Kingdoms of Southeast Asia

By L.L, D.P, & W.M

LaG/pd. 7

INTRODUCTION

Right between the Indian & Pacific Ocean lies Southeast Asia. It consist of two primary parts: its islands and the mainland peninsula. Throughout history, a vast amount of people migrated to this region,

making it a region of many languages and cultures. Exactly on a peninsula that forwards out of the mainland toward Japan is Korea,

a very mountainous land. It was governed by diverse groups of people.

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Geography• Southeast Asia stretches from Asia nearby Australia and it is located between the

Pacific and Indian Ocean. • In cultural and political matters Southeast Asia has never been united. The islands

are separated by straits and seas. • The control of trade routes and harbors has always been the key to political power in

Southwest Asia. • Southwest Asia was a home of vast languages and cultures due to the amount of

people that settled in the region over a period of time. • To protect their ships from piracy; pass through their waterways and to use their parts

the powerful local lords charged their merchants.  • Angkor, Cambodia and Srivijaya, Sumatra in Indonesia were the earliest states that

exemplified different forms of Asia’s adaptation.  • The civilizations of Southeast Asia was located near river valleys, deltas, coastal

areas or geographical areas that had perfect land for agriculture.

• Southeast Asia is located in a fairly warm environment and is constantly attacked by monsoon winds. These winds bring the region long lasting rains.

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The Khmer Empire• The Khmer Empire is now current day Cambodia. They built, Angkor Wat, which is the

largest religious structure in the world.

• Khmer became prosperous from its improved rice cultivation. At the expense of their neighboring kingdoms, in 800, the Khmer Empire had expanded their state. Around 1200 is where it had reached maximum power.

• Elaborate irrigation systems and waterways had been included in the building of the Khmer. This made it Possibleand easier to grow crops such as rice.

• Funan, an early Khmer kingdom, controlled most of sea trade between India and China.

• A major advance in the Khmer kingdom were in agriculture and sculpture. Isolated towers of bricks probably built in the 7 century were the earliest known Khmer monuments. The usage of stone was highly replaced as a substitute and sometimes just a favor over bricks.

• Cambodia had constantly been invaded by the Thai which caused the fall of the Khmer Empire, which caused their power to decline. After the people of Thailand captured Angkor in 1434, the capital was transferred to Phnom Penh.

Angkor Wat- BUILT IN THE 1100s

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Influence of India and China

• Two nations that influenced Southeast Asia were China and India.

• India influenced Southeast Asia by their Hindu and Buddhist missionaries who spread their religion and faith. Indian political ideas also had spread all through Southeast Asia, changing its culture slowly.

• Chinese ideas and culture had moved along southward in the region making its way through trade and migration. In the opposite circumstance, the Chinese had spread political influence all over Southeast Asia.

• Poets of the Southeast Asian culture wrote lengthy, element poems in Sanskrit, India’s language

L. M.ChinaIndia

Island Trading Kingdoms

• On the island of Java, the Sailendra Dynasty ruled an agricultural kingdom.

• In around 800 AD, the Buddhist temple at Borobudur was built. The temple shows how greatly they were influenced by India.

• In the 13th century, Sailendra was invadedby the powerful empire, Srivijaya, which ruledthe Strait of Malacca.

• The Srivijayas’ capital, Palembang, which was established on Sumatra, became an important center of Buddhist learning.

1. The Buddhist Temple at Borobudur.

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Vietnam and Korea

• Vietnam, the region least influenced by India, was located south of China. It was taken over by China during the Han Dynasty, and finally broke away in the early 900s.

• The Vietnamese were influenced greatly by China. For example, they got the belief of Buddhism from the Chinese. However, the Vietnamese did preserve many of their customs.

• The capital of Vietnam was at Hanoi. Vietnam expanded as they conquered neighboring nations. In 1257, 1285, and 1287, the Mongols tried to conquer Vietnam, however they forced them to withdraw.

• Korea, which is about the size of Utah, is a peninsula which juts out of Asia. It is very mountainous and has very little land that can be farmed. Because of Korea’s mountains and seas, it became isolated from its neighbors.

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Early History

• Korea was divided tribes that controlled different parts of the country.

• Han empire conquers Korea in 108BC. Diffuse Confucianism, Buddhism, and writing system.

• Mid-600s: Clans that once joined together against the Han rule divided into 3 federations which then rivaled each other.

• The Silla Kingdom defeat the other 2 kingdoms and gains control of Korea.

• The Silla built Buddhist monasteries and elegant stone and bronze sculptures. Adapted Chinese characters to write phonetic Korean language.

D. P.

The Koryu Dynasty (935-1392 BC)

• Rebel officer named Wang Kon gains control and becomes king in 935.

• Korea utilized the Chinese Confucian civil service exams and established universities for males. Even with these things, the nobles still had a higher chance of obtaining good jobs, as compared to the lower classes. The poor continued to do the hard labors while the nobles went to school, and buy land. This indicated that power was still in the hands of the wealthy.

• Conflicts: -Rebellions of the lower classes in the 1100s.

• 1241- Mongols demand tribute of 20,000 horses, 1 million soldiers, and children and artisans to be used as slaves.

• 1350- Mongol rule collapses. Increasing oppression and taxes in Korea.

• 1392- Koryu Dynasty is overthrown and Choson dynasty begins. Lasts for 518 years and is governed by scholar-officials and military leaders.

D. P.

Koryu Achievements• Included: celadon pottery, fine poetry, writings

that described the first national history of Korea.

• Buddhist scriptures were carved on wooden blocks and took printers 60 years. They were then destroyed by the Mongols and then rebuilt again to a collection of 81,000 blocks.

D. P.

Bibliography

1. http://www.seasite.niu.edu/crossroads/russell/seageog.htm2. http://www.us.oup.com/us/catalog/general/subject/Geography/Physical/?

view =usa&ci=01992480283. www.stimson.org/southeastasia/?SN=SE200507128634. http://images.google.com/images?um=1&hl=en&q=Indian+Flag5. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?

historyid=ac37 6. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ac377. http://www.infoplease.com/ce6/history/A0827550.html8. http://www.thaifolk.com/Doc/attract/wangsuanpakkad/image/wang8B.jpg

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1. http://www.kenyon.edu/index.xmlhttp://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depss/

Religion/Fac/Adler/Reln260/Images260/borobudur.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Adler/Reln260/links260.htm&h=485&w=739&sz=101&hl=en&start=4&um=1&tbnid=Vg9P3YYrNzKpyM:&tbnh=93&tbnw=141&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dbuddhist%2Btemple%2Bat%2BBorobudur%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26rls%3DGGLG,GGLG:2006-12,GGLG:en%26sa%3DN

1. The Korean Pottery, http://www.koreafolkart.com/img/1-2-5.jpg2. Sacramento's World Import, Tribal Art, Jewelry & Fair Trade Store &

Gallery, http://www.zanzibartribalart.com/celadonthousandcranevase_small.jpg

3. Wild Pottery, http://www.wildpottery.com/images/Mvc-0027xworkingcopy.jpg

4. Micheal Greenwell, http://michaelgreenwell.files.wordpress.com/2007/07/guinsa.jpg

5. Stumble Upon, http://www.farhorizon.com/Southeast_Asia/images-khmer/bot_Angkor-Wat-sunset_lg.jpg

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D. P.