Over the last few decades, western archaeology increasingly abandoned its 'ivory tower' in order to investigate, negotiate and develop its position and role in global society. The way in which we deal with other peoples views in the interpretation of archaeological materials, the way in which we integrate our narratives and practices with other heritage demands,and the way in which we deal with power differences in both these processes; all are challenging issues when undertaking archaeologic...

The unpublished writings of a Dutch colonial official, Pieter Albert Bik (1798-1855) are studied and contextualized in this book. The remarkable autobiographical manuscript of Bik, which is here presented in English translation with annotations, provides a unique glimpse of the wide horizons of the world of Dutch colonialism, tracing his many journeys in Europe, the Dutch East Indies and Japan as well as across the oceans in the first half of the nineteenth century.

In this work, Mikko Toivan...

In modern Japan, anti-establishment ideas have related in many ways to Japan’s capitalist development and industrialisation. Activist and intellectual Ishikawa Sanshirō exemplifies this imagination, connecting European and Japanese thought during the first decades of the twentieth century. This book investigates the emergence of a strand of non-violent anarchism, reassessing in particular the role of geographical thought in modern Japan as both a vehicle of political dissent and a basis fo...

How were the Ni‘matullāhī masters successful in reviving Ni‘matullāhī Sufism in Shi‘ite Persia? This book investigates the revival of Ni‘matullāhī Sufi order after the death of the last Indian Ni‘matullāhī master, Riḍā ‘Alī Shāh (d. 1214/1799) in the Deccan.

After the fall of Safavids, the revival movement of the Ni‘matullāhī order began with the arrival in Persia of the enthusiastic Indian Sufi master, Ma‘ṣūm ‘Alī Shāh, during the last quarter of the eigh...

This book presents the first-ever English translation of 'The Open Door to Hidden Paganism', one of the earliest and most detailed studies of South Indian Hinduism. Written in 1651 by Abraham Rogerius, a Dutch East India Company clergyman and missionary, it offers an unexpectedly balanced account of the customs and traditions of the South Indian Brahmins. This made it a cornerstone of early European Indology.

In addition to the Dutch original, this edition includes a full English translation...

Between 1848 and 1914, around 5,800 Swiss Mercenaries enlisted in the Dutch Colonial Army (KNIL) to fight in the Dutch East Indies, now modern-day Indonesia. This book traces the paths of these mercenaries beyond the boundaries of the Dutch Empire, shedding light on the intricacies of nineteenth-century military labour markets. It delves deep into their social backgrounds, motivations, intimate relationships, and their role in the violent expansion of the colonial empire. In doing so, it unve...

International Studies aims to understand the global complexities of the world in which we live today. Central in these complexities is the position of the human individual, who is both an actor and reactor in global events. This textbook introduces three I's – interests, identities, ideas – that provide a framework to understand human behaviour in today's world. The role of people is further elaborated in the three spatial dimensions of the local, regional, and global level. This gives In...

The Exposition of Artistic Research: Publishing Art in Academia introduces the pioneering concept of 'expositions' in the context of art and design research, where practice needs to be exposed as research to enter academic discourse. It brings together reflective and methodological approaches to exposition writing from a variety of artistic disciplines including fine art, music and design, which it links to questions of publication and the use of technology. The book proposes a novel relati...

This book presents three of the works of Abduʾl-Bahā, son of the founder of the Bahāʾi Faith, dealing with social and political issues.

In ‘The Secret of Divine Civilization’ (1875) Abduʾl-Bahā supports the administrative and broader social reforms of Mirzā Hosayn Khān, but looks mainly for organic reform through the efforts of Iranian intellectuals to waken and educate the masses. In this work, Abduʾl-Bahā gives virtuous and progressive Islamic clerics a leading role among th...

Dat de Nederlanders in de zeventiende eeuw in Azië aan een koloniaal rijk bouwden weet iedereen. Het is veel minder bekend dat hetzelfde ook in het Atlantische gebied gebeurde. In Tussen honger en zwaard laat Wim Klooster zien dat het Atlantische imperium van de Republiek een grote verscheidenheid aan regio’s omvatte: de Afrikaanse Goudkust, eilanden in het Caribisch gebied, een lange strook langs de Noordamerikaanse oostkust en Brazilië. Dit imperium was niet alleen het werk van Nederlan...