This is part of two of us revisiting the Minangkabau matrilineal society. In the previous episode, we talked about Ruhana Kuddus, Indonesia’s First Female Journalist. In this episode, we’re going to talk about Soenting Melajoe, the pioneering indigenous women&#39;s newspaper published from 1912-1921 in the Minangkabau community in West Sumatra. Research and writing for this episode was in collaboration with Joanna Que, with additional research from AJ Miras-Guevarra. If you haven’t listened to episode 25 yet, go check that out first as we’ll be referencing that here. Thank you to our patrons: Geraineon, Lawrence, Beverly, Xiaomei by Milish, Jennifer, Christina, Raymond, Matt, Ashley, Asha, Chanda, and Yati. For more HERstory Southeast Asia, head on over to Patreon for the bonus episodes: An interview with Haldi Patra on the Minangkabau matriarchal society; Ma Ying Taphan and the Krom Klone; Nyai Gede Pinateh, the Harbour Master of Gresik; Queen Suriyothai and the War Elephants; Paz Marquez Benitez and Dead Stars; The Rise and Fall of the Acehnese Queens, 1641 to 1699;  The Portrait of Dara Rasami; The Women of No. 14 Lebuh Leith; and Burmese journalists Ludu Daw Amar and Ma Ma Lay (Upcoming) Along with the bonus episodes, you get access to full scripts and reference materials. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @herstoryseapod. That’s herstory S-E-A pod. This podcast was hosted and edited by Agas Ramirez. Tracks: Goddess of War - Unicorn Heads Song of Sadhana - Jesse Gallagher Hello 6am - Mylar Melodies Shameless Life Wisdom Sendoff - pATCHES 

HERstory: Southeast Asia

26 | The Soenting Melajoe Women's Newspaper 1912-1921

In the next couple of episodes, we’re revisiting the Minangkabau matrilineal society, specifically through Ruhana Kuddus, Indonesia’s First Female Journalist, and Soenting Melajoe, the pioneering indigenous women&#39;s newspaper published from 1912-1921 in the Minangkabau community in West Sumatra. Research and writing for this episode was in collaboration with Joanna Que, with additional research by AJ Miras-Guevarra. Listen to the full episodes for free with the link in bio and get access to more episodes through ⁠PATREON.⁠ An interview with Haldi Patra on the Minangkabau matriarchal society; Ma Ying Taphan and the Krom Klone; Nyai Gede Pinateh, the Harbour Master of Gresik; Queen Suriyothai and the War Elephants; Paz Marquez Benitez and Dead Stars; The Rise and Fall of the Acehnese Queens, 1641 to 1699; The Portrait of Dara Rasami; The Women of No. 14 Lebuh Leith; and Ludu Daw Amar and Ma Ma Lay (upcoming) Tracks: Theme Music: Goddess of War - Unicorn Heads Dolphin-esque - Godmode Spring Thaw - Asher Fulero 

25 | Ruhana Kuddus: Indonesia’s First Female Journalist

In this episode, we’ll examine the Burmese Women of the Khit Kala, the women of the times, the “It girls” of colonial Burma. Beginning in the 1920s, they were seen in magazines, advertisements, and newspapers, a clear and controversial symbol of change that mirrors what other women went through in the Southeast Asian colonial period. Thank you to our patrons: Yati, Charlie, Shereen, Matt, Raymond, Christina, Jennifer, Xiaomei by Milish, Beverly, Lawrence, and Airene. Airene joined the Patreon just last month so welcome and I hope you’re enjoying the additional content especially the bonus episodes! We have: An interview with Haldi Patra on the Minangkabau matriarchal society; Ma Ying Taphan and the Krom Klone; Nyai Gede Pinateh, the Harbour Master of Gresik; Queen Suriyothai and the War Elephants; Paz Marquez Benitez and Dead Stars; The Rise and Fall of the Acehnese Queens, 1641 to 1699; The Portrait of Dara Rasami; and The Women of No. 14 Lebuh Leith If you want to join the Patreon, you can give as little as $1 to get a copy of the show notes with all the references, a shout out at the end of the next episode, and of course access to the bonus Cover Photo: Two girls in new fashions at the Shwe Dagon Pagoda, 1947. Henri Cartier-Bresson. Tracks: Goddess of War - Unicorn Heads 1940&#39;s Slow Dance - Doug Maxwell_Media Right Productions Soothsayer - John Patitucci 

