Pirates of Empire: Colonisation and Maritime Violence in Southeast Asia

The suppression of piracy and other forms of maritime violence was a keystone in the colonization of Southeast Asia, with a comparative study in colonial history exploring how piracy was defined, contested, and used to resist or justify colonial expansion.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 276 pages
Publication date: 27 October 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

The suppression of piracy and other forms of maritime violence played a pivotal role in the colonization of Southeast Asia during the nineteenth century. This comparative study in colonial history examines the definition, contestation, and utilization of piracy in the three most pirate-infested areas of the region: the Sulu Sea, the Strait of Malacca, and Indochina. By focusing on this period of intense imperial expansion from c. 1850 to c. 1920, the study sheds light on how piracy was both resisted and justified by colonial powers, particularly Britain, France, the Netherlands, Spain, and the United States.

It demonstrates that piratical activity continued to occur in many parts of Southeast Asia well beyond the mid-nineteenth century, challenging the notion that piracy was a phenomenon limited to a specific time period. The study also highlights the changes over time in how piracy was conceptualized and dealt with by these colonial powers.

This title is available as Open Access on Cambridge Core, allowing scholars and researchers worldwide to access and benefit from the research.

ISBN-13: 9781108706100