Study Areas - History Department
In 2011, China eclipsed Japan to become the world’s second largest economy. While China is in the news frequently these days as an emerging economic superpower, it is important to remember that Asia has historically occupied a position at the centre of the global economy. For much of human history, Asia has been the richest and most advanced region in the world. At Monash, we look back across the broad sweep of Asian history to understand the role that Asia has played in world history and how it continues to shape the world today.
Staff Research Areas
The History Department includes a number of staff working on East, Southeast and South Asia.
| Adam Clulow | Premodern and modern East Asia; Japanese History |
| Jane Drakard | History of Southeast Asia |
| Ernest Koh | Modern Southeast and East Asian history |
| Susie Protschky | European empires in Asia |
| Ian Copland | British imperial history; comparative colonialism, modern south Asian history |
Units Offered
We offer a range of units in Asian history. For a full list of units, see the handbook but you might want to consider:
| ATS 2606/3606 The Island World of South East Asia | Semester 2 2012. The island world of Southeast Asia encompasses the region now defined by the modern states of Malaysia and Indonesia. The unit will explore cultural, political and economic change in this region from the early kingdoms to the beginning of the nineteenth century. A major theme will be the development of two local cultural and political patterns, those of the Javanese and Malay worlds. |
| ATS2578/3578 - Soldiers of fortune: Mercenaries from antiquity to Afghanistan | Semester 2 2012. Since the beginning of the nineteenth century, the business of war has been monopolized by nation states. Over the past decade, mercenaries and private military companies have re-emerged as an important force in world politics. The new trend to contract the task of war has changed warfare and the nature of state control over violence. This unit examines the historical development of the mercenary from the medieval period to the present day in Asia and Europe. The focus is on the shifting relationship between the state and private violence. |
| ATS2909/ATS3909 Public enemies, public heroes: Gangsters, romance, and reality | Not available in 2012. For most of the 20th century, the exploits of gangsters, ranging from Dillinger to the Yakuza to the Green Gang of Shanghai, have been constantly re-imagined in books, music, film, and television. Gangsters are usually portrayed as romantic figures, rogues resisting the intrusive state. That gangsters have been an integral part of modern history is not in doubt. But apart from being romantic figures, what do gangsters actually do, and why are they celebrated? Are their interactions with the state only defined by resistance? Drawing on sources including film and literature, this unit traces the modern story of gangsters and their unique relationships with their respective states and societies. |