A. Teeuw

Muhammad Haji Salleh

Roger Tol

R. Dumas

M. J. Van Yperen

The Syair Sinyor Kosta, a Malay poem which tells of a foreigner (Sinyor) who elopes with the wife of a wealthy Chinaman, presents fascinating pictures and glimpses of 19th-century Malay society. This book presents four versions of the Syair Sinyor Kosta, of which two are translated into English, and includes a discussion of the history and a comparison of the texts.

Four Texts of the Syair Sinyor Kosta

A Merry Senhor in the Malay World

Cornelis Dijk

Kees van Dijk

Gregory Acciaioli

Stereotypes of the Bugis, Makassarese and other peoples of South Sulawesi are widespread and often at variance with each other. The inhabitants are depicted as intrepid seafarers, wily migrants, feudal lords and vassals, democratic lovers of freedom, fanatical Muslims, worshippers of regalia, and performers of arcane ceremonies. Generalizations and stereotypes invite debate. The South Sulawesi debate revolves around several topics: the reliability of colonial reports vis-a-vis indigenous texts; the homogeneity of the area; status and power; leadership and patron-client relationships; foreign influence on local culture: seafaring and international commerce; regional culture as impacted by socio-economic development: the diaspora. These topics are to a large extent interrelated. They all involve transactions, traditions and texts—or authority and enterprise—and are discussed extensively in this book.

Authority and Enterprise Among the Peoples of South Sulawesi

Roger Tol

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