Rice cultivation and Kedah
While traditional Malay society can be identified with agriculture, in particular rice production, the major Malay states were built on regional and interregional trade. Often an associated agrarian hinterland enhanced the attractiveness of the place as a port of call. Kedah was one of the few states which successfully evolved from a trading entrepôt into an agrarian kingdom. This transition was achieved by the 17th century, although the extension and development of rice cultivation continued well into the 20th, with a major spurt in the last quarter of the 19th century.
- Information in the full article includes
- Factors influencing rice cultivation
- Duty on padi and rice
- Progress and development in farming
- Drought, disease and recovery
