November 28, 2016

On 2 November Prof. John Miksic gave a public lecture at the Centre for Malay World and Islamic Civilisation at the International Islamic University of Malaysia. The moderator of the seminar was the Honourable Tan Sri Dato’ Seri Utama Dr. Rais Yatim, Advisor to the Government of Malaysia on Socio-Cultural Matters and President IIUM.

The lecture was the third in the Malay World Seminar Series. The title of the talk was “Lives in Ancient Southeast Asian Cities.” Prof. Miksic has written much on this topic.  The role of Southeast Asia in early urbanism has only recently become recognized. One reason for this tardy acknowledgement of the region’s importance for the formation of early cities is the fact that the settlement patterns in this region differ significantly from those found in India, China, or the Near East. This is partly due to the unique environment of Southeast Asia, and partly to local cultural patterns. Prof. Miksic discussed the roles of ports, palaces, temples, markets, and forts in stimulating urbanism. He discussed examples in Cambodia, Java, and the Straits of Melaka including 14th-century Singapore, and the roles of foreign merchants in stimulating certain forms of cities during the period before the arrival of Europeans.

Check out the photos from the IIUM Centre for Malay World and Islamic Civilisation Facebook page below!