History Of The Indian Archipelago

by John Crawfurd

History Of The Indian Containing An Account Of The Manners, Arts, Languages, Religions, Institutions, And Commerce Of Its Inhabitants by John Crawfurd. History Of The Indian Containing An Account Of The Manners, Arts, Languages, Religions, Institutions, And Commerce Of Its Inhabitants is a landmark early 19th-century ethnographic and geographic survey by John Crawfurd, F.R.S., late British Resident at the Court of the Sultan of Java. The work aggregates a wide range of observations on the Indian Archipelago (today Indonesia and neighboring islands), organizing knowledge into topics such as geography, topography, climate, and population; then detailing social organization, manners, and character; arts, agriculture, and progress in science; and the commerce and institutions that shaped the archipelago's history. Crawfurd describes major divisions of the archipelago, the major islands, and the two principal racial groups among inhabitants; discusses language families, religious practices, and native political structures; and includes reflections on naval trade, cross-cultural contact, and the spice economy. Grounded in his years of residence and official service in Java, this work combines ethnography, history, and comparative geography to illuminate the Indian Archipelago's complex societies and long-distance networks. The tone is empirical, balanced, and occasionally speculative, and it remains a foundational reference for colonial-era Southeast Asian studies.

Genres: History

572 pages, Paperback

First published November 24, 1967