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 epis ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more

In this episode, we’ll talk about the Minangkabau, a matrilineal society in West Sumatra, Indonesia which traces descent and inheritance through the female line. In the second half of this episode, we will be joined by Haldi Patra, a writer, podcaster, history master’s student, and Orang Minang. Haldi's full interview is available on Patreon. Don't forget to follow us on Twitter and Instagram, @herstoryseapod! For a copy of the show notes, a shout out at the end of the next episode, access to the resource library, regional current events updates, and the occasional bonus episode, join us on Pa ..read more

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 cent ..read more

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 phot ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more

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 ..read more