Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2022. xix, 489 pp. (Maps, illustrations.) US$37.00, cloth. ISBN 9780691146829.
Eric Tagliacozzo accomplishes the remarkable task of penning a world history of maritime commerce and exchange in his book In Asian Waters—a massive, captivating, and occasionally bewildering tome that operates mostly outside of a Eurocentric narrative and chronology. To achieve this, the term “Asia” is redefined as a maritime zone that stretches along the coast of a huge landmass that begins on the coast of eastern Africa and extends to the islands of Southeast Asia and the mainland, rather than as the landmass east of the Bosphorus.
The decision by Tagliacozzo to unite the histories of seemingly unrelated locations—Hormuz, Zamboanga, and Yokohama—revolving around the same marine environment, is both bold and impactful. By examining and integrating far-flung scientific organizations, the book’s remarkable geographic and chronological reach allows new insight into key processes. Yet, its expansive scope and lofty goals make some of the finer points easy to miss and gives the impression of an encyclopedic bias. Even so, huge canvases like Tagliacozzo’s are becoming more vital in enabling transregional and interdisciplinary dialogues as anthropologists and historians investigate the maritime aspects of their respective regional domains.
The first section, “Maritime Connections,” delves into the characteristics of the Asian maritime industry. China and Africa were the two ends of historic maritime trade routes, and chapter 2 attempts to explore the relationship between them. It clarifies that the contemporary link between Africa and Asia is a product of long-gone commerce between these two continents. Archaeological and genetic evidence, in addition to literary and historical sources, corroborate this link. Chapter 3 takes a different tack with a focus on Vietnam. Although Vietnam is under-discussed in current maritime history literature, the author contends that it has emerged as a cornerstone in the development of marine economics in Asia.
Chapters 2 and 3 of the book’s second section, “Bodies of Water,” focus on the South China Sea and the Indian Ocean, two of the world’s most significant waterways. Smuggling in the South China Sea is the central topic of chapter 4. The present state of China’s connections with South Asia is also brought to light and the rise of European dominance in Asian seas is further examined in chapter 5.
The purpose of the third section, “Religion on the Tides,” is to provide an explanation of the spread of religion through Asian maritime channels. In chapter 6, we learn how Hinduism and Buddhism made their way across Southeast Asia via the Bay of Bengal. According to archaeological and historical data, sea routes were crucial in the dissemination of religion and civilization. Zamboanga, a port city in the southwest region of the Philippines, is the focus of chapter 7, which examines the peaceful coexistence of several religions in a small port town and how they came to be.
The fourth section of the book, titled “Cities and the Sea,” delves into the topic of urbanism that was driven by marine trade and the connections between cities. Chapter 8 discusses how coastal cities in South and Southeast Asia were influenced by trade routes. It delves deeply into the topic of coastal city formation, morphological variation, and urban-rural linkage through maritime channels. Chapter 9 expands this scope to include the British Empire and other wider geographical areas in order to examine the spread of ideas and the rise of these ports as political and economic powerhouses.
The fifth section, “The Bounty of the Oceans,” delves into the ecological past of Asia’s maritime trade routes. The transportation and trading of maritime goods between Southeast Asia and East Asia is examined in chapter 10, after which the attention moves to the Western Indian Ocean. This narrative delves into the rise of coastal India as a hub for the spice trade and the ways in which this enticed explorers to this area.
The sixth section, “Technologies of the Sea,” examines the development of maritime technology and the construction of lighthouses. The significance of mapmaking and how the region came under the control of European colonial powers is discussed in chapter 13. Chapter 14, “If China Rules the Waves,” provides a fitting conclusion by delving into China’s pivotal position in steering its economy through Asia’s maritime trade routes.
Writing with clarity and depth, Tagliacozzo presents two primary points with In Asian Waters. The first is that maritime Asia cannot be unified due to its diversity and decentralization, which are interconnected on so many levels of history. Second, the book contends that the greatest geopolitical shifts of our day are rippling through maritime cultural, political, and commercial geographies that have been shaped by long-distance marine contacts for at least 2,000 years. “That is the route we inherit now,” the author says—expansive, broad, and extending in numerous directions and via numerous harbors—“The history is lengthy and intricate” (384).
Indeed, it is worth noting that the 1410s Chinese Admiral Zheng He sailed to Africa along the same ancient maritime trade routes that had previously linked Northeast Asia to the Indian Ocean, the Middle East, and various locations along the East African coast all the way to Madagascar. Here, Tagliacozzo posits that the East Asian Sea, which stretches from Java to Japan, has had an inseparable connection with the Indian Ocean since the beginning of time. Genetic and archaeological evidence point to long-distance interactions that have been overlooked by classical historians, but which paint a fascinating new picture: Asia as a whole, linked by waterways.
This book, in its own way, will be a valuable resource for educators, students, and scholars providing students with glimpses into the past of certain regions, and serving as a stepping stone to more advanced concepts in history and area/regional studies.
Herdi Sahrasad
University of Paramadina, Jakarta