Call for Panelists and Chair/Discussant: AAS-in-Asia, Bangkok, Thailand

Over the past several decades, scholarship has challenged the traditional association between monarchies and pre-modern politics. Works by Takashi Fujitani and Maurizio Peleggi, for example, have explored some of the ways in which Asian monarchies responded to global changes and refashioned imperial authority for the modern era. This panel intends to build on these foundational works to explore the relationship between monarchies, imperial authority, and the development of modern nation-states in Asia.

We have two papers so far, both from historians of China. Dan Barish (Assistant Professor of East Asian History, Baylor University) examines ways in which multiple twentieth century regimes in China attempted to draw on lingering imperial charisma to enhance their authority by incorporating Puyi, the last emperor of the overthrown Qing Dynasty, into their new regimes. Xia Shi (Assistant Professor of History, New College of Florida), through the lens of gender and family, investigates the “revolutionary” act of Puyi’s concubine’s demand for a divorce, showing how this widely publicized incident impacted the prestige of former imperial institutions in a new age of the Republic and modern print media.

To assemble a diverse panel, we invite scholars from a variety of disciplines (not just history) and backgrounds to join us and share their research on a wide range of issues related to monarchies and modernity across different Asian countries (such as Japan and Thailand). Potential paper topics could include, but are not limited to: how did monarchies navigate changing economic landscapes while maintaining political control? How did monarchs deal with political violence, censorship, and environmental disasters? How did monarchies argue for their continued authority amidst changing cultural/political norms, including human rights demands from their populations, and how did monarchies respond to challenges to their rule brought by diverse ethnic and religious communities seeking new freedoms or national sovereignty?

In addition to 1-2 panelists, we are also seeking a chair and a discussant for our panel. If you are interested in participating and contributing in this capacity, please contact us as well!

Please send a paper abstract of 250 words (maximum) with a brief bio to: Dan Barish: [email protected] or Xia Shi [email protected].

For more about the conference, please see: http://www.asian-studies.org/Conferences/AAS-in-ASIA-Conferences/Thailan...

The conference panel proposal submission deadline is Monday, October 22. If you are interested in joining the panel, please respond by Sunday, October 7 with your abstract. We will get back to you as soon as possible to confirm your participation. If space remains on the panel after the initial CFP period, we will be happy to accommodate additional proposals.