This first volume in a two-volume set provides the only comprehensive, Western-language history of Pan-Asianism through primary sources and commentaries. The book argues that Pan-Asianism, often-—though unfairly—associated with the Yellow Peril, has been a powerful political and ideological force in modern Asia. It has shaped national identities and strongly influenced the development of international relations across Asia and the Pacific. Scholars have long recognized the importance of Pan-Asianism as an ideal of Asian solidarity, regional cooperation, and integration but also as an ideology that justified imperialist expansion and military aggression. Yet sustained research has been hampered by the difficulty of accessing primary sources.

Thoroughly remedying this problem, this unique sourcebook provides a wealth of documents on Pan-Asianism from 1850 to 1920, many translated for the first time from Asian languages. All sources are accompanied by expert commentaries that provide essential background information. Providing an essential overview of Pan-Asianism as it developed throughout modern Asia, this collection will be an indispensable tool for scholars in history, political science, international relations, and sociology. Its accessible presentation makes it a valuable resource for non-specialists as well.

Review

This is an extraordinary undertaking, simply breathtaking in the range of writings it introduces to an English-speaking readership. The two volumes contain Pan-Asian writings by many well-known Japanese, Chinese, Korean, Indian, Indonesian, and Malaysian authors, in addition to manifestos produced by various Pan-Asian organizations. It is particularly helpful that these translations are introduced by essays written by leading scholars in the field. These two books together make an important scholarly contribution by opening up access to an area of modern history that has remained largely impenetrable to many of us. (Naoko Shimazu, University of London )

'Pan-Asianism' galvanized—and still galvanizes—political imaginations from Afghanistan to Japan, from the Suez to Sakhalin, in an array of sometimes conflicting projects: defense against 'the West,' internal colonialism, transnational class solidarity, and celebration of religious and other traditions. These volumes, in translating seminal works from many languages and presenting skilled commentary, provide an unprecedented basis for a historical understanding of this perplexing yet vital concept. A gift to scholars and students for years to come. (Julia Adeney Thomas, University of Notre Dame )