24 | The Burmese Women of the Khit Kala

Thank you to our patrons: Yati, Charlie, Shereen, Matt, Raymond, Christina, Jennifer, Xiaomeiby Milish, Beverly, Alyssa, and Lawrence. This is Part 3 of the series on Meet Me at the Manila Carnival. For 31 years, young women from across the country vied for the title of Miss Manila Carnival, then Miss Philippines, navigating racial prejudice and standards of beauty, and becoming an integral part of the nation-building process. Now, we’ll talk about the End of an Era, 1927-1939, the final years of the pageant before the outbreak of the Second World War. If you want to join the Patreon, you can give as little as $1 to get a copy of the show notes with all the references, a shout out at the end of the next episode, and access to bonus episodes. We have:  An interview with Haldi Patra on the Minangkabau matriarchal society; Ma Ying Taphan and the Krom Klone; Nyai Gede Pinateh, the Harbour Master of Gresik; Queen Suriyothai and the War Elephants; Paz Marquez Benitez and Dead Stars; The Rise and Fall of the Acehnese Queens, 1641 to 1699;  The Portrait of Dara Rasami; and The Women of No. 14 Lebuh Leith Tracks (Theme Music) Goddess of War by Unicorn Heads Buhat - Rudy Concepción and Rosario Moreno - Tunay na Ina (1939) Invisible Beauty by Aakash Gandhi Miss Universe Theme Main Title 

23.3 | Meet Me at the Manila Carnival: End of an Era (1927-1939)

We’re continuing our deep dive into the Manila Carnival, a two-week festival held during the early American colonial period which culminated in the crowning of the queen and her court at an elaborate formal ball. For 31 years, young women from across the country vied for the title, navigating racial prejudice and standards of beauty, and becoming an integral part of the nation-building process. Last time, we talked about the origins of the Manila Carnival and how we found our first queen, in so many senses of the word, in Pura Garcia Villanueva Kalaw. Listen to that episode first if you haven’t. Now, in part 2 we’ll follow the Carnival as it comes into its own. This is Part Two: Becoming Miss Philippines, 1909 to 1926. If you want to join the PATREON, you can give as little as $1 to get a copy of the show notes with all the references, a shout out at the end of the next episode, and access to bonus episodes. We have: An interview with Haldi Patra on the Minangkabau matriarchal society; Ma Ying Taphan and the Krom Klone; Nyai Gede Pinateh, the Harbour Master of Gresik; Queen Suriyothai and the War Elephants; Paz Marquez Benitez and Dead Stars; The Rise and Fall of the Acehnese Queens, 1641 to 1699; The Portrait of Dara Rasami; and The Women of No. 14 Lebuh Leith Thank you to our patrons: Aqilah, Karen, Kheiro, Xiaomei BY Milish, Jennifer, Christina, Raul, Raymond, Matt, Shereen, Charli, and Yati. Next time, in the third installment of Meet Me at the Manila Carnival, we’ll talk about the End of an Era, 1927-1939, the final years of the pageant before the outbreak of the Second World War.

23.2 | Meet Me at the Manila Carnival: Becoming Miss Philippines (1909-1926)

In the next few episodes, we’re taking a deep dive into the Manila Carnival, a two-week festival held during the early American colonial period which culminated in the crowning of the queen and her court at an elaborate formal ball. For 31 years, young women from across the country vied for the title, navigating racial prejudice and standards of beauty, and becoming an integral part of the nation-building process. This is Part One: The Queen of the Orient, 1908, which talks about the origins of the festival and the first queen, Pura Villanueva Kalaw. Join the Patreon for as little as $1 to get a copy of the show notes with all the references, a shout out at the end of the next episode, and access to bonus episodes: Nyai Gede Pinateh, the Harbour Master of Gresik; An interview with Haldi Patra on the Minangkabau matriarchal society; Ma Ying Taphan and the Krom Klone; Queen Suriyothai and the War Elephants; Paz Marquez Benitez and Dead Stars; The Rise and Fall of the Acehnese Queens, 1641 to 1699; and The Women of No. 14 Lebuh Leith. The song in this episode is Bodabil by Andre Lagoy. Bodabil is an indigenized form of vaudeville, introduced in the Philippines around the time of the Manila Carnival. Hope you enjoyed his song inspired by it. Check out Andre Lagoy’s music on Facebook and Spotify. Thank you to our patrons: Alyssa, Beverly, Karen, Kheiro, Xiaomei BY Milish, Jennifer, Christina, Raul, Raymond, Matt, Shereen, Charli, and Yati. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @herstoryseapod. There are so many more stories to tell and we’re just getting started. This podcast was hosted and edited by Agas Ramirez. Tracks: Theme Music: Goddess of War by Unicorn Heads Jesse&#39;s Carnival Waltz - The Great North Sound Society Dios te salve Maria - Christian David On Foot - Underbelly & Ty Mayer 

23.1 | Meet Me at the Manila Carnival: The Queen of the Orient (1908)

