions of the Contract and FreedomPhilosophical Prelude The Paper Chase The Paper Chase Petitions: Slaves of the MarketChapter 4/ The Depositions Race and ResistanceResistance and Spectacular Subordination The Peculiar Fatality of Color Struggle Before SolidarityThe Cost of Domination Chapter 5/ Next Generation: From Coolie to Merchant Contrary Genealogies of Diaspora The Author: The Subversive and The TranslatorThe Motley Tongue: Heterogeneity and Hybridities Liberation: In Solidarity and "Socio-political Adultery" Social Representation in the Making of Diasporic Class: Coolies and CaliforniansConclusion and Research Note: Old and New Mappings of the Coolie

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Book SynopsisA trailblazing book that details the close historic ties between Black America and India over the decadesTrade Review"An original, engaging, complex, and thought-provoking work. So spells out her theoretical influences in the course of the work, but also argues forcefully for her unique contribution, which is the connection of Marxian exchange value to the production of Asian American subjectivity. So is clearly marking out a new territory, exploring a set of literary texts that have not been addressed before."—Viet Nguyen, University of Southern California and author of Race and Resistance: Literature and Politics in Asian AmericaTable of ContentsAcknowledgments Introduction 1. The Promise of Exchange: Production, Circulation, and Consumption within Chinatown Ethnographies 2. The Universality of Exchange: Japanese American Travel Narratives and the Emergence of the Global Citizen 3. The Embodiment of Exchange: Asian Mail-Order Brides, the Threat of Global Capitalism, and the Rescue of the U.S. Nation-State 4. The Logic of Exchange: Ordering the Chaos of Twentieth-Century Chinese Women’s History Notes References Index

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Book SynopsisRarely has a foreign policy event spawned such interest in international public opinion as has the Iraq War.

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Book SynopsisOn September 5, 2009, the commanding officer of NATO's German troops in Afghanistan ordered a U.S. Air Force fighter to destroy two fuel trucks hijacked by theTaliban. Within hours, he was being investigated by German prosecutors for the murder of innocent civilianscollateral damage.

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Book SynopsisHaunted Victory: The American Crusade to Destroy Saddam and Impose Democracy on Iraq explores the dynamic trajectory of beliefs, actions, and their consequences in what will forever be debated as among the most controversial and costly operations in U.S. history in terms of security, power, wealth, and honor.

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Book SynopsisSarnath has long been regarded as the place where the Buddha preached his first sermon and established the Buddhist monastic order. Excavations at Sarnath have yielded the foundations of temples and monastic dwellings, two Buddhist reliquary mounds (stupas), and some of the most important sculptures in the history of Indian art. This volume offers the first critical examination of the historic site. Frederick M. Asher provides a longue duree (long-term) analysis of Sarnath-including the plunder, excavation, and display of antiquities and the Archaeological Survey of India's presentation-and considers what lies beyond the fenced-in excavated area. His analytical history of Sarnath's architectural and sculptural remains contains a significant study of the site's sculptures, their uneven production, and their global distribution. Asher also examines modern Sarnath, which is a living establishment replete with new temples and monasteries that constitute a Buddhist presence on the outskirts of Varanasi, the most sacred Hindu city.

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Book SynopsisFey explores how the disconnect between failed military strategy and the reality the crew of CVW-16 faced during Operation Rolling Thunder resulted in the highest loss rate of any carrier air wing during Vietnam.

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Book SynopsisJapanese Animation: East Asian Perspectives makes available for the first time to English readership a selection of viewpoints from media practitioners, designers, educators, and scholars working in the East Asian Pacific. This collection not only engages a multidisciplinary approach in understanding the subject of Japanese animation but also shows ways to research, teach, and more fully explore this multidimensional world. Presented in six sections, the translated essays cross-reference each other. The collection adopts a wide range of critical, historical, practical, and experimental approaches. This variety provides a creative and fascinating edge for both specialist and nonspecialist readers. Contributors' works share a common relevance, interest, and involvement despite their regional considerations and the different modes of analysis demonstrated. They form a composite of teaching and research ideas on Japanese animation.

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Book SynopsisGrand in its scope, Asian Comics dispels the myth that, outside of Japan, the continent is nearly devoid of comic strips and comic books. Relying on his fifty years of Asian mass communication and comic art research, during which he traveled to Asia at least seventy-eight times and visited many studios and workplaces, John A. Lent shows that nearly every country had a golden age of cartooning and has experienced a recent rejuvenation of the art form.As only Japanese comics output has received close and by now voluminous scrutiny, Asian Comics tells the story of the major comics creators outside of Japan. Lent covers the nations and regions of Bangladesh, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Korea, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, the Philippines, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.Organized by regions of East, Southeast, and South Asia, Asian Comics provides 178 black-and-white illustrations and detailed information on comics of sixteen countries and regions--their histories, key creators, characters, contemporary status, problems, trends, and issues. One chapter harkens back to predecessors of comics in Asia, describing scrolls, paintings, books, and puppetry with humorous tinges, primarily in China, India, Indonesia, and Japan. The first overview of Asian comic books and magazines (both mainstream and alternative), graphic novels, newspaper comic strips and gag panels, plus cartoon/humor magazines, Asian Comics brims with facts, fascinating anecdotes, and interview quotes from many pioneering masters, as well as younger artists.

