Asian Civilization

1. CIVILIZATIONS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA

2. MAIN IDEA
Geography and the cultures of India and China influenced the
early civilizations of Southeast Asia.
* * *
•The location of Southeast Asian civilizations allowed big and powerful
civilizations that neighbor them to influence them.
•The climate, land, and distance from the sea affected each civilization’s
economy differently– some became trading civilizations, others
conquered, and some others were agricultural civilizations.

3. KEY TERMS & PEOPLE
• Anawrahta: First king of Pagan from 1044 to 1077 who united a territory that
included much of modern day Myanmar (Burma) through conquer. A devout
Buddhist, he built thousands of Buddhist temples. His conquests provided
Pagan with access to trading ports, and the kingdom prospered.
• Angkor Wat: Hindu temple complex built by the Khmer rulers of Cambodia in
the 1100s.
• Trung Trac: Vietnamese nationalist and hero; one of two sisters who raised
an army that drove the Chinese out of Vietnam for a short period of time. She
died on 43 AD by drowning herself.
• Trung Nhi: Vietnamese nationalist and hero; Trung Trac’s sister and
accomplice. She died on 43 AD by drowning herself.

4. • Consists of islands south and east of the
mainland.
• Includes:
 Sumatra
 Borneo
 Java
 (the rest of) Malaysia
 Brunei
 East Timor
 Indonesia
 Singapore
 The Philippines
• Consist of peninsulas.
• Includes modern:
 Cambodia
 Laos
 Myanmar (Burma)
 Thailand
 Vietnam
 (part of) Malaysia
GEOGRAPHY:
MAINLAND & ISLAND SOUTHEAST ASIA
Mainland Island

6. • Ships in ports had to wait for the wind to
shift in order to resume their voyage.
• Shaped Trade; ships relied on the
monsoons to sail.
• Southeast Asian port cities became
important economic centers.
• Overland trade routes in central Asia had
increasingly become more dangerous.
TRADE
Positive Effects Negative Effects
Monsoons are seasonal winds that blow northeast in summer and
southwest in winter. These shaped trade in the region.

7. TRADE
• Indian merchants had begun a prosperous
sea trade with southeast Asia by the AD
100s.
• Overland trade routes through central Asia
became more dangerous after the Han
dynasty fell in 220.
• As a consequence, seaborne trade
increased between India and China
• Such traders passed through Southeast
Asia and exchanged their goods for spices
aromatic woods and other local products.

8. • Influences spread
to parts of the
mainland through
conquest trade,
and migration.
• Controlled
northern Vietnam
at different times ,
strongly
influencing that
region.
• Missionaries introduced Hinduism and Buddhism where
kingdoms adopted the religions.
• Ideas about government, science, writing, and art.
• Many local rulers embraced many of these ideas
adopting Indian names and political ideas.
• Sanskrit– ancient Indian language– became widely used.
• Mainly influenced: from the Malay Peninsula to many
southern Vietnam kingdoms.
• Indian Muslim traders eventually brought Islam, forming
Islamic states in Sumatra, the Malay Peninsula, Borneo,
and the Philippines.
INDIA AND CHINA – TRADERS BEGAN TO
INFLUENCE THE REGION
India China

9. EARLY KINGDOMS AND EMPIRES
THE PAGAN KINGDOM
Early kingdoms and empires blended influences from India and China to create their own
unique societies and cultures.
• Circ. AD 840s, the Burmans established the Pagan kingdom (in present-day Myanmar
(Burma)) in the fertile Irrawaddy River valley ideal for rice farming
• Anawrahta (1st king) ruled from 1044-1077; he began conquering the surrounding areas
and by 1057 he had united much of present Myanmar, providing Pagan with trading port
access and helping the kingdom prosper. He and his successors supported Theravada
Buddhism building thousands of temples; Pagan became the center of Buddhist learning.
• Late 1200s: Mongols under Kublai Khan demanded tribute, but the king refused and
attacked the Mongols– who crushed the Pagan army.
• The king fled only to be killed by his son, who agreed to the tribute. Pagan survived but
lost its power.
• Pagan is still considered by Myanmar as its classical age because Pagan culture
established principles that continue to influence Myanmar’s religion and society.

10. THE KHMER EMPIRE
• Arose in present-day Cambodia to the southeast of Pagan.
• Early 800s: the Khmer had began conquering kingdoms
around them to build a great empire.
• The empire reached it height around 850 & 1220 when it
controlled much of the mainland.
• Reflected a strong Indian influence: rulers adopted both
Hinduism and Buddhism and ruled as gods.
• Angkor (capital city) symbolized the shape of the Hindu
universe. Temple complexes were built here, such as Angkor
Wat (which may’ve been used as an astronomical
observatory).
• The empire had grown prosperous from rice farming; an
irrigation system was devised to improve and expand
agricultural production.
• The Khmer Empire prospered for about 400 years.
• Costly projects and invaders contributed to its decline.

11. TRADING KINGDOMS–SOUTH OF THE MAINLAND
• On Java, the kingdom of Sailendra flourished from about 750 – 850, where people
relied on agriculture and trade for their livelihood. It adopted Mahayana Buddhism
and is known for its impressive religious art and architecture. The Borobudur
monument is Sailendra’s most famous achievement, which symbolizes the stages of
the Buddhist spiritual journey.
• Centered on Sumatra, the wealthy Srivijaya Empire flourished from 600s to the
1200s. It gained its wealth from control of over seas traders the Malacca and Sunda
straits. Therefore, rulers ensured that trade continued to pass through their empire.
The people adopted Hinduism and Buddhism blending it with local beliefs. Its capital,
at Palembang, became a GREAT and important center of Buddhist learning. The
empire was weakened in 1025 by an Indian attack, and as its neighbor’s grew in
power, its control of trade was diminished until a Muslim kingdom came and
dominated trade in the region.
• As Islam spread through out the region, Muslim traders developed a stable trade
network.

12. VIETNAM
• Strongly influenced by China.
• In 111BC the Han conquered the kingdom of Nam Viet and called it Annam; they ruled
the region off and on for the next 1’000 years.
• Vietnam absorbed many aspects of Chinese civilization under Chinese rule.
Vietnamese were forced to adopt the Chinese’s language, clothing, and hairstyles.
They adopted the Chinese bureaucratic system and a Confucian-based civil service
system.
• Confucianism and Daoism influenced society. Vietnam embraced Mahayana
Buddhism; its art and architecture influenced culture.
• Despite these influences, Vietnam maintained many traditional customs(worship of
nature spirits, etc.) determined to preserve its own culture and identity.
• The Vietnamese sometimes rebelled in hopes of regaining independence, such as the
one in AD 39.

13. VIETNAM
• The fall of China’s Tang dynasty (early 900s) provided another chance at independence,
which lead to success.
• In 939 the Vietnamese established the independent kingdom of Dai Viet in present-day
northern Vietnam.
• The Chinese failed to re-conquer.
• Although the rulers of Dai Viet sent tribute to China, the kingdom remained independent
• Late 1200s: the Mongols invaded, but the Vietnamese defeated the Mongols and
remained independent.