In this episode, we’re going to talk about the many lives of Emiria Sunassa, a pioneer of Indonesian modern art, who was also a nurse, singer, pianist, and traveler, who claimed to be a princess of the Tidore sultanate. Emiria was one of only three female artists in Persatuan Ahli Gambar Indonesia (PERSAGI). The other two were Saptarita Latif and Tridjoto Abdullah. However, in contrast to the two other women artists, Emiria started painting individually. She was not linked to any nationalist movements before she became involved with art. PERSAGI's nationalistic vigour came from an unmistakably masculine perspective; most of the paintings represented common subject matter: self-portraitures, still-lifes and, most importantly, the portrayal of the Indonesian people during and after the revolutionary period - and yet they were limited to the island of Java. Emiria’s choice of subject matter offered a different perspective of the new nation. - Dr Wulan Dirgantoro in Feminisms and Contemporary Art in Indonesia If you want to join the Patreon, you can give as little as $1 to get a copy of the show notes with all the references, a shout out at the end of the next episode, and access to bonus episodes. We have: Nyai Gede Pinateh, the Harbour Master of Gresik; An interview with Haldi Patra on the Minangkabau matriarchal society; Ma Ying Taphan and the Krom Klone; Queen Suriyothai and the War Elephants; Paz Marquez Benitez and Dead Stars; The Rise and Fall of the Acehnese Queens, 1641 to 1699; and The Women of No. 14 Lebuh Leith Thank you to our patrons: Aqilah, Karen, Kheiro, Xiaomei BY Milish, Jennifer, Christina, Raul, Raymond, Matt, Shereen, Charli, and Yati. Aqilah joined the Patreon just last month so, welcome! Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @herstoryseapod.  There are so many more stories to tell and we’re just getting started. This podcast was hosted and edited by Agas Ramirez. Tracks: Theme Music: Goddess of War by Unicorn Heads Violet Spirit by Dan Henig Tanah Papua: A Paradise for Birds by Cornell Lab of Ornithology No.1 A Minor Waltz by Esther Abrami Papua New Guinea - Enga Traditional Music (197?) - Vinyl Reincarnation  Greater Bird-of-Paradise by Cornell Lab of Ornithology Dolphin-esque by Godmode 

22 | The Many Lives of Emiria Sunassa

PATREON EXCLUSIVE | A couple of months ago, I took a very memorable trip to George Town, the  capital city of the Malaysian state of Penang. It was founded as an  entrepôt in 1786 and was the first British settlement in Southeast Asia.  Currently, it’s the second largest city in Malaysia and possibly number  one in my heart. So, digressing from our usual format, this bonus episode will take you through some parts of this trip, and by the end perhaps I can convince you to visit too. No. 14 Lebuh Leith is the address of the Cheong Fatt Tze Mansion, also known as the Blue Mansion, the most prominent Chinese garden-style architectural example in Malaysia and sometimes called the most photographed building in Penang. EXCERPT: Once they let us inside, they took us to the open courtyard, where two pillars and two trees stood, said to be the center of energy according to Feng Shui. The mansion in general is in the Chinese siheyuan architectural style but reflects the eclectic background of the trader Cheong Fatt Tze, with Gothic windows, stained glass, and Glasgow cast iron works by MacFarlane's for example. The mansion has 38 rooms, 7 staircases, 5 courtyards, and 220 windows. I would not want to be the person cleaning this house. Up the polished wooden staircase, on the second floor, is a series of rooms displaying the house’s history as well as artifacts left behind by the original occupants. One room, which of course sparked my interest, had a collection of women’s clothing, and some information about the women who lived on no. 14, Lebuh Leith.

Bonus Episode | Excerpt from "The Women of No. 14 Lebuh Leith"

In this episode, we’re going to talk about the Black and White Amahs — Chinese women from the southern provinces of China who emigrated to the Straits Settlements and the Malay States in the 1930s and established themselves as domestic servants par excellence. The beautiful song in this episode is Penang Hill by Malaysian singer songwriter RJ Kevin. HERstory Southeast Asia was a finalist at the Asia Podcast Festival Awards held in Singapore on December 4. Our category was best arts, society, and culture podcast and it was ultimately won by Miss Conduct: An Indian True Crime Podcast with Ragavi and Nisha. Please do check them out as they are doing excellent work in spotlighting women’s stories in their unique and often humorous way. Also check out Fidellithy Tan's The History of Colonisation for chronological introduction to the history of European imperialism and colonialism from a history student's perspective. The theme music is Goddess of War by Unicorn Heads. If you want more HERstory, go over to the Patreon and join Karen, Keiro, Xiaomei, Jennifer, Christina, Raul, Raymond, Matt, Ashley, Charlie, and Yati who have been supporting the show. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @herstoryseapod. That’s herstory S-E-A pod.

