The Asian Studies WWW Monitor: Apr 2005
Vol. 12, No. 7 (232)

28 Apr 2005

China Historical GIS, Version 3 - Apr 2005
Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, US
Supplied note: "CHGIS China Historical Geographic Information System. New Release of Version 3 Datasets (April 2005)
We are pleased to announce the release of the China Historical GIS - Version 3, providing a fully documented database of historical administrative units in China.
The new datasets may be accessed directly on our website using a search engine for specific placenames, or the individual GIS layers may be downloaded free of charge for academic use.
Contents of the new release include: a) Time Series datasets (from 222 BCE to 1911 CE) for the region covered by modern Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Fujian, Jiangxi, Guangdong, and Hunan. b) Datasets for the Qing Dynasty as of circa 1820. c) Datasets as of circa 1911 for the region covered by Fujian, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, Guangdong, Anhui, Jiangxi, Hunan, Hubei, Henan, Shandong, Shaanxi, Gansu, and all but the northern reaches of Shanxi and Zhili. d) 1990 CITAS data (Provinces, Prefectures, and Counties) joined with basic census statistics. e) Frontier Regions datasets (circa 1875 - 1900) covering areas in Tibet, Qinghai, Xinjiang, and Mongolia, as digitized from Russian historical maps. f) Topographic background images, processed from remote sensing Digital Elevation Models. g) Digital Scans of Southwest China Maps by Joseph Rock.
The complete contents of the datasets listed above are available for free download by registering your name, institution and email address at [the URL below] A CD-ROM will be published in Summer 2005 and will be available for $7.50 from Cheng & Tsui Company (www.cheng-tsui.com).
Placenames may also be looked up using our simple online search engine, which requires no registration or special software. Currently online you will find the CHGIS Placename Index, Japan Placename Index, Tan Historical Atlas of China Index, and an East Asian Geographic Feature Type Index.
The next projected release of CHGIS data is expected to be in 2006. It is expected to complete the coverage of 1911 county boundaries to include the Southwest and Northeast and to complete the extension of the historical time series (222 BCE to 1911 CE) to cover the same area.
Editors: Peter K. Bol [pkbol[use"@"]fas.harvard.edu] and Jianxiong Ge. Executive Editors: Merrick Lex Berman [mberman[use"@"]fas.harvard.edu] and Zhimin Man - mlb."
[The CHGIS project has been established in Dec 2000 under the aegis of the Harvard-Yenching Institute and Harvard University. The CHGIS develops a standardized coding system to identify historical administrative units and settlements for different periods in Chinese History. It provides a GIS platform for spatial analysis, temporal statistical modeling, and representation of selected historical units as digital maps. The project, which builds on the work of the late Robert M. Hartwell, intends to make the multi-lingual base GIS available to the scholarly community at no charge through download sites throughout the world. - ed.]
URL http://www.fas.harvard.edu/~chgis/
Internet Archive: http://web.archive.org/web/*/www.fas.harvard.edu/~chgis/
Link reported by: Merrick Lex Berman (mberman[use"@"]fas.harvard.edu), via chgis[use"@"]fas.harvard.edu
* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]: Study/Documents
* Publisher [academic - business - government - library - NGO - other]: Academic
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]: Essential
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000 - under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: under 300

21 Apr 2005

Books on India, Books from India
Eastern Book Corporation, Delhi, India.
Supplied note: " Our website [...] caters to the need of researchers and scholars on Indian Studies. It offers Books from India at cheapest prices on various subjects like Indian and Southasian studies, Art & Architecture, Archaeology, Literature, History, Religion, Philosophy, Hinduism, Buddhism, etc. - sg."
Site contents: * Search;* Subject List (Art, Archaeology, Ayurveda, Anthropology, Defence Studies, Economics, Environment, Education, Fauna/Flora, History, Literature, Medicine, Miscellaneous, Politics, Performing Arts, Religion, Science/Technology, Sociology, Tantra, Women Stu., Yoga, Zoology/Wildlife); * About Us; * Customer Service; * Books of The Month; * Contact Us; * Feedback Form;
URL http://www.easternbookcorporation.com/
Internet Archive http://web.archive.org/web/*/www.easternbookcorporation.com/
Link reported by: Shailesh Gupta (eastbook[use"@"]vsnl.com)
* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]: Corporate Info.
* Publisher [academic - business - govt. - library/museum - NGO - other]: Business
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]: Useful
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000 - under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: under 3,000

