Ghost Hunting in Colonial Burma

Abstract

The legendary status of J.S. Furnivall, former Indian Civil Service (ICS) officer turned Burma scholar and reformer, in South East Asian studies is unique. He has eluded the criticisms of his ‘orientalism’ that his contemporary colonial bureaucrat-scholars now face. This essay examines Furnivall's biography alongside notions of paternalism and nostalgia among the ICS in Burma during Furnivall's tenure, and their impact on his critiques of colonial policy in both his widely-read and obscure writings. The paper argues that Furnivall's views on colonialism are more ambiguous than widely believed, suggesting that South East Asianists should reassess their opinion of Furnivall and of their field's own historiography.