State Making in Asia: The State as Human Patrimony (Politics in Asia)

Including contributions from an international team of leading experts, this volume examines state making from a uniquely Asian perspective and reveals some of the misunderstandings that arise when states and state making are judged solely on the basis of Western history. The contributors argue that if we are to understand states in Asia then we must first recognize the particular combination of institution and ideologies embedded in Asian state making and their distinctiveness from the Western experience.

Presenting new empirical and conceptual material based on original research, the book provides a unique theoretical reflection of the state through a thorough comparison of East Asian nations and, as such, will be a valuable resource to scholars of Asian politics and international relations.

Richard Boyd is Reader in the Law and Society of Japan at Leiden University, the Netherlands.

Tak-Wing Ngo is Lecturer in Chinese Politics at Leiden University, the Netherlands.