Warring Societies of Pre-colonial Southeast AsiaLorge’s terms, only a “relative” advantage, not a “decisive” one. Where
these firearms were produced, whether inside or outside Southeast Asia’s
Pacific Rimlands, is often hard to say. It has to be remembered that the
Pacific periphery of Southeast Asia was not the home to vast reserves of
iron, copper and tin. The fact that so little is known about indigenous
gunpowder weapon production is a sign that such production must
have been insignificant in the rather small manufacturing sections of the
Pacific Rimland economies. By the beginning of the sixteenth century,
the weapons nevertheless must have been of Asian origin, but as time
progressed European hardware became increasingly important. To this
element of lack of “technological quality” should be added the small size
of the armed forces of the region mentioned above. Having said this, it
is easy to underline Lorge’s position with a statement that the Pacific
periphery of Southeast Asia was far behind the forefront of the “Asian
military revolution”. Consequently, when the Portuguese, Spaniards,
and Dutch, being experienced representatives of the “European military
revolution”, appeared on the scene, the Pacific Rimlanders, inhabiting
island areas easily accessible from the sea, were among the first in Asia
to be subdued. Hence, Victor Lieberman is right in saying, “... from the
sixteenth century the sea, which had protected Southeast Asia from sus-
tained attack by external actors, became an avenue for such incursions.”^17
- Lorge, Asian Military Revolution, 10; Lieberman, Strange Parallels, 2.769.