20 Apr 2005

China Heritage Newsletter
China Heritage Project, Division of Pacific and Asian History, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies The Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.
Supplied note: "This is to let you know that we have recently [March 2005 - ed.] launched a new online [quarterly] publication. The 'China Heritage Newsletter' [at the URL below] covers issues related to Chinese archaeology, culture, art, museums and history. Edited jointly by Bruce Doar and Geremie Barme, this quarterly newsletter has themed issues and regular features. The first issue takes as its theme the introduction of 'heritage' (tangible and intangible) to China. It also features articles on the latest developments in Beijing urban planning and preservation, recent news about the Great Wall, as well as containing a long report on a heritage hydrology site in Sichuan. - grb."
Site contents: * Editorial; * Features; * Articles; * Briefs; * New Scholarship; * Behind the Scenes; * Links (East Asian History, China Archaeology, Morrison Lectures, Pacific & Asian History); *Archives.
URL http://www.chinaheritagenewsletter.org
Internet Archive (www.archive.org) [the site was not archived at the time of this abstract.]
Link reported by: Geremie R. Barme (geremie.barme[use"@"]anu.edu.au), forwarded by Jude Shanahan (judith.shanahan[use"@"]anu.edu.au)
* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]: Study/News
* Publisher [academic - business - govt. - library/museum - NGO - other]: Academic
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]: Useful
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000 - under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: under 30

18 Apr 2005

ResearchSEA - Asia's research news portal
ResearchSEA Limited, Truro, Cornwall, UK.
Supplied note: "We will soon launch a new service which will serve as a 1-stop source for journalists to get daily news and easy access to experts in Asia. [...] ResearchSEA, Asia's first research news portal will launch in May 2005. To celebrate the launch, we are offering 2 months FREE trial of our standard services to institutions conducting research in Asia. ResearchSEA is interested in details of groundbreaking research and experts who will speak to the media about their work. We want to know about international R&D conferences organised for 2005/06. ResearchSEA will provide Asian researchers, their own media platform to tell the world about their breakthroughs. For more information, please contact ResearchSEA at launch[use"@"]researchsea.com or visit [the URL below]." - mp."
Site contents: * Research News (Science, Technology, Medicine, Business, Culture, People, All Latest News); * Resources (Focus On..., Ask An Expert, Institutions, Events Calendar, Announcements, Archives, My Account); * General Info (About ResearchSEA, What's New, Contact Us)
[A site under construction - ed.]
URL http://www.researchsea.com/
Internet Archive (www.archive.org) [the site was not archived at the time of this abstract.]
Link reported by: Magdeline Pokar (m.pokar[use"@"]researchsea.com)
* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]: Corporate Info.
* Publisher [academic - business - govt. - library/museum - NGO - other]: Business
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]: rating not available
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000 - under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: under 30

18 Apr 2005

Baloch Shadow over Wen Jiabao's Visit
Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, India
Supplied note: "The latest paper of the Institute For Topical Studies, A-2/3, Bharathi Dasan Colony, K.K.Nagar, Chennai---600078, India, on the above subject is now available at the web site of the South Asia Analysis Group (SAAG), New Delhi, at [the URL below] - br."
[Extract: "The decision by the Pakistani and the Chinese authorities to cancel the programme for the formal inauguration of the newly-constructed Gwadar port by  the Chinese Prime Minister Mr Wen Jiabao during his recent visit to Pakistan gave a clear indication of the further deterioration in the situation in Balochistan." - b.raman]
[The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Distinguished Fellow and Convenor, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Chennai Chapter - ed.]
URL http://www.saag.org/papers14/paper1339.html
Internet Archive (www.archive.org) [the paper was not archived at the time of this abstract. However, in a few weeks time it will be available at web.archive.org/web/*/www.saag.org]
Link reported by: B. Raman (corde[use"@"]vsnl.com)
* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]: Study
* Publisher [academic - business - government - library - NGO - other]: NGO
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]: Useful
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000 - under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: under 30

