The "Million City" in Southeast Asia

Abstract

IN A world survey of cities with a population of one or more, made in I93 I, Mark Jefferson, could not include a single representative from Southeast Asia. Since I945 five cities in this area have attained status-Jakarta, Manila, Saigon, Bangkok, and Singapore. Of all major political units in this part of Asia, only Burma has failed to produce a million city. In Malaya, most highly urbanized country, 35 per cent of population live in towns of 5000 or more, and towns of more than io,ooo increased their population by 52.6 per cent in last intercensal period, I93I-I947. But concept of Southeast Asia as an area of rural peoples with a rhythm of life determined by rice cultivation is still largely correct. The proportion of urban dwellers is about average for Asian continent, and, except possibly in Java, there are far fewer cities, in relation to level of population, than in either South or East Asia. By Western standards countries of Southeast Asia had only one city apiece until very recently. Most of other settlements of any size were overgrown villages, and in some degree they still retain aspects of their village origin. In Southeast Asia evolution of indigenous cities on Chinese or Indian scale was not possible. Chesneaux2 suggests that many of large indigenous Asian cities grew up within the traditional framework of great agricultural empires, but in both peninsular and archipelagic Southeast Asia physical fragmentation, reinforced by a great diversity of peoples, hindered development of large states. Though occasionally established, they were highly unstable and of short duration. The princely houses of petty native states were insufficient stimuli to city growth, and commerce was equally inadequate. The only effective impulse, as Credner3 points out, was a favorable combination of trade foci with administrative, military, and religious functions of highest order. Dependence on changeable watercourses for irrigated rice culture and transportation, and personal whim of ruler, produced a marked arbitrariness

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