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Book SynopsisKatya Cengel met San Tran Croucher when San was seventy-five years old and living in California, having miraculously survived the Cambodian genocide with her three daughters, Sithy, Sithea, and Jennifer. San’s earliest memories are of fleeing ethnic attacks in her Vietnamese village, only to be later tortured in Cambodia by the Khmer Rouge. But San’s family’s troubles didn’t end after their resettlement in California. As a teenager under the Khmer Rouge, San’s daughter Sithy had been the family’s savior, the strong one who learned how to steal food to keep them alive. In the United States, Sithy’s survival skills were best suited for a life of crime, and she was eventually jailed for drug possession. In Exiled Cengel follows the stories of four Cambodian families, including San’s, as they confront criminal deportation forty years after their resettlement in the United States. Weaving together these stories into a single narrative, Cengel finds that violence comes in many forms and that trauma is passed down through generations. This edition includes a new afterword by the author. Trade Review"In Exiled, Katya Cengel presents in unsparing detail the lives of four Cambodian families facing the deportation of loved ones. At the center of the story is San, a woman in her 70s, and her daughter Sithy, who, after being jailed for drug possession, confronts—with a mixture of trepidation, pragmatism, delusion, and humor—the prospect of being forcibly removed from the American life she has made. Cengel's book focuses entirely on the experiences of the Cambodian-American community, but it speaks more broadly to the current debate over the wider immigration crisis."—Martin de Bourmont, Foreign Policy"A timely examination of the issue of deportation of Cambodian refugees forty years after their resettlement in the United States. . . . Cengel's book shows there are no easy answers as families say goodbye to their sons, daughters, mothers, and fathers who are forced to return to a Cambodia that some of them never knew or that others hoped never to see again."—John Schidlovsky, Rumpus"In Exiled, Katya Cengel tracks the lives of four families, several members of whom, decades after their arrival in the U.S., face the threat of another wrenching rupture: deportation. . . . Bouncing between the killing fields of 1970s Cambodia and present-day America, Cengel powerfully evokes how the aftershocks of trauma can span continents, nations, and generations."—Peter C. Baker, Pacific Standard“A powerful and timely book on the generational impact of a particularly brutal chapter of the twentieth century—the Cambodian genocide of the 1970s. Exiled moves seamlessly from the killing fields of Cambodia to American immigrant communities, adding texture and perspective to the current debate on refugees, political asylum, cultural assimilation, and the deportation of Americanized immigrant criminals. Cengel humanizes this debate, bringing a deeper understanding of these hot-button issues. I strongly recommend this book.”—Melvin Claxton, Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist“Exiled comes at the right moment in our national debate about immigration and deportation. Katya Cengel’s painfully detailed story about the maltreatment of the children of refugees we once welcomed should open our minds and hearts to the tyranny of ill-conceived laws and small-minded bureaucrats.”—Elizabeth Becker, author of When the War Was Over: Cambodia and the Khmer Rouge Revolution“An excellent and compelling account of Cambodian refugees’ plight in the United States. . . . Once you read Exiled, you can’t help but be empathetic and look at deportation through a new lens.”—Jennifer Lau, author of Beautiful Hero: How We Survived the Khmer Rouge“A multigenerational saga of violence and resurrection that plays out among several Cambodian-American families. . . . Katya Cengel movingly documents how trauma plays out across multiple generations, showing how the unresolved conflicts of the elders lead to catastrophic addiction and mental illness among the young. Cengel captures the full scale of this tragedy and writes with such compassion that anybody who picks up this book cannot fail to be moved.”—Helen Thorpe, author of The Newcomers: Finding Refuge, Friendship, and Hope in an American ClassroomTable of ContentsList of Illustrations Preface Complete Cast of Characters Introduction Part 1. Year Zero 1. The Diplomat and the Deportee 2. “It Was a Massacre” 3. The Mother 4. The Murderer 5. Sithy and Sithea 6. “It’s Not What You Think” 7. The Wife without a Husband 8. Stealing from the Dead Part 2. Limbo 9. The Father 10. An Education in Silence 11. A Second Chance 12. The Medicine Man 13. Expired 14. “Not Home for the Holidays” 15. Never-Ending Nightmare Part 3. Year of the Monkey 16. Two Cities Tangled Together 17. New Year, Same Past 18. Girlfriends 19. A Party at Oak Park 20. Judgment Day Part 4. Years to Come 21. Blood-Killer 22. The Pastor 23. Friends and Family 24. Exile 25. Left Behind Afterword Acknowledgments Appendix Sources Index

