Focusing on the impact of colonial rule in the nineteenth century, the book explores how modern advancements like mechanized transport and communication transformed Indonesia. It highlights the region's global significance and examines the interconnectedness of its peoples and economies with the rest of the world, revealing the profound changes brought about by these developments.
Peoples and Histories
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim nation, is now in the midst of dramatic upheaval. This history of Indonesia provides an overview from the prehistoric period to the present and explores the connections between the nation’s many communities and the differences that propel contemporary breakaway movements.“Taylor’s approach challenges and opens the mind.”—Jaime James, Los Angeles Times Book Review“Taylor’s new book is groundbreaking: it takes us on a grand journey from the earliest material cultures of the archipelago to Indonesia’s turbulent present.”—Laurie J. Sears, author of Shadows of Empire: Colonial Discourse and Javanese Tales“Clear, erudite, and authoritative, this book provides a rich coverage of the vast tapestry of Indonesian society.”—Ben Kiernan, Yale University“A rich and fascinating excursion into Indonesian history that is guided not only by the usual commanding authority of political events, but by the story of how different peoples, as communities, have interacted over the centuries to produce an Indonesia that, although diverse, can also be called a nation.”—Foreign Affairs
Indonesia, the world's largest Muslim nation, is now in the midst of dramatic upheaval. This history of Indonesia provides an overview from the prehistoric period to the present and explores the connections between the nation's many communities and the differences that propel contemporary breakaway movements