18 Apr 2005

Bookshop of India
Bookshop of India, Jaipur, India.
Supplied note: "[W]e [...] have a website at [the URL below] with lot of books on asia and asian studies. - sb."
Site contents: * Subjects: Ancient History; Anthropology; Archaeology; Architecture; Art & Archeology; Art & Craft; Astrology; Audios; Ayurveda; Bibliographies; Biology; Buddhism; CD Titles; Chemistry; Children Books; Commerce; Competitive Examinations; Computer; Computer Crime; Cookery; Criminology; Culture; Dance; Defence Studies; Development Studies; Dictionaries & Encyclopedias; Drug & Narcotic Studies; Earth Sciences; Ecology; Economics & Commerce; Education; Engineering; Environmental Studies; Epic Books; Fiction; Fisheries; Food & Nutrition; Forensic Science; Forestry & Wildlife; Gender Studies; General Science; Gift Books; Health; Hinduism; History; How to Series; Human Rights; Humour; Indian Polity; Indology; Islamic Books; Jainism; Journalism; Law Books & Journals; Library Science; Management; Mathematics; Media & Mass Communication; Medical Books; Military Books; Music; Osho Books; Personality Development; Philosophy & Religion; Police Studies; Religion & Spiritual Books; Rural Development; Sex; Sikhism; Sociology; Sports & Physical Education; Terrorism; The Himalayas; Theater; Tourism; Trekking & Mountaineering; Women and Child Studies; Yoga.
URL http://www.bookshopofindia.com/
Internet Archive http://web.archive.org/web/*/www.bookshopofindia.com/
Link reported by: Sangeeta B. (sales[use"@"]bookshopofindia.com)
* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]: Corporate Info.
* Publisher [academic - business - govt. - library/museum - NGO - other]: Business
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]: Useful
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000 - under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: under 30

17 Apr 2005

South Central China and Tibet - Map and Gazetteer
Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA, US.
South Central China and Tibet: Hotspot of Diversity - Map and Gazetteer.
Self-description: "Joseph Rock traced his travels for the Arboretum's 1924-1927 expedition in a colorful, hand-drawn map entitled 'Ch'ing-Hai upper Yellow River expedition.' The pen-and-ink drawing was made on ten sheets that when joined form a single, irregularly-shaped map, approximately six by eight feet in size. [...] A gazetteer that references the map and the index is now available as a searchable database."
URL http://www.arboretum.harvard.edu/library/tibet/map.html
Internet Archive http://web.archive.org/web/*/www.arboretum.harvard.edu/library/tibet/map.html
Link reported by: Dan Martin (msyben[use"@"]mscc.huji.ac.il)
* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]: Documents/Study
* Publisher [academic - business - govt. - library/museum - NGO - other]: Academic
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]: V.Useful
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000 - under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: under 30