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Book Synopsis2023 Best Book Awards Winner in History sponsored by American Book Fest In Murder in Manchuria, Scott D. Seligman explores an unsolved murder set amid the chaos that reigned in China in the run-up to World War II. The story unfolds against the backdrop of a three-country struggle for control of Manchuria—an area some called China’s “Wild East”—and an explosive mixture of nationalities, religions, and ideologies. Semyon Kaspé, a young Jewish musician, is kidnapped, tortured, and ultimately murdered by disaffected, antisemitic White Russians, secretly acting on the orders of Japanese military overlords who covet his father’s wealth. When local authorities deliberately slow-walk the search for the kidnappers, a young French diplomat takes over and launches his own investigation. Part cold-case thriller and part social history, the true, tragic saga of Kaspé is told in the context of the larger, improbable story of the lives of the twenty thousand Jews who called Harbin home at the beginning of the twentieth century. Scott D. Seligman recounts the events that led to their arrival and their hasty exodus—and solves a crime that has puzzled historians for decades.Trade Review“A fascinating true-crime journey into a lost corner of history. Murder in Manchuria plunges us into Harbin, China, in the first half of the twentieth century, where Semyon Kaspé, the musician son of a wealthy and prominent Jewish family, is kidnapped and murdered. Scott D. Seligman deftly peels away the layers of the case, revealing the forces that ultimately consumed the Kaspé family and Harbin’s Jews.”—Jonathan Kaufman, Pulitzer Prize–winning reporter and author of The Last Kings of Shanghai: The Rival Jewish Dynasties That Helped Create Modern China“Scott D. Seligman recovers an incredible cast of characters involved in this true crime—Jewish entrepreneurs, émigré Russian fascists, besieged Chinese detectives, Bolsheviks, spies of a half-dozen nationalities, adventurers, and a lone doomed musician. Ultimately, however, it is the once gloriously international city of Harbin itself that is most masterfully recreated.”—Paul French, author of the bestselling Midnight in Peking“An absorbing and meticulously researched study of one of the saddest events of the history of the Jewish diaspora in modern China. . . . Readable and important.”—Xu Xin, professor at Nanjing University and president of the Chinese National Institute of Jewish Studies“Scott D. Seligman tells the story of an ill-fated kidnap victim and brings to life the astonishing melting pot that was northeastern China in the early twentieth century. Like Guns of August it outlines the geopolitical intrigue that preceded a world war; and like an Agatha Christie detective story it follows all the twists and turns of a captivating whodunnit. A masterful blend of painstaking research and intricate storytelling.”—Ted Plafker, China correspondent and author of Doing Business in China“Seligman is a masterful storyteller. . . . You won’t be able to put this down.”—Scott Kronick, former Beijing-based CEO of Ogilvy Public Relations Asia Pacific“The dreadful murder of Semyon Kaspé by White Russian fascists working for the Japanese occupation army in Manchuria had all the marks of a political, economic, social, and antisemitic conspiracy. The truth has been driven out from under [Kaspé’s] tombstone in Harbin, and wandered on and on, until Scott D. Seligman has brought it to rest again.”—Dan Ben-Canaan, professor emeritus and chair of Sino-Israel Research and Study Center in Harbin, China"Seligman's book is chilling for what happened to Semyon, but it's also a lesson in history about a lesser known part of northeast Asia."—Susan Blumberg-Kason, Asian Review of Books"Readers wishing to escape our present political strife and immerse themselves in a long-forgotten time should try this book. It will make them realize that the social unrest and institutional distrust in today's America pales in comparison to the worldwide experience of Jewish citizens throughout history."—J. Kemper Campbell, Lincoln Journal Star"Murder in Manchuria by Scott D. Seligman is an amazing story and I highly recommend it to anyone out there who enjoys the true-crime genre or even just a story that is so full of accurate historical fact."—Reader Views blogTable of Contents List of Illustrations Introduction A Note on Language and Currency Dramatis Personae Prologue 1. Tug of War 2. Harbin—Cosmopolis in the North 3. White Russians and Antisemitism 4. The Kaspés 5. Lydia 6. Invasion 7. Two Toxic Elements 8. An Unholy Alliance 9. Kidnapped 10. Search 11. Letters 12. Playing with Fire 13. Arrest 14. Lies 15. Not Criminals but Heroes 16. No Longer Safe 17. The First Trial 18. The Second Trial 19. Powerful Influences 20. What Really Happened 21. The Fugu Plan Epilogue Acknowledgments Chronology Glossary and Gazetteer Further Reading Notes Index

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Book SynopsisPakistan and American Diplomacy offers an insightful, fast-moving tour through Pakistan-U.S. relations, from 9/11 to the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, as told from the perspective of a former U.S. diplomat who served twice in Pakistan. Ted Craig frames his narrative around the 2019 Cricket World Cup, a contest that saw Pakistan square off against key neighbors and cricketing powers Afghanistan, India, and Bangladesh, and its former colonial ruler, Britain. Craig provides perceptive analysis of Pakistan’s diplomacy since its independence in 1947, shedding light on the country’s contemporary relations with the United States, China, India, Sri Lanka, and Afghanistan. With insights from the field and from Washington, Craig reflects on the chain of policy decisions that led to the fall of the Kabul government in 2021 and offers a sober and balanced view of the consequences of that policy failure. Drawing on his post–Cold War diplomatic career, Craig

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Book SynopsisWhen Japan attacked Pearl Harbor and other Western positions in the Asia-Pacific World in December 1941, it was unprepared to go to war with the United States and the Western Democracies generally and even realized it could not win. Its navy and air force were impressive, and its army could battle impressively against China, but Japanese small arms were terrible. Japan’s tanks could not compete with their opposite numbers. The Empire’s logistical base was undeveloped for modern warfare. While the Allies could produce large numbers of trained many pilots, Japan produced very few. When its elite airmen were lost at the Battle of Midway in June 1942, Japan could not replace them. At sea, Japan built battleships when it needed more aircraft carriers. The Japanese military never even attempted to win World War II by a simple and direct plan. Its planners consistently assumed that the enemy would do precisely what they assumed and countenanced no alternative analyses of facts.

