Abstract
This article explores the intellectual dilemma of reconciling Southeast Asia's imperial past and colonial legacy with the realities and validity of indigenous agency. By critiquing notions of disrupted historical trajectories, this paper attempts to move Southeast Asian studies away from reified and teleologically confining narratives of imperial determinism while simultaneously negotiating the risks associated with overly discursive and relativistic approaches to colonial pasts. In conclusion, the paper offers a unique perspective on historical inquiry, which offers an alternative to the strictures of teleological history.