Includes bibliographical references (pages 297-316) and index.

Introduction -- Women and "Southeast Asia" -- Early modernity, sources, and women's history -- Women and religious change -- Women and economic change -- States, subjects, and households -- Women, courts, and class -- Being female in "early modern" Southeast Asia -- Conclusion.

""The Princess of the Flaming Womb," the Javanese legend that introduces this study, symbolizes the many ambiguities attached to femaleness in Southeast Asian societies. Yet despite these ambiguities, the relatively egalitarian nature of male-female relations in Southeast Asia is central to arguments claiming a coherent identity for the region. This work by scholar Barbara Watson Andaya considers such contradictions while offering a thought-provoking view of Southeast Asian history that focuses on women's roles and perceptions. Andaya explores the broad themes of the early modern era (1500-1800) - the introduction of new religions, major economic shifts, changing patterns of state control, the impact of elite lifestyles and behaviors - drawing on an extraordinary range of sources and citing numerous examples from Thai, Vietnamese, Burmese, Philippine, and Malay societies. In the process, she provides a timely and innovative model for putting women back into world history" "The Flaming Womb makes a contribution to a Southeastern Asian history that is both regional and global in content and perspective. It offers a new view of the region that will appeal to students and specialists in a variety of disciplines."--Jacket.