Cultures of East Asia
Section 4
Civilizations of Southeast Asia
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
Cultures of East Asia
Section 4
Civilizations of Southeast Asia
Main Idea
The early civilizations of Southeast Asia were influenced by
geography and the cultures of India and China.
Reading Focus
• What factors influenced early civilizations in the region of
Southeast Asia?
• What early kingdoms and empires developed in Southeast
Asia?
Cultures of East Asia
Section 4
Influences on Southeast Asia
India and China shaped the development of civilization in the region of
Southeast Asia. Geography and trade also played important roles.
Two Parts of Southeast
Asia
• 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
Geography
• 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
Cultures of East Asia
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Cultures of East Asia
Section 4
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
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
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
Section 4
Cultures of East Asia
India and China
Traders and Missionaries
• 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
Other Influences
• 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
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
Early Kingdoms and Empires
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
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
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
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
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Cultures of East Asia
The Khmer Empire
• 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
Indian Influence
Rich from Rice
• Khmer Empire reflected strong
Indian influence
• Built vast temple complexes;
Angkor Wat ruins still stand
• Adopted Hindu, Buddhist beliefs,
ruled as gods
• Empire grew prosperous from rice
farming
• Empire’s capital city, Angkor,
symbolized shape of Hindu
universe, temple at its center
• Built irrigation system covering 12.5
million acres, grew several crops
per year
Section 4
Cultures of East Asia
Trading Kingdoms
Trading Kingdoms
Sailendra
• Several developed on islands of
Southeast Asia
• Kingdom of Sailendra on Java
flourished, 750 to 850
• Relied on agriculture, trade
• Adopted Mahayana Buddhism,
known for impressive Buddhist
art, architecture
• Borobudur monument with
terraced levels most famous
Srivijaya
Control Reduced
• Wealthy empire on Sumatra,
flourished 600s to 1200s
• Gained wealth from control of
overseas trade through
Malacca, Sunda straits
• Also Buddhist learning center
• 1025, empire attacked by Indian
kingdom
• Empire survived, but weakened
• Control of trade reduced
• Islam spread; Muslims came to
dominate trade in region
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Cultures of East Asia
Vietnam
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 Rule
• Chinese forced Vietnamese to
adopt Chinese language, clothing,
hairstyles
• Confucianism, Daoism influenced
Vietnamese society
• Adopted Chinese government
features, including bureaucracy
Traditional Customs
• 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
In hopes of regaining their independence, the Vietnamese sometimes
rebelled when Chinese rule grew weak.
Cultures of East Asia
Section 4
Rebellion in Vietnam
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
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
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
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Cultures of East Asia
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
Section 4
Cultures of East Asia
Video
The Impact of Chinese Culture on Japan
Click above to play the video.