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Book SynopsisThe first volume of David M. Honey’s comprehensive history of Chinese thought offers a close study of Confucius, that tradition’s proto-classicist. This opening volume examines Confucius traditions that largely formed the views of later classicists, who regarded him as their profession’s patron saint. Honey’s survey begins by examining how these views informed the Chinese classicists’ own identities as textual critics and interpreters, all dedicated to self-cultivation for government service. It focuses on Confucius’s methods as a proto-classical master and teacher, and on the media in which he worked, including the spoken word and written texts. As Honey explains, Confucius’s immediate motivations were twofold: the moral development of himself and his disciples and the ritual application of the lessons from the classics. His instruction occurred in ritualized settings in the form of a question and answer catechism between master and disciples. This pedagogical approach will be analyzed through the interpretive paradigm of “performative ritual,” borrowed from recent studies of Greek classical drama. The volume concludes with a detailed treatment of a trio of Confucius’s disciples who were most prominent in transmitting his teachings, and with chapters on his intellectual inheritors, Mencius and Xunzi.

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Book SynopsisVolume II of David M. Honey’s comprehensive history of Chinese thought covers a vital 500-year stretch in China’s history, from national unification in 221 BCE to the first post-imperial fragmentation into rival northern and southern polities. This volume discusses the reconstitution of the classics after the textual devastation wrought by the policies of the First Emperor of Qin, who destroyed many of them, and their eventual canonization by the crown during the Western Han period. Honey also examines the professionalization of Chinese classical scholarship as a state-sponsored enterprise, whereby private masters gave way to tenured academicians who specialized in single classical works. This volume also covers the development of various subgenres in the discipline of philology by the three great Eastern Han classicists Liu Xiang in textual criticism, Xu Shen in lexicography, and the polymath Zheng Xuan in the exegesis of virtually all the classics. Honey concludes with an examination of Zheng Xuan as the inspiration for other exegetical modes to explain textual complexities following this era.

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Book SynopsisThis exciting third volume of David M. Honey’s comprehensive history of Chinese thought begins with China after nomadic invaders overran the northern regions of the historic kingdom. The differentiation between scholarly emphases—northern focus on the traditional pedagogical commentary, and southern classical school’s more innovative commentary—led to an emphasis on the interpretation of the overall message of a text, not a close reading of smaller sections. As Honey explains, serious attention to the phonological nature of Chinese characters also began during in this long era. Based on the work of earlier Sui dynasty classicists, Kong Yinga and his committee produced the Correct Meaning commentary to the Five Classics during the early Tang Dynasty, which is still largely normative today. The book demonstrates that the brooding presence of Zheng Xuan, the great textual critic from the Eastern Han dynasty, still exerted enormous influence during this period, as his ritualized approach to the classics inspired intellectual followers to expand on his work or impelled opponents to break off in new directions.

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Book SynopsisContemporary discussions of China tend to focus on politics and economics, giving Chinese culture little if any attention. Why Fiction Matters in Contemporary China offers a corrective, revealing the crucial role that fiction plays in helping contemporary Chinese citizens understand themselves and their nation. Where history fails to address the consequences of man-made and natural atrocities, David Der-Wei Wang argues, fiction arises to bear witness to the immemorial and unforeseeable. Beginning by examining President Xi Jinping’s call in 2013 to “tell the good China story,” Wang illuminates how contemporary Chinese cultural politics have taken a “fictional turn,” which can trace its genealogy to early modern times. He does so by addressing a series of discourses by critics within China, including Liang Qichao, Lu Xun, and Shen Congwen, as well as critics from the West such as Arendt, Benjamin, and Deleuze. Wang highlights the variety and vitality of fictional works from China as well as the larger Sinophone world, ranging from science fiction to political allegory, erotic escapade to utopia and dystopia. The result is an insightful account of contemporary China, one that affords countless new insights and avenues for understanding.Trade Review“The work of Sinophone writers… significant amounts of it readily available in English, deserves far closer engagement than it currently receives. Wang’s study, elegantly written in its own right, is a masterful guide with which to start." * China Books Review *“One of Wang’s goals is to encourage readers to see how Xi’s concern with storytelling fits into a grand Chinese tradition that posits literature as central to the lifeblood of the nation. This tradition, however, was once rooted in plurality: even Mao, in his early years, thought there was more than one 'good China story' – and this meant generically, stylistically, even ideologically. Xi, however – like Mao in his later years – has stricter criteria for what constitutes “good”, and this has had a catastrophic effect. Today, Wang finds the alternative Chinese storytelling spirit of Liang and New Youth residing largely in the country’s exiles, such as the dissident Ma Jian, who has long been based in London." * TSL *"Wang illustrates that poetic allusion and ambiguity are ways of offering alternative Truths. In China, then, fiction matters as an alternative way of and a response to speaking Truth—dark as it is, Chinese fiction begets hope and light." -- Barbara Mittler, Heidelberg University"Wang shows us that storytelling, as transgression, transmigration, and transillumination, can speak back to and subvert the state's mandate for 'telling [only] a good story of China.' A timely observation on contemporary China and its literature, it is necessary and it inspires." -- Mingwei Song, Wellesley College"Why Fiction Matters in Contemporary China is both a testament to the inexhaustible energy and innovation with which contemporary authors have approached the task of 'telling the good China story,' and also product of Wang’s own irrepressible dedication to 'telling the good story' about the relationship between modern Chinese literature and the social orders that inspire and are shaped by it." -- Carlos Rojas, Duke University"Insightful, informative, intellectually stimulating—and above all, inspiring." -- Sung-sheng Yvonne Chang, Professor, The University of Texas at Austin"Wang brilliantly illustrates the impact and relevance of storytelling for the nation and people’s everyday lives in China today. This is a hard-hitting book that excavates the complex relationship between politics and narration, the national imperative and the cultural imagination. If I had to recommend a single book on contemporary Chinese literature, this would be it." -- Michael Berry, Director of the UCLA Center for Chinese StudiesTable of ContentsPreface1. “Tell the Good China Story”2. The Aliens Are Coming: Fiction as Transgression3. Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out: Fiction as Transmigration4. "The Beam of Darkness": Fiction as Transillumination5. The Monster That Is FictionNotesBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisThe medical and psychological legacies of the Vietnam War are major and continuing issues for veterans, their families and the community, yet the facts about the impact of Agent Orange, post-traumatic stress disorder and other long-term health aspects are little understood. The Long Shadow sets the record straight about the health of Vietnam veterans and reveals a more detailed and complex picture. Profiling the stories of the veterans themselves, this comprehensive and authoritative book is a pioneering work of history on the aftermath of war. It takes a broad approach to the medical legacies, exploring the post-war experiences of Vietnam veterans, the evolution and development of the repatriation system in the post-Vietnam decades and the evolving medical understanding of veterans’ health issues. The first comprehensive and authoritative history of the medical legacies of the Vietnam War. This pioneering work from an esteemed historian sets the record straight on the aftermath of the Vietnam War. Foreword by Vietnam veteran and former Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove. Trade ReviewIn this major work, a defining account of those men and women who served in the Vietnam War and their challenges in its aftermath, Peter Yule has combined empathy, insight and forensic research of the highest order.""- General Sir Peter Cosgrove;""Most veterans were either alcoholics or workaholics and I fitted into the latter category.""- Chris Cannin (6RAR, 1967; 7RAR, 1967–68);""When I look back and I see what I used to do ... there were a lot of things wrong that I would never ever admit to at the time ... I thought I was fine, but I wasn’t.""- Alan Thornton (17 Construction Squadron, 1968–69)

