Michael Aung-Thwin | University of Hawaii (original) (raw)
Papers by Michael Aung-Thwin
Myanmar in the Fifteenth Century
Following the exceptional leaders who consolidated the kingdom of Ava during the first half of th... more Following the exceptional leaders who consolidated the kingdom of Ava during the first half of the fifteenth-century, three more extraordinary kings—Narapati the Great, Mahathihathuya, and Mingaung the Second—succeeded them to take Ava to its apogee. It was during their reigns that the kingdom of Ava made its greatest contribution to the country in terms of Burmese literature, an achievement that remains largely unequaled. That period was also notable in terms of political integration, military prowess, social order, religious stature, economic self-sufficiency, and overall well-being of the state. Although much of the fifteenth-century can be regarded as the pinnacle of the Ava Dynasty and period, the second half of that century particularly stood out.
Choice Reviews Online, 2006
Pacific Affairs, 1987
An academic directory and search engine.
Pacific Affairs, 2001
... As he lies dying with Rama's arrows in him, Vali asks Rama, how he, the epitome ... more ... As he lies dying with Rama's arrows in him, Vali asks Rama, how he, the epitome of the perfect human, the incarnation of Vishnu, the honourable warrior, could do such a cowardly ... by Mark Sainsbury, Louis Dumont and Basia Gulati (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980). ...
Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, 2011
James Scott, in keeping with his long-standing practice, has chosen not to re-act to the reviews.... more James Scott, in keeping with his long-standing practice, has chosen not to re-act to the reviews. The editor regrets that the author of The art of not being governed, reviewers, and editor have had different expectations of this discus-sion, but respects the decision of the ...
Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 2008
The geo-political and cultural-historical context, more than any other single factor, has shaped ... more The geo-political and cultural-historical context, more than any other single factor, has shaped the notion of Mranma Pran in pre-colonial times. It is derived from a longstanding reality embodied in the term anya (‘upstream’), representing Upper Burma (hence, the term anyatha, ‘offspring of Upper Burma’). Although Lower Burma also has an equivalent in the term akriy (‘downstream’), it was Upper Burma more than any other region in the country that initially exemplified the term Mranma Pran, the ‘heartland’ of the country's culture and society for over a millennium. The meaning of the term Mranma Pran (or its colonial term, ‘Burma’), therefore, depends on the context in which and by whom it is viewed.
Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 1995
When historians refer to the “classical” period in Southeast Asia, they usually mean the era roug... more When historians refer to the “classical” period in Southeast Asia, they usually mean the era roughly between the ninth and fourteenth centuries A.d. When they speak of the “classical” states, they are referring most often to the region's first great kingdoms — Pagan, Sukhothai, Angkor, Dai Viet, Srivijaya, and Majapahit — the civilizations that gave birth to many of the nations in Southeast Asia today. Yet, the very idea of a “classical” Southeast Asia has not been debated sufficiently in the literature.
Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 1991
History The study of early Southeast Asia as an academic discipline in the United States began on... more History The study of early Southeast Asia as an academic discipline in the United States began only about thirty years ago. Indeed, some history departments still do not recognize Southeast Asia as a legitimate field. Nonetheless, most of its leading histo-rians today are products ...
The Journal of Asian Studies, 1996
The Journal of Asian Studies, 1973
... on the main floor. Page 17. Introduction was an active member of Dobama Asiayone, he was in c... more ... on the main floor. Page 17. Introduction was an active member of Dobama Asiayone, he was in close contact with Thakin Soe, Than Tun, and Ba Hein,17 early advocates of Soviet-style communism. As a member and official ...
The Journal of Asian Studies, 1996
Change, or impending change, can often inspire the creation of myths, for it both threatens and p... more Change, or impending change, can often inspire the creation of myths, for it both threatens and promises. It threatens the security of the established, while providing hope to the disestablished. Change thus produces anxiety and discomfort on the one hand, euphoria and optimism on the other. Those in a position to be harmed by the change often create “negative” myths about the potential implications of that change; those not, glorify it. To misquote Claude Levi-Strauss, myths are created to control the present, hence, by implication, also the future (Levi-Strauss 1979).
Contemporary Southeast Asia, 2001
The American Historical Review, 1975
... there were at least 300 types of rice, each with its own properties, from which peasants chos... more ... there were at least 300 types of rice, each with its own properties, from which peasants chose to suit the local climate and the ... When the grain heads were approaching ripeness, the peasants drained the paddies, for wet rice, with few exceptions, is harvested from dry ground like ...
