Chinese sources have been important for the writing of Southeast Asian history. In the colonial period, for instance, several scholars turned to Chinese historical materials in an effort to try to either piece together or fill out the histories of various societies in Southeast Asia that did not have a wealth of historical sources.
Brunei is one such place that lacks detailed sources for its early history, and Johannes Kurz, an historian at Universiti Brunei Darussalam and an expert on Chinese history, has spent a great deal of time and effort over the last decade or so attempting to see what Chinese sources can tell us about the history of Brunei, particularly its early history.
I had the pleasure of recording an interview with Johannes in which we talked about his research. Please see the video below to learn what he had to say.
