This major study explores the spatial history of the Dutch East Indies
as an imperial formation between the early nineteenth century and the
end of empire. It consists of six in-depth case-studies on pertinent
themes such as rural capitalism, indirect colonial rule, border
politics, coolie circulations, un-modern nationalism and the beginning
of Indonesian independence. These studies are set within a novel theory,
which connects local, intra-imperial, transimperial and global history
in the format of specific topochrones. As such this book is a
contribution both to Indonesian transcultural history and the field of
New Area Studies. ABOUT THE SERIES Developments in the field of area
studies - goaded by the analytical deconstruction of world regions from
their geopolitical sense - have deeply affected the knowledge production
from societies and cultures located in the politicized
compartmentalization of the globe. With this series, the editors and
authors wish to contribute to a reformulation of sensibilities in area
studies which emphasizes the epistemic value of contextualized knowledge
production. Starting with the notion of Southeast Asia, books published
in this series will contribute to a more nuanced understanding of
regionality based on a multidisciplinary approach. The series represents
an outlet for young scholars intending to publish their degree theses;
and for established scholars who are looking for a place to republish
out-of-print books. We also encourage scholarly collectives from the
regions to publish collaborative works or edited volumes on topics that
usually will not attract the attention of big presses due to their
transdisciplinary orientation. EDITORIAL BOARD Prof. Caroline S. Hau
Prof. Vincent Houben Prof. Boike Rehbein Prof. Barend Terwiel Dr. Xue Li
Dr. Benjamin Baumann Dr. Daniel Bultmann
