Description
Book SynopsisReveals the rich and complex histories and cultures of Burma/Myanmar from their early development and powerful imperial expansions to their positions as colonial subjects and then as a war-torn nation. From influential superpower to repressive regime, Myanmar also known as Burma has seen dramatic fluctuations in fortune over the past 1,500 years. Interconnected yet isolated, rich in natural resources such as jade, rubies and teak but with many of its peoples living below the poverty line, Myanmar is a country that defies categorisation. Its cultures have been shaped by their engagements with religious networks, expansionist empires and global trade routes from India and China to Africa, the Middle East and Europe. It was once home to different kingdoms, principalities and chiefdoms that interacted with one another and further afield. The colonial period under British rule saw dramatic changes and upon independence in 1948, the various parts of the country were brought together, man
Table of ContentsForeword
Introduction – Alexandra Green
1. Natural resources and geography – Alexandra Kaloyanides
2. Bagan: a cosmopolitan Buddhist kingdom – Thaw Zin Latt, P.P.K. and Alexandra Green
3. States and networks: expansion and contraction, 1500–1900 – Alexandra Green
4. The British colonial period – Alexandra Green
5. Karen peoples and their textiles: from natural to synthetic dyeing practices – Caroline Cartwright, Joanne Dyer, Diego Tamburini and Alexandra Green
6. Myanmar in the world: the Second World War – Maitrii Aung-Thwin and Arthur Swan Ye Tun
7. Thinking about minoritised communities – Mandy Sadan
8. Material culture after independence – Alexandra Green and Anonymous
9. Modern and contemporary art activism (1948–present) – Melissa Carlson
Appendix
Notes
Bibliography
List of contributors
Acknowledgements
Picture credits
Index
