For your assignment, use the notes in the planner to write the essay on:

"Evaluate the political changes which colonialism brought to Southeast Asia after 1870"

Then hand in your essay to your history tutor.



Parts of Essay
Task
Hints
NOTES
Introduction
gives an overview of topic/theme
Who colonised Southeast Asian countries? Why?
How did they intervene?
What political changes took place ?
What was the impact?
western powers such as British, the Dutch and the French colonised Southeast Asia predominantly for economic benefits
intervention was in many forms and each colonial power adopted a different approach of rule for each colony under its control
political changes – transformation of traditional Southeast Asian states into modern states; political centralisation; secular administration; modern bureaucracy etc.
Define the key words/phrases
Explain the concept of political changes in relation to the essay focus
political changes refer to changes in administrative, political and legal systems brought about by western colonialism
specify the time frame of essay
refers to later half of 19th century
after 1870 colonialism was intensified
most countries in Southeast Asia were colonised by the western powers e.g. Burma and Malaya by the British, Indonesia by the Dutch, Indo-China by the French and the Philippines by the US.
 
BODY-Organise Main Points
Select 1st main point that is relevant to the essay focus
- western bureaucracy (administration) in the colonized countries
Include the topic sentence
Add in the supporting details by comparing pre-1870 period with the period after 1870
Assess the impact of the changes
Topic Sentence:
Example:-
“Colonialism brought about a change in the system of government in Southeast Asian countries that were dominated by western powers and with it came the trappings of western bureaucracy.“

Supporting Details
Pre-1870 period
- Administration of Southeast Asian countries was one of patron-client relationship e.g. the thugyis or headmen in Burma who were respected by the villagers and remained as link between king and his subjects
After 1870 period
- became secular administration which was impersonal compared to the past e.g. salaried government officials took on task of tax collection, law enforcement, land management, public works etc. according to clearly defined rules and roles; In short formal and centrally determined procedures.
- Village became an artificial administrative entity: villages as a base of support and village headmen as point of reference lost their relevance; these were replaced by the ‘new’ bureaucracies and civil servants. E.g. in Burma: villages regrouped by the British and traditional headmen replaced by government civil servants, myo-oks
- Control of colonial affairs lay with new colonial bureaucracy: e.g. British Colonial and Indian Office, the French Colonial Ministry and Colonial Ministries in the Netherlands
- ‘New’ bureaucrats were mainly Westerners appointed by the Home governments: occupied all the top and higher ranking positions
- Junior and middle ranks were filled by the non-Westerners
(Remember to make direct references to at least 3 Southeast Asian countries)
IMPACT:-
- Secularization of colonial administration led to mobility of the indigenous population: they were able to secure lower level positions which were formerly monopolized by the aristocrats
- Centralization of colonial administration led to tighter control of colonies and disregarding of village administrative units leading to frustration and insignificant role of village headmen.
- Administrative Efficiency
Formation of ‘formal’ Western bureaucracies in Southeast Asia with its new features brought about administrative efficiency
Led to the rise of Western educated local elites due to the development of the western education system: the colonial masters found it necessary to enlist the help of local subjects in the administration. An important side-effect of this was the development of education systems that trained potential administrators.
Select 2nd main point that is relevant to the essay focus
- Impact of western education on the polity of Southeast Asia
Include the topic sentence
Add in the supporting details by comparing pre-1870 period with the period after 1870·
Assess the impact of the changes
Topic Sentence:-
Example:-
“Introduction of Western education by the colonial powers was politically motivated. It was aimed at creating a literate native class to work in the middle and lower ranks of the civil service but this had far reaching social and political impact. “
Pre-1870 period
- Education provided by the indigenous schools e.g. sekolah desa in Indonesia
After 1870
- Western education was introduced: to fill many of the new jobs created by the colonial administration
- Indonesia: Dutch in 1913, introduced the requirement that to be promoted to rank of Regent (highest indigenous rank), one must be capable of speaking and understanding Dutch
- Dutch embarked on setting up Dutch-language primary and secondary schools for the children of the aristocracy
IMPACT
- Social Mobility
modern educated Southeast Asian civil servants moved from the life of peasantry to a new ‘social class’ as they joined civil service
- Discontentment led to Nationalist movement
BUT many confined only to middle or lower ranking jobs with hierarchy of Europeans on top and Southeast Asians below
Many increasingly became discontented as they were not given the higher-ranking jobs they qualified for; hence fuelled nationalist movements
Select 3rd main point that is relevant to the essay focus:-
Change in political legitimacy
Include the topic sentence·
Add in the supporting details by comparing pre-1870 period with the period after 1870. Elaborate on divine rights and role of traditional leadership in the pre-1870 period; and the secular basis of legitimacy after the 1870 period.
Assess the impact of the changes

After studying two examples above, you should be able to key in your notes here using your lecture notes and reference books such as :

Nicholas Tarling (ed), Cambridge History of Southeast Asia (Cambridge University Press, 1992)
David Joel Steinberg, In Search of Southeast Asia: A Modern History (University of Hawaii Press, 1987)

Select 4th main point that is relevant to the essay focus
- Change in form of legal system
Include the topic sentence
Add in the supporting details by comparing pre-1870 period with the period after 1870.
For the Pre-1870 period, include the flexible and arbitrary laws of the natives; and the concept of land ownership. For the period after 1870, include imposition of laws based on western legal system
Assess the impact of the changes
 
 
CONCLUSION
Sum up evaluation of the political changes
Reiterate your stand or the direction you have taken in your essay.
Did western colonialism alter the polity of Southeast Asia in the areas discussed?
 
 


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