Choice Reviews Online, 2006
TRaNS: Trans -Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia, 2013
Trends' in the field of Southeast Asian history have a way of being unresolved satisfactorily bef... more Trends' in the field of Southeast Asian history have a way of being unresolved satisfactorily before 'new' ones emerge to take their place. Part of the reason is that older scholarship is not only considered passé, but each new generation of Southeast Asianists wants to 'make its mark' on the field in original ways. Yet, when one scrutinizes some of these 'new' issues carefully, they often turn out not to be entirely so; rather, they appear to be different ways of approaching and/or expressing older ones, using different (and more current) operating vocabulary. 'Angle of vision' and 'perspective', popular in the 1960s, have become 'privileging of' or 'giving agency to' in current usage, while their methodological intent is exactly the same, bearing the same (or nearly the same) desirable consequences. Older, seminal scholarship is often only given lip-service without much in-depth consideration, so that some of the 'new' scholarship begins 'in the middle of the game', scarcely acknowledging (or knowing) what had transpired earlier. This unawareness regarding the 'lineage' of Southeast Asia scholarship fosters some reinvention and repetition of issues and problems without realizing it, in turn protracting their resolution. So as not to lose sight of this 'scholarly lineage' that not only allows a better assessment of what are genuinely new trends and what are not, but also to resolve unresolved issues and move on to really new things, this essay will analyse and discuss where the field of Southeast Asian history has been, where it is currently, and where it might be headed. Although focused on the discipline of history, it remains ensconced within the context of the larger field of Southeast Asian studies.
History The study of early Southeast Asia as an academic discipline in the United States began on... more History The study of early Southeast Asia as an academic discipline in the United States began only about thirty years ago. Indeed, some history departments still do not recognize Southeast Asia as a legitimate field. Nonetheless, most of its leading histo-rians today are products ...
Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, 2011
James Scott, in keeping with his long-standing practice, has chosen not to re-act to the reviews.... more James Scott, in keeping with his long-standing practice, has chosen not to re-act to the reviews. The editor regrets that the author of The art of not being governed, reviewers, and editor have had different expectations of this discus-sion, but respects the decision of the ...
Myanmar in the Fifteenth Century
Following the exceptional leaders who consolidated the kingdom of Ava during the first half of th... more Following the exceptional leaders who consolidated the kingdom of Ava during the first half of the fifteenth-century, three more extraordinary kings—Narapati the Great, Mahathihathuya, and Mingaung the Second—succeeded them to take Ava to its apogee. It was during their reigns that the kingdom of Ava made its greatest contribution to the country in terms of Burmese literature, an achievement that remains largely unequaled. That period was also notable in terms of political integration, military prowess, social order, religious stature, economic self-sufficiency, and overall well-being of the state. Although much of the fifteenth-century can be regarded as the pinnacle of the Ava Dynasty and period, the second half of that century particularly stood out.
Choice Reviews Online, 2006
Pacific Affairs, 1987
An academic directory and search engine.
Pacific Affairs, 2001
... As he lies dying with Rama's arrows in him, Vali asks Rama, how he, the epitome ... more ... As he lies dying with Rama's arrows in him, Vali asks Rama, how he, the epitome of the perfect human, the incarnation of Vishnu, the honourable warrior, could do such a cowardly ... by Mark Sainsbury, Louis Dumont and Basia Gulati (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1980). ...
Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, 2011
James Scott, in keeping with his long-standing practice, has chosen not to re-act to the reviews.... more James Scott, in keeping with his long-standing practice, has chosen not to re-act to the reviews. The editor regrets that the author of The art of not being governed, reviewers, and editor have had different expectations of this discus-sion, but respects the decision of the ...
Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 2008
The geo-political and cultural-historical context, more than any other single factor, has shaped ... more The geo-political and cultural-historical context, more than any other single factor, has shaped the notion of Mranma Pran in pre-colonial times. It is derived from a longstanding reality embodied in the term anya (‘upstream’), representing Upper Burma (hence, the term anyatha, ‘offspring of Upper Burma’). Although Lower Burma also has an equivalent in the term akriy (‘downstream’), it was Upper Burma more than any other region in the country that initially exemplified the term Mranma Pran, the ‘heartland’ of the country's culture and society for over a millennium. The meaning of the term Mranma Pran (or its colonial term, ‘Burma’), therefore, depends on the context in which and by whom it is viewed.
