Two nineteenth-century Balinese genres in which the erotic predominates are epic kakawin poetry and tutur (religious manuals) on sexual yoga. The article points to the strong intertextual links between these diverse genres. Through their focus on practical sexual matters and on the pursuit of sexual pleasure as integral to spiritual growth, tutur and kakawin also offer insight into notions of gender and sexuality in nineteenth-century Bali.

The first monolingual Malay dictionary was compiled by Raja Ali Haji out of concern that the Malay language and culture were in a process of ongoing degeneration. He also included words referring to sex and bodily functions so that Malays would know when and where not to use them. The dictionary is thus a refreshing alternative to somewhat Victorian-inspired dictionaries from the nineteenth century.

The Sěrat candraning wanita (Book of descriptions of women) is a voluminous Javanese manuscript written in Yogyakarta in the 1930s. This handbook for would-be husbands is basically an instruction manual, informing its (male) readers how to choose a good wife/sexual partner (based on physiognomy) and how sex works (based on ‘the etiquette of sexual intercourse’). It can be regarded as the swansong of pre-modern Javano-Muslim erotology.

As issues of gender and sexuality become an increasingly important focus in cultural studies, the work of the once popular woman writer of the 1950s and 1960s, Thidaa Bunnaak, draws Thai literature into the debate. This paper investigates the sexually explicit nature of Thidaa's fiction and the multiple meanings that erotic references might hold.

This study offers insights into the popular nôm poetry written by Hô Xuân Hu'o'ng, who brought to life the battles of the sexes, the power of the female body versus male authority, human weakness and desire and a range of issues and experiences potentially detrimental to women's status and aspirations. This study also examines the treatment of Hô Xuân Hu'o'ng's poetry by present-day Vietnamese.

The VOC's Burma trade was based on Indian textiles, particularly the cheaper, coarser varieties which would have been surprisingly affordable to the common man or woman. Burmese profits helped fill the coffers of the Company's factories in Coromandel and Bengal. In the end, however, the VOC's establishment in Burma became the victim of a general change in Dutch fortunes.

For a long time, the Central Plain of Thailand has been integrated within the market economy; the resulting tenancy has often been attributed to growing social differentiation. Landowner–tenant relations constitute a focal point that mirrors economic, social and political issues. This paper focuses on these relationships and their evolution during the twentieth century. The overall picture is more balanced than commonly assumed, especially for the last thirty years, during which time real rents are shown to have declined.