15 Apr 2005

Southeast Asia in the Ming Shi-lu: an open access resource
Asia Research Institute and the Singapore E-Press, National University of Singapore , Singapore
Supplied note "Southeast Asia in the Ming Reign Chronicles (14th-17th Centuries): An English-language translation of Ming shi-lu references to Southeast Asia by Geoff Wade, Asia Research Institute, National University of Singapore. [...] The Ming shi-lu (also known as the Veritable Records of the Ming Dynasty) is a collective name for the successive reign annals of the emperors of Ming China (1368-1644). These collected texts, which run to close to 40,000 pages of unpunctuated, manuscript Classical Chinese constitute one of the most important primary texts of the Ming dynasty, and contain a wealth of materials unrecorded in other sources.
Among the unique materials contained within the Ming shi-lu (MSL) are a wide range of references to polities and societies which today we consider to be parts of 'Southeast Asia'. This work identifies all of the 4,000-plus references to Southeast Asia contained within the MSL and provides them to readers in English-language translation. In addition to the more obvious Southeast Asian polities of maritime and mainland Southeast Asia, this database also includes references to the many Yunnan Tai polities which have subsequently been incorporated within the Chinese state.
The collection can be browsed chronologically or searched by specific terms. To assist in searches, an index of personal and geographical names, with their Chinese equivalents appended, is provided separately. - gw."
Site contents: * About this source; * Browse by year; * Browse by reign; * Place names; * Personal names; * Search.
URL http://www.epress.nus.edu.sg/msl/
Internet Archive (www.archive.org) [the site was not archived at the time of this abstract.]
Link reported by: Geoff Wade (arigpw[use"@"]nus.edu.sg), forwarded by H-ASIA[use"@"]H-NET.MSU.EDU
* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]: Documents/Study
* Publisher [academic - business - govt. - library/museum - NGO - other]: Academic
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]: Essential
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000 - under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: under 30

05 Apr 2005

Terrorism in Thailand: Tech & Tactics Savvy
Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, India
Supplied note: "The latest paper of the Institute For Topical Studies, A-2/3, Bharathi Dasan Colony, K.K.Nagar, Chennai---600078, India, on the above subject is now available at the web site of the South Asia Analysis Group (SAAG), New Delhi, at [the URL below] - br."
[Extract: "The terrorists [in southern Thailand] have been following a modus operandi of targeted killings of Buddhist civilians, many of them monks and teachers, and policemen and other members of the security forces involved in counter-terrorism duties as well as attempts at indiscriminate killings of civilians through the use of explosive devices. [...] In a statement before a joint session of the Thai Parliament on March 29, 2005, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has conceded the possibility that the counter-terrorism methods followed till now might themselves be further fuelling jihadi terrorism. He has promised a more nuanced and softer approach. However, he has not yet spelt out the details of the new approach." - b.raman]
[The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Distinguished Fellow and Convenor, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Chennai Chapter - ed.]
URL http://www.saag.org/papers14/paper1321.html
Internet Archive (www.archive.org) [the paper was not archived at the time of this abstract. However, in a few weeks time it will be available at web.archive.org/web/*/www.saag.org]
Link reported by: B. Raman (corde[use"@"]vsnl.com)
* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]: Study
* Publisher [academic - business - government - library - NGO - other]: NGO
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]: Useful
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000 - under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: under 30

04 Apr 2005

Pipedreams Over Pipelines [in S. Asia]
Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, India
Supplied note: "The latest paper of the Institute For Topical Studies, A-2/3, Bharathi Dasan Colony, K.K.Nagar, Chennai---600078, India, on the above subject is now available at the web site of the South Asia Analysis Group (SAAG), New Delhi, at [the URL below] - br."
[Extract: "While India could by all means go ahead with its talks with Teheran and Yangon in order to give itself the satisfaction of having stood up to US pressure, it should not have any illusions that Teheran or Yangon would be able to execute their project. It would be unwise to base India's energy security plans on the assumption and in the hope that gas would start flowing from Iran and Myanmar tomorrow. It is not for tomorrow. Nor for the day after either. It is a long way off." - b.raman]
[The writer is Additional Secretary (retd), Cabinet Secretariat, Govt. of India, and, presently, Director, Institute For Topical Studies, Chennai, and Distinguished Fellow and Convenor, Observer Research Foundation (ORF), Chennai Chapter - ed.]
URL http://www.saag.org/papers14/paper1314.html
Internet Archive (www.archive.org) [the paper was not archived at the time of this abstract. However, in a few weeks time it will be available at web.archive.org/web/*/www.saag.org]
Link reported by: B. Raman (corde[use"@"]vsnl.com)
* Resource type [news - documents - study - corporate info. - online guide]: Study
* Publisher [academic - business - government - library - NGO - other]: NGO
* Scholarly usefulness [essential - v.useful - useful - interesting - marginal]: Useful
* External links to the resource [over 3,000 - under 3,000 - under 1,000 - under 300 - under 100 - under 30]: under 30

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