During a time when sea travel and navigation depended more on the skill and courage of sailors than on technology, people were still able to build huge maritime empires that stretched from indochina to the Indonesian Archipelago. "Early Kingdoms" provides an extensive overview of the history of the Malay Peninsula and South East Asia from the earliest of times up to the 16th century. It also includes an in-depth analysis of the international context of the political, economic, and social evolution of these kingdoms - providing essential background knowledge to the region's turbulent modern history. This informative and accessible volume also features an impressive collection of reproductions of major stone inscriptions, as well as an extensive glossary of Sanskrit, old Malay, Javanese, and Tamil words, names, and phrases.