ANDAYAS TALK AT THE PERANAKAN MUSEUM 3 APRIL 2012
LEONARD ANDAYA: PORTUGUESE EURASIANS
About the Topasses of Timor: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topasses
May or may not have real Portuguese blood.
Important military force who moved from Nusa Tengara & Makassar to Oecussi in East Timor. Oecussi was first Portuguese settlement in Timor which remains the enclave of East Timor surrounded by Indonesia today. Powerful military, Catholic spiritual and economic force that later even fought with the "proper" white Portuguese colonials later on. Appropriated Portuguese imperial reputation for own regional imperial ambitions.
BARBARA ANDAYA: SEXUAL RELATIONS AND STRANGER KINGS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA
Long history of Southeast Asian hospitality to visiting traders by providing women. Not as prostitutes but as temporary wives that helped to:
- Build bridges with local businesses
- Trade and sell merchandise in local markets
- Negotiate local bureaucracy
For locals, the practice:
- Build/cement international trading links
- Diversify DNA
- Brings wealth and prestige to the families (even kings and chiefs offer daughters to captains, while common men offer daughters to lowly sailors)
- Brings access to foreign merchandise
- Children from such marriages ("half castes") are multilingual and excellent interlocutor to international trade; also valued advisors to rulers
Foreigners tend to stay for several years. During term of temporary marriage, no extramarital affairs. Marriage allowed to be dissolved if trader leaves country for good or greater than 3 years.
Practice broke down by 17th/18th century when too many traders arrived.
Traders no longer behaved like good sons-in-laws but treated women as prostitutes. Domestic violence. Shorter voyage timing also meant no need for long term relationships. Half castes now despised.
But shadows of tradition remain in the form of Isteri kontrak - contract wife – in Jakarta.
{TWC:} Or SPGs in SG
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