History of the Indian Archipelago
Containing an Account of the Manners, Art, Languages, Religions, Institutions, and Commerce of its Inhabitants

Published in 1820, this acclaimed three-volume work offers insight into the peoples and cultures of the Indonesian islands, principally Java.

John Crawfurd (Author)

9781108056151, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 18 April 2013

594 pages, 19 b/w illus.
21.6 x 14 x 3.4 cm, 0.75 kg

Trained as a doctor, John Crawfurd (1783–1868) went on to have a distinguished career in colonial administration with the East India Company. He held senior posts in Java from 1811 to 1816, including that of resident at the court of Yogyakarta. A talented linguist and ethnologist, Crawfurd acquired a sound knowledge of ancient Kawi and contemporary Javanese. Upon his return to Britain in 1817, he became a fellow of the Royal Society and published this three-volume work on the Indonesian islands, principally Java, to great acclaim. Following further service abroad, he published accounts of his various missions in south-east Asia and an encyclopaedic sequel to the present work (all of which are reissued in the Cambridge Library Collection). Volume 2 examines language, literature, religion, and history, and the impact of Islam, Christianity and European colonisation.

Part V. Language: 1. Language and literature of Java
2. Language and literature of the Malays
3. Language and literature of Celebes
4. Minor languages of the archipelago
5. General observations on the Polynesian languages
6. Vocabularies
Part VI. Religion: 1. Ancient religion of the Indian islanders
2. Religion of Bali
3. Character of Mahomedanism in the Indian archipelago
4. State of Christianity in the Indian archipelago
Part VII. History: 1. Preliminary remarks on the history of the archipelago
2. Ancient history of Java
3. History of the propagation of Mahomedanism in Java
4. History of Java continued
5. Sequel of Javanese history
6. History of the Malays
7. History of Celebes
8. Portuguese history of the archipelago
9. Dutch history of the archipelago
10. Spanish history of the archipelago
11. Chronological table of the principal events in the history of the archipelago.

Subject Areas: Asian history [HBJF]