Fueling Sovereignty

Naosuke Mukoyama is an Associate Professor of Global Governance at the Institute for Future Initiatives, University of Tokyo. He works on state formation, resource politics, and historical international relations.

• 1. Introduction; 2. Theory of separate independence; 3. Colonial oil and decolonization in Borneo; 4. Colonial oil and decolonization in the Lower Gulf; 5. Separate independence in other settings; 6. Varying historical impacts of resource endowment; 7. Conclusion; References.

'A fascinating story of origins, first unearthing and then resolving a puzzle that scholars of international politics have overlooked in the transition away from empire: how were many hundreds of colonies transformed into a much smaller number of post-colonial states? Who got sovereignty, who didn't, and why? This beautifully written treatment ranges across regions in weaving together an explanation combining the ideas, geopolitics, and resource endowments.' J. C. Sharman, University of Cambridge