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Book SynopsisAs a precocious young girl, Surekha knew very little about the details of her mother Amma’s unusual past and that of Babu, her mysterious and sometimes absent father. The tense, uncertain family life created by her parents’ distant and fractious marriage and their separate ambitions informs her every action and emotion. Then one evening, in a moment of uncharacteristic transparency and vulnerability, Amma tells Surekha and her older sister Didi of the family tragedy that changed the course of her life. Finally, the daughters begin to understand the source of their mother’s deep commitment to the Indian nationalist movement and her seemingly unending willingness to sacrifice in the name of that pursuit.In this re-memory based on the published and unpublished work of Amma and Surekha, Meenal Shrivastava, Surekha’s daughter, uncovers the history of the female foot soldiers of Gandhi’s national movement in the early twentieth century. As Meenal weaves these written accounts together with archival research and family history, she gives voice and honour to the hundreds of thousands of largely forgotten or unacknowledged women who, threatened with imprisonment for treason and sedition, relentlessly and selflessly gave toward the revolution.Table of ContentsPrefaceA Note on Forms of Address1 Dislocations2 Many Homes3 No Easy Path4 Meeting Babu5 City of Conquests6 Battlegrounds7 Departures8 Crossing Thresholds9 Letting GoEpilogueWriting Amma’s StoryAcknowledgementsList of Interviews

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Book SynopsisBollywood's India explores the nature of mainstream Hindi cinema, now best known as "Bollywood," and its non-realistic depictions of everyday life in India. Rachel Dwyer argues that Hindi cinema's interpretations of India over the last two decades are the most reliable guide to understanding the nation's changing dreams and hopes, fears and anxieties. She shows how escapism and entertainment function in Bollywood cinema, and what that reveals about Indian life and society. Bollywood's India looks at the ways in which Bollywood has imagined and portrayed the unity and diversity of India--what it believes and what it feels; life at home and in public.

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Book SynopsisCases of mutiny and other forms of protest are used to reveal full and interesting details of lascar shipboard life. Shortlisted for the Royal Historical Society's 2016 Gladstone Prize. Lascars were seamen from the Indian subcontinent and other areas of the Indian Ocean region who were employed aboard European ships from the sixteenth to the twentieth centuries. They experienced difficult working conditions and came from a wide variety of ethnic, cultural and religious backgrounds, which created considerable scope for friction between them and their Europeanofficers. This book, based on extensive original research, examines the role of lascars employed aboard country ships, East Indiamen and other British sailing vessels. The focus is on protest in its various forms, from mild unrest to violent acts of mutiny in which lascar crews murdered officers, seized ships and then sought refuge with local rulers. It is only through descriptions of such events - found in logbooks, seafaring diaries and the East India Company's judicial records - that many aspects of lascar life at sea become visible and lascar voices can be heard. Through the study of mutiny and other forms of protest, the book provides a detailed insight into shipboard conditions amongst lascars employed during this period. Aaron Jaffer completed his doctorate in history at the University of Warwick.Trade ReviewFascinating... Jaffer writes very well indeed, and this book is in many ways an exemplary social history.... Well written, historiographically astute, empirically thorough and showing a real eye for detail, this study should remain a leading work on lascar life and mutiny for a long time. * ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW *[S]crupulously documented . Jaffer is careful in his judgments and trustworthy in the use of his sources, and he has been industrious in seeking out widely dispersed primary materials. * JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY HISTORY *A very valuable contribution to a very important subject. * AUSMARINE *Will be of interest to a range of scholars not limited to labour and maritime historians. Eminently readable, accessible, and thoroughly edited, Jaffer's study is also recommended for a wider reading public interested in labour history and life at sea. * TIJDSCHRIFT VOOR ZEEGESCHIEDENIS *[A] valuable addition . . . for it engages with the challenges of recuperating the world of rebellious lascars in the closing years of the eighteenth and the first half of the nineteenth century. It right questions the silence of existing work on the lascars before industrialization and capitalist regulation. H-NET Reviews * . *Table of ContentsIntroduction Causes of Mutiny Mutiny and Protest The Role of Intermediaries Seizing the Ship Mutiny, Politics and Diplomacy Conclusion Appendix Bibliography

