Expected Learning Outcomes
The course aims to provide students with foundational knowledge of the history of Southeast Asia, from Antiquity to the Modern Age. It seeks to equip them with the critical and analytical skills necessary for a proper understanding of the distinct historical and cultural identities of the various regions that constitute the present-day states of the Malay Archipelago (Indonesia, Malaysia, and the Philippines) and the Indochinese Peninsula (Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Thailand, Myanmar).
Ability to Apply Knowledge and Understanding
By the end of the course, students will be able to critically analyze the major historical events of pre-colonial Southeast Asia (i.e., before the formation of nation-states in the Nineteenth century), demonstrating adequate competence in formulating ideas and supporting arguments within their field of study.
Additional Expected Learning Outcomes
Independent Judgment:
Students will be able to interpret historical sources related to the peoples and cultures of Southeast Asia, forming independent judgments on political, economic, and social issues to construct a sound critical reconstruction of the region’s past.
Communication Skills:
Students will be able to present course topics and the knowledge acquired clearly and effectively, demonstrating strong argumentation and critical thinking skills, along with appropriate language use.
Learning Skills:
Students will develop the learning skills necessary to independently pursue the study of the history of other Asian or non-Asian regions.
None.
The course includes in-person lectures supported by audiovisual materials. Additional texts and documents will be indicated during the course.
The examination will be conducted orally. The final evaluation will take into account: the ability to understand the course content; a clear presentation and synthesis of the topics covered; the examinee’s command of language.
Attendance is not mandatory but is recommended. Upon request, the exam can also be conducted in English.
Bibliography
Hall, D.G.E., Storia dell’Asia Sudorientale, Milano, Rizzoli, 1972.
Villiers, John, L’Asia sud-orientale prima del periodo coloniale, Milano, Feltrinelli, 1968.
The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, a cura di Nicholas Tarling, vol. I: “From early times to c. 1500,” Cambridge University Press, 1992.
The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia, a cura di Nicholas Tarling, vol. II: “From c. 1500 to c. 1800,” Cambridge University Press, 1992.
The same bibliography applies to non-attending students, who are nevertheless expected to contact the Professor before taking the exam.
Topics:
1. What is South-East Asia? Geographical and Environmental Characteristics;
2. Southeast Asia before 1400;
3. The so-called “Indianization;”
4. The Age of Angkor;
5. The Indianized States of the Malay Archipelago;
6. Origin and Development of Dai Viet;
7. Java’s Golden Age;
8. The Arrival of Islam;
9. European Expansionism in Southeast Asia (16th Century);
10. The Consolidation of the European Presence (17th-18th Centuries);
11. The Age of Colonialism.
Italian.
