This course will trace the emergence of the international order in Southeast Asia. It will examine the different types of polity that have been established in the region, and how they defined relations with their neighbours and with the more distant civilizations of China, India and the Muslim world. The course will examine the series of transformations in Southeast Asia's 'international' system which European colonial powers brought about, and will consider Southeast Asia's influence on the emergence of the global international relations system. Particular attention will be given to the dynamic of decolonization – to the transformation of political identities and the assumptions about state identity and international relations which shaped the present configuration of the region. The course will conclude with a consideration of the making of the post-colonial state system in Southeast Asia, including the creation of the ASEAN regional architecture and attempts to build a regional security community.

In assuming a historical perspective, the course will suggest ways in which the heritage of ideas about community – and relations between communities – continues to shadow 'international relations' in the region today.

This course will develop students' understanding of Southeast Asian nations' relations with their neighbours, broaden their understanding of the historical situation underlying the present day system and the contribution of decolonisation to current-day international relations. An understanding of the historical and cultural processes operating in the region is vital to the analysis of current developments, and therefore a valuable component in the training of specialists in security studies and international relations. The course will encourage the development of students' critical thinking, analytical skills and essay writing skills. 

Assessment for postgraduate students is: a 5-6000 word research project due on date to be decided in consultations at first class (80%); reflection papers (10%); and course attendance and participation (10%).

Course topics will include: People without states, states without borders; patterns of cultural transfer; the political/religious system of the 'empire' of Srivijaya; the 'tribute' system; Islamic models of international order; the European struggle for hegemony, and the place of Southeast Asia in international law; hegemony, 'native states' and the construction of modern colonialism; creating colonial states and the creation of ethnicity in the modern system; the Japanese alternative; claiming independence and the making of nation states; Cold-War alliances, the emergence of ASEAN and the modern international order of Southeast Asia.