Spanning over four millennia, this sweeping historical analysis traces Indonesia’s economic journey from prehistoric agrarian societies to the democratic challenges of the 21st century. Integrating political economy, history, and development studies, the book offers a rich, multi-layered account of how geography, empire, trade, colonialism, revolution, and reform have shaped the world’s largest archipelagic nation.

The first volume charts Indonesia’s transformation from early maritime kingdoms and colonial exploitation to the rise of the New Order and its dramatic collapse in the wake of the Asian Financial Crisis. It interrogates the interplay between power and production, foreign influence and domestic agency, and growth and inequality, laying bare the forces that have driven, distorted, and disrupted Indonesia’s economic development. This book is essential reading for scholars, students, policymakers, and anyone interested in Southeast Asian development, global capitalism, and the long-term dynamics that shape emerging economies.