This book traces the growth of capitalism in South East Asia between 1870 and 1941, a crucial element in understanding contemporary economic and political developments in the region. It focuses on three questions. Why was indigenous capitalism so weak in colonial South East Asia? What were the institutional weaknesses in an otherwise dominant Chinese capitalist class, and why did it fail to transform itself into a modern industrial elite? What was the impact of western colonialism and Japanese economic penetration on South East Asia's prospects for achieving sustainable economic growth?

Acknowledgements - List of Tables and Maps - The Growth of Trade, Trading Networks and Mercantilism in Pre-Colonial South East Asia - Structural Change in Rural South East Asia - Western Capital and Entrepreneurship: Strategy and Structure - The Strength of Western Capital: The Teak Industry - Chinese Response to Competition: Mining - The Chinese Response to Competition: Rubber and Pineapple - Chinese Strategy in Rice: Networks and Restructuring - Chinese Financial Institutions: From Revenue Farms to Modern Banks - Chettiar Credit Networks - Marketing and the Textile Trade: an Indian Success - Entrepreneurship and Property Development: The Case of A.E. Nana - Industrialization - Conclusions - References - Archival Sources - Bibliography - Index