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Book SynopsisDiscusses the complexities of a trading network in this period, outling commodity chains, links between colonies and colonial centres, and tensions between local polities and competing empires. This book explores European mercantile activity in Southeast Asia at a time when trade in this part of the world was being transformed and extended much more widely. Based on extensive original research including in newly discovered archives, the book reveals, through the study of one particular merchant and his extensive network, how trade in the region worked. It outlines the activities of Gillian Maclaine, a young Scottish "adventurer" (his word) who came to the region in about 1816 and established an enduring business in Batavia (present day Jakarta), trading in cotton goods and coffee, and later in opium. It examines the multi-faceted nature of such a trading network, including the wide scope of commodity chains, the associated link between colony and colonial metropole, and the many tensions between colonial powers, in this case the Dutch and the British, and with local polities. The book demonstratesthat Southeast Asian maritime trade was every bit as important to European worldwide commercial networks as the trade with India and China, which have been much more extensively studied, and it contributes to current scholarly debates about western imperialism, colonialism and the nature of empire. G. Roger Knight is an Associate Professor in the School of History and Politics in the University of Adelaide. He has published three previous books and numerous journal articles on the economic and social history of Southeast Asia.Trade ReviewAn elegantly written, handsomely produced volume [that] deserves a wide readership amongst business, imperial, global and Asian historians. * HISTORY *[An] empirically rich and analytically nuanced study [and] a valuable read for anyone who is interested in global histories of material circulation and exchange. * JOURNAL OF THE HUMANITIES AND SOCIAL SCIENCES OF SOUTHEAST ASIA *Knight offers an entrepreneur with real flesh and blood, whose fortunes were shaped as much by deep social and psychological motivations, religious and ethnic affiliations, personal relationships, and even marriage, as they were by dry, rational calculation. Knight makes business history accessible and enjoyable for audiences frequently daunted by the subject. * JOURNAL OF INTERDISCIPLINARY HISTORY *Table of ContentsINTRODUCTION: A SCOTS ÉMIGRÉ, IMPERIAL SYSTEMS AND GLOBAL COMMODITIES MACLAINE'S 'APPRENTICESHIP': THE CITY OF LONDON AND THE COTTON TRADE WITH ASIA, 1816-1820 A 'SCOTCH ADVENTURER': BATAVIA, COFFEE AND COLONIAL WARS, 1820-1827 THE PIVOTAL YEARS: 'MACLAINE WATSON', TREACHEROUS CHAINS, SICKNESS AND DEBT, 1827-1832 THE NETWORK TAKES SHAPE: CONNECTIONS, BUSINESS AND ASSOCIATES, 1832-1840 CONCLUSION: MACLAINE'S LEGACY, COMMODITIES AND TRADE ON A COLONIAL 'PERIPHERY', 1840-1964 Bibliography

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Book SynopsisA study of how Napoleon's very real and very serious threat to British India was countered. Following Napoleon's defeat of Prussia in 1806 and his treaties with Russia and Persia in 1807, the French threat to Britain's position in India seemed real and strengthening. At the same time, Napoleon's economic warfare with Britain and the success of French privateers in disrupting British trade in the Indian Ocean were having a severe impact. This book, based on extensive original research, relates in detail how Lord Minto, a Cabinet-level politician who was appointed Governor-General of Bengal in 1807, steadily and successfully worked to counter the French threat. It examines how he built a series of buffer alliances with local states on the northwest frontier of India; captured the Indian Ocean islands used as bases by French privateers, notably the Ile de France, now Mauritius; and, in 1811, conquered Java, nominally Dutch but following the incorporation of the Netherlands into the French Empire, effectively French. Besides the details of Lord Minto's career and activities, the book also provides full background information on a wide range of relevant subjects, including the governance and finances of the East India Company,the various polities of the Indian subcontinent and neighbouring regions, and the political situation in Britain and Europe. Amita Das completed her doctorate at the University of Oxford. Aditya Das completed his doctorate at West Virginia University.Trade ReviewA welcome addition to recent scholarship on the East India Company state.. The writing is crisp [and] the analysis is judicious. * ENGLISH HISTORICAL REVIEW *Defending British India against Napoleon is striking in its erudition. . . . [A] welcome addition to the library of any Minto scholar, as well as those interested in the history of nineteenth-century British India more generally. * H-NET *A timely contribution to current Napoleonic historiography. * LMH BROWN BOOK *An excellent study of a fascinating period, giving a clear picture of the wide ranging diplomacy required of the Governor-General, and the East India Company's place in the wider Indian and Asian world. * WWW.HISTORYOFWAR.ORG *An important but hitherto neglected slice of history brought to life very interestingly and well. * AUSMARINE *Table of ContentsPreface Setting the Stage Positioning in Persia Creating a Buffer Zone Protecting Trade and Supply Lines Preempting French influence in Java Legacy of Lord Minto Appendix: Government of the East India Company Bibliography

