This course explores Islam as a shaping force in the culture and politics of Southeast Asia through literature in translation, art and performance, and history of the region. Southeast Asia includes Indonesia, the nation with the largest Muslim population, and Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, the Philippines, and Southern Thailand, as well as significant Muslim communities in mainland.
We will pay particular attention to the diversity of Southeast Asian voices. We will cover the timeframe between early days of the spice trade, in the 16th century and the rise of global capitalism, through the independence movements and Asia-Africa movement (the Bandung Conference), and into contemporary Southeast Asia.