Journal of Southeast Asian Studies, 1995
When historians refer to the “classical” period in Southeast Asia, they usually mean the era roug... more When historians refer to the “classical” period in Southeast Asia, they usually mean the era roughly between the ninth and fourteenth centuries A.d. When they speak of the “classical” states, they are referring most often to the region's first great kingdoms — Pagan, Sukhothai, Angkor, Dai Viet, Srivijaya, and Majapahit — the civilizations that gave birth to many of the nations in Southeast Asia today. Yet, the very idea of a “classical” Southeast Asia has not been debated sufficiently in the literature.
Journal of Interdisciplinary History, 1991
History The study of early Southeast Asia as an academic discipline in the United States began on... more History The study of early Southeast Asia as an academic discipline in the United States began only about thirty years ago. Indeed, some history departments still do not recognize Southeast Asia as a legitimate field. Nonetheless, most of its leading histo-rians today are products ...
The Journal of Asian Studies, 1996
The Journal of Asian Studies, 1973
... on the main floor. Page 17. Introduction was an active member of Dobama Asiayone, he was in c... more ... on the main floor. Page 17. Introduction was an active member of Dobama Asiayone, he was in close contact with Thakin Soe, Than Tun, and Ba Hein,17 early advocates of Soviet-style communism. As a member and official ...
The Journal of Asian Studies, 1996
Change, or impending change, can often inspire the creation of myths, for it both threatens and p... more Change, or impending change, can often inspire the creation of myths, for it both threatens and promises. It threatens the security of the established, while providing hope to the disestablished. Change thus produces anxiety and discomfort on the one hand, euphoria and optimism on the other. Those in a position to be harmed by the change often create “negative” myths about the potential implications of that change; those not, glorify it. To misquote Claude Levi-Strauss, myths are created to control the present, hence, by implication, also the future (Levi-Strauss 1979).
Contemporary Southeast Asia, 2001
The American Historical Review, 1975
... there were at least 300 types of rice, each with its own properties, from which peasants chos... more ... there were at least 300 types of rice, each with its own properties, from which peasants chose to suit the local climate and the ... When the grain heads were approaching ripeness, the peasants drained the paddies, for wet rice, with few exceptions, is harvested from dry ground like ...
Choice Reviews Online, 2006
TRaNS: Trans -Regional and -National Studies of Southeast Asia, 2013
Trends' in the field of Southeast Asian history have a way of being unresolved satisfactorily bef... more Trends' in the field of Southeast Asian history have a way of being unresolved satisfactorily before 'new' ones emerge to take their place. Part of the reason is that older scholarship is not only considered passé, but each new generation of Southeast Asianists wants to 'make its mark' on the field in original ways. Yet, when one scrutinizes some of these 'new' issues carefully, they often turn out not to be entirely so; rather, they appear to be different ways of approaching and/or expressing older ones, using different (and more current) operating vocabulary. 'Angle of vision' and 'perspective', popular in the 1960s, have become 'privileging of' or 'giving agency to' in current usage, while their methodological intent is exactly the same, bearing the same (or nearly the same) desirable consequences. Older, seminal scholarship is often only given lip-service without much in-depth consideration, so that some of the 'new' scholarship begins 'in the middle of the game', scarcely acknowledging (or knowing) what had transpired earlier. This unawareness regarding the 'lineage' of Southeast Asia scholarship fosters some reinvention and repetition of issues and problems without realizing it, in turn protracting their resolution. So as not to lose sight of this 'scholarly lineage' that not only allows a better assessment of what are genuinely new trends and what are not, but also to resolve unresolved issues and move on to really new things, this essay will analyse and discuss where the field of Southeast Asian history has been, where it is currently, and where it might be headed. Although focused on the discipline of history, it remains ensconced within the context of the larger field of Southeast Asian studies.
History The study of early Southeast Asia as an academic discipline in the United States began on... more History The study of early Southeast Asia as an academic discipline in the United States began only about thirty years ago. Indeed, some history departments still do not recognize Southeast Asia as a legitimate field. Nonetheless, most of its leading histo-rians today are products ...
Bijdragen tot de taal-, land- en volkenkunde / Journal of the Humanities and Social Sciences of Southeast Asia, 2011
James Scott, in keeping with his long-standing practice, has chosen not to re-act to the reviews.... more James Scott, in keeping with his long-standing practice, has chosen not to re-act to the reviews. The editor regrets that the author of The art of not being governed, reviewers, and editor have had different expectations of this discus-sion, but respects the decision of the ...