ABSTRACT
PortcitieshavehadamajorroleintheshapingofhistoricaldevelopmentsinSoutheastAsiafromearlytimes,ascentresofcommerceand urbansettlement,asthefocalpointofextensivepoliticalsystems, andasgatewaysfortheentryofexogenousculturalinfluencesintothe region.IntheperiodofSoutheastAsia's'AgeofCommerce',from thefourteenthtotheseventeenthcenturies,urbancentreswhichowed theirexistencetothegrowthofmaritimetradeincreasedinnumber, size,andimportance.Largelyasaresultofthesedevelopments, AnthonyReidconcludes,SoutheastAsiawasatthistimerelatively highlyurbanizedincomparisonwithotherpartsoftheworld.1