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Book Synopsis'This book offers an exciting indigenous perspective on Chinese governance model and Professor Hongjun Zhao is to be applauded for his invaluable contribution!'- Tony Fang, Stockholm University, Sweden'This book traces the root of China's past failure as well as its success since 1978 to the inertia of its government governance, which was in turn shaped by its environment, geography and natural endowment. The book makes an important contribution to the Neo-institutional school by introducing geographical factors to explain the puzzling stability of the traditional Chinese government governance and the new challenges this type of governance is facing in an increasing globalizing world.'- Guanzhong James wen, Trinity College, US'Professor Zhao's book offers us a unique and valuable perspective on China's present and future from a historical perspective. The book also makes use of a large amount of valuable quantitative statistics on various aspects of Chinese history.'- Debin Ma, London School of Economics, UK This book takes a long-term perspective to examine the evolution of Chinese governance and its lasting impact on Chinese economic development. Through its broad exploration of the style, strength, and effectiveness of Chinese governance through the years, it touches on a universal relationship between economic development and governance and institutions, translating the experiences of one of the world?s oldest civilizations into widespread, current economic relevance.Hongjun Zhao first examines the formation of Chinese style governance, the core contents of this governance, and its vitality compared with other governance patterns in Chinese history. He also discusses the effectiveness of this governance pattern in supporting the economic development before the Song dynasty, the failure of this governance during the past 3-5 centuries and the governmental role in pushing development since 1978. Finally, he makes a prediction of the direction of Chinese governance patterns in over the next 20-30 years.Scholars and researchers interested in China's long term economic development will appreciate this comprehensive examination of the subject, as will high level undergraduate and graduate students interested in keeping pace with China?s rapid development.Trade Review'In this book, Professor Zhao provides us ''the China equilibrium'' model, a model of Chinese governance and institutional change in the long run. This model was unique compared to western one and useful for scholars and readers to understand the long run evolution of Chinese economy and governance.' --Weisen Li, Fudan University, China'Cultural norms are usually endogenous responses to survival challenges faced by a society, so some of these norms come and go while other norms stay and accumulate to cause long-lasting impact on later institutions and governance structures. Professor Zhao's work is a good exercise showing us that one cannot fully understand what is happening in China today without going back to the old roots. His contributions to the literature are impressive and invaluable.' --Zhiwu Chen, University of Hong Kong'China's long history offers an incredible possibility of studying how institutions and governance evolve over time. Zhao's book is amazing in the sense it places China's recent economic development in the context of institutional equilibrium.' --Jun Zhang, Fudan University, ChinaTable of ContentsContents: 1. Introduction 2. Debate and Comment about the Needham Puzzle Over the Past Half-century 3. The Behavior of the Peasants and their Households: the Logical Starting Point for the Study of the Puzzle in Chinese Economic History 4. The Petty Peasant Economy and the Formation of Chinese-style Governmental Governance 5. The Dynamic Evolution of the Chinese Governance Pattern in Each Dynasty 6. Chinese Climatic and Environmental Changes after the Tenth Century and Their Impacts on the Chinese Governance Pattern 7. The Rise of Western Europe After the Fifteenth and Sixteenth Centuries and Its Challenges to the Chinese Governance Pattern 8. Empirical Evidence of the Chinese Governmental Governance and Long-term Economic Development 9. The Reform and Opening-Up: A Great Transformation of the Governance Pattern in Chinese History 10. Where does the Future Path of Chinese Governance Lie? Index

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Book SynopsisThis insightful book provides a comprehensive survey of urban development in Hong Kong since 1841. Pui-yin Ho explores the ways in which the social, economic and political environments of different eras have influenced the city's development. From colonial governance, wartime experiences, high density development and adjustments before and after 1997 through contemporary challenges, this book explores forward-looking ideas that urban planning can offer to lead the city in the future. Evaluating the relationship between town planning and social change, this book looks at how a local Hong Kong identity emerged in the face of conflict and compromise between Chinese and European cultures. In doing so, it brings a fresh perspective to urban research, providing historical context and direction for the future development of the city. Hong Kong's urban development experience offers not only a model for other Chinese cities but also a better understanding of Asian cities more broadly.Urban studies scholars will find this an exemplary case study of a developing urban landscape. Town planners and architects will also benefit from reading this comprehensive book as it shows how Hong Kong can be taken to the next stage of urban development and modernisation.Trade Review‘Making Hong Kong is a significant contribution to Hong Kong's planning history and fills a major gap in the field. It should be read by everyone interested in Hong Kong's development as well as its architectural and urban history.’ -- Cecilia L. Chu, Geographical Research'As this book makes clear, Hong Kong has successfully thrived against all odds to develop into a world city of fame and substance. Town planning certainly has its role and major political turning points have been capitalised on to the city's benefits. The main lesson through reading the Hong Kong story is that it has thrived on new thinking to develop its urban identity and future. This book will equip scholars and planners alike with a solid foundation to take Hong Kong to its next stage of urban development and modernisation.' --Yeung Yue-man, The Chinese University of Hong Kong'This is a professional publication long anticipated by town planners, builders of cities and all those who care about Hong Kong's development. This book will help us review the history and experience of Hong Kong's urban development and town planning so that we can optimise town planning to create a better life for our citizens.' --Ling Kar-kan, Director of Planning (2012-2016), Hong KongTable of ContentsContents: Foreword 1. Duality in Planning (1841-1898) 2. Expansion of the Territory (1898-1941) 3. Experiencing the War (1941-1945) 4. High-Density Development Planning (1945-1979) 5. Approaching the Handover (1979-1997) 6. Transformation after the Return to China (1997-2015) 7. Challenge of Sustainable Development (1997-2015) Conclusion Bibliography Index

