Cultures of East Asia Section 4

Preview

• Main Idea / Reading Focus

• Influences on Southeast Asia

• Map: Southeast Asian Kingdoms

• Early Kingdoms and Empires

• Visual Study Guide / Quick Facts

• Video: The Impact of Chinese Culture on Japan

Civilizations of Southeast Asia

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

Reading Focus

• What factors influenced early civilizations in the region of Southeast Asia?

• What early kingdoms and empires developed in Southeast Asia?

Main Idea

The early civilizations of Southeast Asia were influenced by geography and the cultures of India and China.

Civilizations of Southeast Asia

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

1. India and China shaped the development of civilization in the region of Southeast Asia. Geography and trade also played important

roles.

• Southeast Asia divided in two parts—mainland Southeast Asia, and island Southeast Asia

• Mainland—modern nations of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, part of Malaysia

• Island—Sumatra, Borneo, Java, rest of Malaysia, Brunei, East Timor, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore

Two Parts of Southeast Asia • Several rivers flow south on

mainland

• Valleys, deltas of rivers supported farming, home to early civilizations

• Separating rivers, rugged mountains, limited contact among people

• Islands surrounded by seas, straits; provided sources of food, travel, served as trade routes

Geography

Influences on Southeast Asia

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

Winds• Monsoons, seasonal winds, shaped trade

• Winds blow northeast in summer, southwest in winter

• Ships relied on monsoons to sail from place to place, often had to wait in port until winds shifted to resume voyage

• Many Southeast Asian port cities became important economic centers

Trade• Southeast Asia waterways, main trade routes between India, China

• Two most important: Malacca Strait between Malay Peninsula, Sumatra; Sunda Strait, between Sumatra, Java

• Control of these, other important trade routes, brought wealth, power

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

Sea Trade in Southeast Asia

• By AD 100s, Indian merchants had begun prosperous sea trade with Southeast Asia

• Overland trade routes through Central Asia more dangerous after fall of Han dynasty, 220

• Seaborne trade between China, India increased

• Traders passed through Southeast Asia; exchanged goods for local products

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

• Indian ideas on writing, science, government, art spread to Southeast Asia

• Ancient Indian language, Sanskrit, came into wide use

• Chinese influences spread by conquest, trade, migration

• China controlled northern Vietnam at different times, strongly influenced that region

Other Influences

• Chinese, Indian traders influenced Southeast Asia

• Indian influence spread through trade, missionaries

• Indian missionaries introduced Hinduism, Buddhism; many kingdoms adopted the religions, built temples in Indian style

• Eventually Indians brought Islam; remains strong today

Traders and Missionaries

India and China

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

Identify Cause and Effect

How did trade influence Southeast Asia?

Answer(s): Ports became the economic centers of Southeast Asia; Indian and Chinese influence spread to Southeast Asia through trade

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

Small but Powerful

• Several early kingdoms, empires arose in Southeast Asia

• Most small, a few quite powerful

• Blended influences from India, China to create own unique societies, cultures

Conquests

• 1057, Anawrahta united much of what is now Myanmar under his rule

• Conquests provided Pagan with access to trading ports

• Anawrahta’s kingdom prospered

2. The Pagan Kingdom

• AD 800s, Burmans established kingdom of Pagan, in what is now Myanmar

• Located in fertile Irrawaddy River valley, ideal for rice farming

• First king, Anawrahta, ruled 1044 to 1077, conquered surrounding areas

Early Kingdoms and Empires

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

The Pagan Kingdom

• Anawrahta, successors supported Theravada Buddhism, built thousands of Buddhist temples

• Pagan became center of Buddhist learning

• 1287, Kublai Khan’s Mongols demanded tribute from Pagan; king refused and attacked; was crushed

• One of king’s own sons killed him, then agreed to pay tribute to the Mongols

• Pagan survived, but lost power

• Today Myanmar people consider Pagan classical age of history, culture

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

• Powerful Khmer empire arose southeast of Pagan, in what is now Cambodia

• Early 800s, Khmer people began to conquer kingdoms around them, build great empire

• Empire reached height between 850 and 1250, controlled much of Southeast Asian mainland

• Expensive building projects, invaders contributed to empire’s decline

• Khmer Empire reflected strong Indian influence

• Adopted Hindu, Buddhist beliefs, ruled as gods

• Empire’s capital city, Angkor, symbolized shape of Hindu universe, temple at its center

Indian Influence• Built vast temple complexes;

Angkor Wat ruins still stand

• Empire grew prosperous from rice farming

• Built irrigation system covering 12.5 million acres, grew several crops per year

Rich from Rice

The Khmer Empire

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

Trading Kingdoms• Several developed on islands of

Southeast Asia• Kingdom of Sailendra on Java

flourished, 750 to 850• Relied on agriculture, trade

Srivijaya• Wealthy empire on Sumatra,

flourished 600s to 1200s• Gained wealth from control of

overseas trade through Malacca, Sunda straits

• Also Buddhist learning center

Sailendra• Adopted Mahayana Buddhism,

known for impressive Buddhist art, architecture

• Borobudur monument with terraced levels most famous

Control Reduced• 1025, empire attacked by Indian

kingdom • Empire survived, but weakened• Control of trade reduced• Islam spread; Muslims came to

dominate trade in region

Trading Kingdoms

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

In hopes of regaining their independence, the Vietnamese sometimes rebelled when Chinese rule grew weak.

3. While most of Southeast Asia was strongly influenced by India, Vietnam was strongly influenced by China. In 111 BC the Han dynasty of China conquered the kingdom of Nam Viet, in what is now northern Vietnam. They ruled the region off and on for the next 1,000 years.

• Chinese forced Vietnamese to adopt Chinese language, clothing, hairstyles

• Confucianism, Daoism influenced Vietnamese society

• Adopted Chinese government features, including bureaucracy

Chinese Rule

Vietnam

• Vietnam embraced Buddhism, but still maintained traditional customs

• Continued to worship nature spirits alongside other belief systems

• Chinese rule shaped life in early Vietnam, but people determined to preserve own culture, identity

Traditional Customs

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

Rebellion

• AD 39, one of most famous Vietnamese rebellions took place

• Two sisters, Trung Trac, Trung Nhi raised army, briefly drove Chinese out

• Chinese soon regained control; sisters remain heroes in Vietnam today

Dai Viet

• Rulers of Dai Viet sent tribute to China, but remained independent

• Chinese failed in attempts to reconquer Vietnam; 1285, Mongols invaded; Dai Viet prince Tran Quoc Toan defeated them, became a hero

Independence

• Early 900s, fall of China’s Tang dynasty provided Vietnamese another chance at independence; this time successful

• 939, established independent kingdom in what is now northern Vietnam

Rebellion in Vietnam

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

Contrast

How did the development of early Vietnam differ from the development of kingdoms

and empires in the rest of Southeast Asia?

Answer(s): was ruled by China; influenced by China rather than India

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

Cultures of East Asia Section 4

Video

The Impact of Chinese Culture on Japan

Click above to play the video.