21 | The Black and White Amahs of Penang

In this episode, we are going to meet Erb Bunnag, a woman whose photographs give us a rare and important glimpse into the early 20th-century Siamese royal court. Chao Chom (royal consort) Erb Bunnag is a rather unique historical figure. I’m happy to report that there ARE sources of information about her, although they’re mostly academic. "Erb's insightful photos of Bangkok women suggest the ease of an aristocrat long acknowledged in Siamese society and politics. At a time when European colonizers considered annexing Siam, Thais accepted and imitated the culture and tastes of the outside world, especially command of the English language, writing, dance-drama, and other avocations.” (Snodgrass, 2019: 30)  Also check out Fidellithy Tan's The History of Colonisation for chronological introduction to the history of European imperialism and colonialism from a history student's perspective. The theme music is Goddess of War by Unicorn Heads. This episode includes clips from The King and I's Shall We Dance, André Rieu Live in Bangkok, Float by Geographer, and Animaux Obscenes by Dan Bodan. As always, thank you to our Patrons – Kheiro, Xiaomeiby by Milish, Jennifer, Christina, Raul, Raymond, Chito, Matt, Ashley, Shereen, Charlie, Chanda, Yati, Kara, and Mando. If you want to join the Patreon, you can give as little as $1 to get a copy of the show notes with all the references, a shout out at the end of the next episode, and access to bonus episodes. Don’t forget to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram @herstoryseapod.

20 | Erb Bunnag's Photographs of Early 20th-Century Siam

PATREON EXCLUSIVE. Extremely excited to share this bonus episode with you on the 4 queens of Aceh who ruled from 1641 to 1699, beginning with Sultanah Safiatuddin or Taj al-Alam Safiatuddin Syah. Unlike the four queens of Patani, this was not an unbroken lineage.  EXCERPT: Khan argues that maintaining peace and stability so commerce could thrive was an even bigger challenge than the ones faced by the male predecessors of the Acehnese queens. During the time of the queens, although the VOC might have controlled a larger share of the international trade in this region by the end of the century, Aceh’s regional trade continued to thrive and, as a trading port which served private traders from all over the world, Aceh’s international commercial networks continued to be resilient. By the end of the reigns of these women sovereigns, Malay writing and literature in Aceh had developed to a height unrivalled till today: this could be said to constitute the real golden age in Acehnese history. Sorry, Iskandar Muda. The book really goes into detail so I recommend reading it, the text is already up in our resource library under Episode 19.

Bonus Episode | Excerpt from "The Rise and Fall of the Acehnese Queens, 1641-1699"

PATREON EXCLUSIVE. This bonus episode is supplementary to the Episode 16, Filipino Girlhood in American Colonial Manila, 1908-1939, with Tala Wong. Best if you listen to that first (if you haven't). Paz Marquez Benitez, born in 1894, was known for her athletic prowess, captaining Manila’s first girls’ basketball team, and playing tennis in European dress. In 1925, she published Dead Stars in the Philippine Herald, widely acknowledged to be the first modern English short story written by a Filipino, giving rise to a new generation of writers and writing that we still enjoy today. The cover photo is the one accompanying an article entitled, “The Real Paz Marquez Benitez,” from the Philippine Free Press, Oct. 4, 1933.

Bonus Episode | Excerpt from "Paz Marquez Benitez and Dead Stars"

PATREON EXCLUSIVE. This is a Patreon bonus episode on Suriyothai, a queen who fought and died during the Burmese–Siamese War of 1547 to 1549. We go into the royal family drama at the time because it is a doozy and a half. And war elephants. I have a ton of feelings about war elephants.

Bonus Episode | Excerpt from "Queen Suriyothai and the War Elephants"

PATREON EXCLUSIVE. In the regular episode, we talked about Dyah Gitarja, the third monarch of the Majapahit Empire. The Majapahit Empire lasted from the 1200s until the late 15th or early 16th century. Around 1500, there was a Chinese-Muslim trader who rose to prominence in that part of the world. This is a bonus episode about Shi Daniang, better known as Nyai Gede Pinateh, the Harbourmaster of Gresik.

Bonus Episode | Excerpt from "Nyai Gede Pinateh, the Harbourmaster of Gresik"

PATREON EXCLUSIVE. The Krom Klone were the all-female bodyguard of the King of Siam. They were established in 1688 and were a well-disciplined force, responsible for the security of the royal family and the maintenance of order within the palace grounds.

Bonus Episode | Excerpt from "Ma Ying Taphan and the Krom Klone"

Welcome to HERstory, the history of Southeast Asia, told from her perspective. We’ll discover historical figures, matriarchal societies, and contemporary female icons — and maybe learn about ourselves along the way. Season 1 focuses on the Southeast Asian age of commerce up to the colonial period.

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HERstory: Southeast Asia

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