Elites and the Construction of the Nation in Southeast Asia

Abstract

The features that set elites apart from the mass of the population, be they power, wealth, piety, athletic ability, artistic skill, or something else, exist and are valued within specific geographical and social contexts. In Southeast Asia these contexts changed following the introduction of colonial rule, and again with the transition to independence. In each case some elements of the existing elite group survived the change but others did not, and each transition brought the emergence of new elites.