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Book SynopsisIn this captivating and richly illustrated account, Devika Singh presents together for the first time the work of Indian and foreign artists active in India after independence in 1947. The book engages with the many creators, critics and patrons of the post-war Indian art world, from Bhupen Khakhar, Zarina and Kekoo Gandhy to Isamu Noguchi, Le Corbusier and Clement Greenberg. Singh opens up new ways of thinking about Indian art, closely examining artworks and analysing how they were received in India and abroad. Featuring a wealth of rare and previously unpublished images, this provocative new book explores how artists in India participated in global modernism during a crucial period of decolonization and nation building.Table of ContentsIntroduction Chapter 1: Participating in the Indian Art Scene Chapter 2: Questions of Travel Chapter 3: New Forms of Internationalism Conclusion References Further Reading Acknowledgements Photo Acknowledgements Index

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Book SynopsisThere is currently no water cooperation between Afghanistan and Pakistan. Of the nine rivers that flow across the border, none possess a formal agreement or mechanism to manage shared water resources. Further, there is very little information available about the status of environment, hydrology and water resources management for these river basins that could be used as a starting point for dialogues on transboundary water coordination. This State of the Basins book co-develops an overview of the three most important river basins, in collaboration with international experts and water professionals from Afghanistan and Pakistan. It covers water resources, land resources, ecological health, environment, climate change, and the social and economic conditions for sustainable management of these precious resources. It will inform decision making within the two countries, and begin to establish benefits that can accrue from more active collaboration on these shared waters. This book: Focuses on portions of the Indus shared by Afghanistan and Pakistan. Features extensive engagement and co-development with Afghan and Pakistani professionals. Is the first book on the shared waters in the Indus, developed in the context of regional realities associated with post-August 2021 Taliban takeover.The book is aimed at students and researchers in water rights and resources, and government decision makers, private sector investors, donors, intermediary organizations that work directly with farmers, researchers and students. It is a reference book for graduate students and researchers working on these basins, and on transboundary river basin management in Asia and beyond.

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Book SynopsisExplores state formation, social fabrics and cultural mores of medieval India from 1200-1800. The states of medieval India operated under a ruling class that was largely Muslim, colouring our understanding of the history of the period. Increased availability of Persian chronicles, emergence of a class of professional historians and progressive forces emanating from the anti-colonial movement have led to new approaches to the period. Situating Medieval India covers more than 6 centuries, from the Delhi Sultanate to the arrival of Europeans. Topics covered include approaches to exercise of sovereign power in medieval states and the social identity of government officers, Dulla Bhatti's revolt against the Mughal State, modes of resistance in the state of Punjab, and religious diversity in Agra. The author also examines scientific and technical innovations, and the artworks of Mushtaqi, Jahangir and Bhandari. The book opens up medieval India in all its complexity and richness.Table of ContentsAcknowledgements Introduction 1. Appointment of Government Officers in Medieval States: The Concerns of Nizam ul-Mulk Tusi and Ziauddin Barani 2. Dynastic Change in Northern India: Divergent Approaches to the Exercise of Sovereign Power 3. Rulers, Zamindars and Sufis: Probing a Triangular Model of State Formation 4. Administrative Consolidation in the Delhi Sultanate: Evidence from a Collection of Letters 5. Scientific Temperament and Technical Innovations in North India: From the Eleventh to the Fifteenth Century 6. Revolt of Dulla Bhatti against the Mughal State: A Study of Oral Tradition and Modern Cultural Forms 7. Travelling Across Northwestern India: The State of Rivers, Bridges and Boats during the Mughal Age 8. Political Culture in the Mughal Empire: An Idealistic Vision and the Ground Reality 9. A Central Asian Visitor at the Mughal Court: Meetings of Mutribi Samarqandi with Emperor Jahangir 10. Pictures of Amazement in Medieval India: Looking into the Works of Mushtaqi, Jahangir and Bhandari 11. Historical Dimensions of Islam in South Asia: Modern Writings on Polity, Religion and Culture 12. Cultural Ethos of Medieval Panjab: The Pathways of Resistance to the Structures of Dominance 13. Caste, Creed and Custom: North Indian Society Towards the Close of the Eighteenth Century 14 . Celebration of Religious Diversity in Agra: Reading the Observations of Nazir Akbarabadi Index

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Book SynopsisAn analysis of the misadventures which befell British, Danish and Portuguese merchant mariners in Southeast Asia between 1790 and 1820, a time when British trade and imperialism were expanding.This study describes and analyses the misadventures which befell British, Danish and Portuguese 'country traders', that is, merchant mariners who operated independently of but with the approval of the English East India Company, in Southeast Asia between 1790 and 1820, a time when British trade and imperialism were expanding. It is based on hitherto un-utilised first-hand accounts by captains and crew members as given to authorities at the major port of Malacca. These accounts, required by insurance companies, were a statement of the events which had occurred and a declaration by the declarant of non-culpability. The misadventures ranged from typhoons, groundings and piracy to fire, mutiny and collisions with other vessels. The work places the misadventures in the context of the contemporary knowledge of navigation of the area's seas, current awareness of the local climatic conditions, the local indigenous societies and the contemporary European rivalry between the imperial powers. The analysis of the reporting is seen against the background of local administrative arrangements in Dutch-ruled Malacca, whereby the British, in control from 1795-1818, nevertheless maintained the continuity of Dutch procedures and Dutch personnel. Overall, the book provides rich information about everyday life in the eastern seas in the period.

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