Learn This:
The civilizations of Southeast Asia were just as prosperous as their neighbors to the north and west, China and India, but never quite as powerful. The main reason was geography. The mainland of Southeast Asia consists of thick jungle covering mountains and valleys. This often divided the peoples of mainland Southeast Asia and prevented them from interacting or communicating very effectively. The other part of Southeast Asia is the archipelago (chain of islands) which naturally divided peoples as well given there are over 20,000 islands in the chain with only a handful being very large.
The region of Southeast Asia is divided into many different countries today (Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines) in a much smaller area than that covered by their neighbors in China and India. This serves as another strong indication of how much geography contributed to physical divisions which became cultural and political divisions over time.
Nonetheless, civilizations did rise and decline in Southeast Asia and you will learn about at least two from Asia's post-classical period: the Khmer Empire and the Dai Viet.
The Khmer Empire held power in what is modern day Cambodia. The Khmer people had united in the 9th century under a self-proclaimed god-king. They began to conquer other territories and became an empire which reached the peak of its power around the year 1200. The rice of the Khmer Empire was valued as they developed new technologies for farming in the jungles of Southeast Asia. As a result, the peoples of the Khmer Empire interacted with their neighbors to the west more than ever before through trade routes that had developed centuries before. This interaction brought forms of Hinduism and Buddhism to the Khmer people. Their most impressive city, Angkor Wat, is a great example of this cultural diffusion (ideas moving from one area to another) as the temple was built as a symbolic mountain dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu.
The Dai Viet were one of many dynasties which came before modern Vietnam. During the classical age of Asia, the Vietnamese had been conquered by their neighbors to the north. Their conquerors taught them a great deal about efficient government so that even when their own fell apart the Vietnamese were able to establish their independence and build a strong centralized government for themselves. Much of this success was due to what they had learned about Confucianism and its lessons of how to manage government through moral behavior and efficient bureaucracy. They also adopted the civil service exam given by their neighbor to the north and former conqueror. Another example of the influence this neighbor had on the Dai Viet was the widespread conversion to Buddhism.
Directions:
Answer the questions below with regards to the information explored in the
"Learn This" section of the station and feel free to do your own research as well. You may also refer to pages 344-347 in your textbook.
1. Was the Khmer Empire more influenced by China or India? Explain at least two pieces of evidence.
2. Was the kingdom of Dai Viet more influenced by China or India? Explain at least two pieces of evidence.
The civilizations of Southeast Asia were just as prosperous as their neighbors to the north and west, China and India, but never quite as powerful. The main reason was geography. The mainland of Southeast Asia consists of thick jungle covering mountains and valleys. This often divided the peoples of mainland Southeast Asia and prevented them from interacting or communicating very effectively. The other part of Southeast Asia is the archipelago (chain of islands) which naturally divided peoples as well given there are over 20,000 islands in the chain with only a handful being very large.
The region of Southeast Asia is divided into many different countries today (Myanmar, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, Brunei, and the Philippines) in a much smaller area than that covered by their neighbors in China and India. This serves as another strong indication of how much geography contributed to physical divisions which became cultural and political divisions over time.
Nonetheless, civilizations did rise and decline in Southeast Asia and you will learn about at least two from Asia's post-classical period: the Khmer Empire and the Dai Viet.
The Khmer Empire held power in what is modern day Cambodia. The Khmer people had united in the 9th century under a self-proclaimed god-king. They began to conquer other territories and became an empire which reached the peak of its power around the year 1200. The rice of the Khmer Empire was valued as they developed new technologies for farming in the jungles of Southeast Asia. As a result, the peoples of the Khmer Empire interacted with their neighbors to the west more than ever before through trade routes that had developed centuries before. This interaction brought forms of Hinduism and Buddhism to the Khmer people. