| Abstract: |
Maritime Southeast Asia has traditionally been defined in contrast to “the mainland”. The former encompasses most of the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia, while the latter consists of Myanmar, Thailand, the former Indochina and adjoining areas. Indian and Chinese influence shaped state development on the mainland, where most peoples were speakers of Austroasiatic languages. Austronesians predominated in the islands, along with Melanesians to the east.¹ The maritime zone’s typical open seascapes, scattered islands, low population densities and dispersed commodities are commonly invoked to explain their weakly institutionalised polities.
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