Ethical political economy: Lessons from the Malay world’s Hikayat Abdullah (1849)
| DOI | 10.1177/2057891117749948 |
| Published date | 01 September 2018 |
| Date | 01 September 2018 |
| Author | Alan Chong |
| Subject Matter | Research articles |
Research article
Ethical political economy:
Lessons from the Malay
world’s Hikayat Abdullah (1849)
Alan Chong
Nanyang Technological University, Singapore
Abstract
According to Munshi Abdullah, the author of the Hikayat Abdullah (Annals of Abdullah), ‘knowledge
and skill are the ladder to riches, and riches lead to greatness. Of a truth, all things created by Allah
in this world have their value which can be reckoned in terms of money; learning alone commands
a price which no man can determine’ (Abdullah, 1970: 40). This empowerment of ethical behaviour
through the disciplining of the mind in the practice of principles frames the Hikayat’s approach to
the practice of mercantilism and good government in the service of commerce. This article
interprets the dimensions of this 19th-century Asian vision and uncovers three themes related to
the maritime Silk Road: impartial administration of law and order, beneficent autocracy and the
proper prioritization of wealth and good manners.
Keywords
critique of capitalism, ethical governance, ethics and political economy, legacy of colonialism, Silk
Road politics
Introduction
The Hikayat Abdullah, or the story of Munshi (teacher/educator) Abdullah, is situated in the early
19th century, along what might be termed the Southeast Asian crossroads of the maritime Silk
Road. Within this milieu, there were already mixed settler communities who through inter-
marriage or reasons of pragmatic trading relations claimed indigenous status. It is useful for my
purposes to highlight this genealogical fact as evidence that the Silk Road offers insights into how
boundary-crossing human flows produce significant changes to claims of indigeneity .
Corresponding author:
Alan Chong, S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue, Blk S4,
Level B4, Singapore 639798, Singapore.
Email: iscschong@ntu.edu.sg
Asian Journal of Comparative Politics
2018, Vol. 3(3) 219–231
ªThe Author(s) 2018
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DOI: 10.1177/2057891117749948
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