Biography.guide
Home › People › Historian › Harry J. Benda
Portrait of Harry J. Benda

Harry J. Benda

1919 – 1971

American political scientist

Don't just read it — keep itBiographies to ownE-book · Audio · Video From $7 →

About Harry J. Benda

Lived 1919 – 1971 (aged 51–52). Harry J. Benda was a historian, political scientist, orientalist and university teacher.

Harry Jindrich Benda (October 28, 1919 – October 26, 1971) was a Czech-born American full professor at Yale University. He specialised in Indonesian politics.

Biography Born to a Jewish family in Liberec, Czechoslovakia, he was sent to Java by his father to escape Nazism. He was the first director of the Institute for Southeast Asian Studies in Singapore.

The Association for Asian Studies' prize for first book in Southeast Asian studies is named in his honour.

Benda emigrated to the United States, becoming a naturalised citizen in 1960. He died in New Haven, Connecticut on October 26, 1971, at the age of 51.

Books Benda, Harry J. The Crescent and the Rising Sun: Indonesian Islam Under the Japanese Occupation, 1942–1945. Dordrecht [etc.: Foris Publications, 1983. .' Benda, Harry J. Japanese Military Administration in Indonesia. New Haven: Yale University Southeast Studies, 1965 Benda, Harry J, and John A. Larkin. The World of Southeast Asia: Selected Historical Readings. New York: Harper & Row, 1967 Benda, Harry J, and Ruth T. McVey. The Communist Uprisings of 1926–1927 in Indonesia: Key Documents. Jakarta: Equinox Pub, 2009. Bastin, John, and Harry J. Benda. A History of Modern Southeast Asia: Colonialism, Nationalism, and Decolonization. Sydney : Prentice-Hall of Australia, 1977. Benda, Harry J. Peasant Movements in Colonial Southeast Asia. New Haven, Conn: Yale University, Southeast Asia Studies, 1966. Benda, Harry J, and Adrienne Suddard. Continuity and Change in Southeast Asia: Collected Journal Articles of Harry J. Benda. New Haven: Yale Univ. Southeast Asia Studies, 1972 Benda, Harry J. Continuity and Change in Indonesian Islam. New Haven, Conn: Yale University, Southeast Asia Studies, 1965 translated into Indonesian by Taufik Abdullah. as Islam Di Indonesia: Sepintas Lalu Tentang Beberapa Segi. Jakarta: Tintamas, 1974. McVey, Ruth T, Adrienne Suddard, and Harry J. Benda. Southeast Asian Transitions: Approaches Through Social History. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1978. Benda, Harry J. The Samin Movement. New Haven: Connecticut, 1969

Biography shop

Don’t just read it —
keep it.

Full-length biographies made to live with: read them, listen on the way to work, watch them tonight.

  • E-book
  • Audio
  • Video
Browse the shop — from $7

Instant download · yours to keep · every purchase keeps this site free

Important facts

Born
1919, Liberec
Birth century
Died
1971, New Haven
Awards
Guggenheim Fellowship
Also known as
Harry Jindrich Benda

People in Harry J. Benda's life

Named in this biography and alive at the same time

Contemporaries

People whose lives overlapped Harry J. Benda's

Frequently asked questions

Who was Harry J. Benda?

American political scientist

When was Harry J. Benda born?

Harry J. Benda was born in 1919 in Liberec.

When did Harry J. Benda die?

Harry J. Benda died in 1971 in New Haven.

What was Harry J. Benda's occupation?

Harry J. Benda was a historian, political scientist, orientalist and university teacher.

Sources & further reading

· Wikipedia: Harry J. Benda

· Wikidata: Q108734721

· DBpedia: Harry J. Benda

Cite this page

APA: Biography.guide. (2026). Harry J. Benda. https://biography.guide/harry-j-benda/

MLA: "Harry J. Benda." Biography.guide, https://biography.guide/harry-j-benda/.

Chicago: "Harry J. Benda." Biography.guide. https://biography.guide/harry-j-benda/.

Data last updated: 2026-09-20 · Spot an error? Report a correction.

Page generated 2026-09-27 05:22 UTC