These aims and ambitions are eminently worthy, except when they fly in the face of the facts. And the facts here are unmistakable -- that the claims of these kings of old were as ridiculous as the Dutch considered them to be.
Moreover, it's doubtful if the modern descendants of the people described in this book would be very grateful for such present-day endorsements of the trickery of their former rulers.
One other feature of the book is more than a little surprising. Historians and modern travelers invariably point to the Minangkabau people's matrilineal social structure. Bill Dalton, in his Indonesia Handbook, credits them with being perhaps the world's largest matrilineal society. Oddly, Jane Drakard makes no mention of this issue.
Nevertheless, what remains of interest in this book is the light it throws on the way words can be used, not only to educate and enlighten, but to baffle and confuse. In societies where most people can't read, books and elaborately penned letters can be objects of considerable power.
A Kingdom of Words
By Jane Drakard Hardback
322 Pages
Oxford University Press Review
RSS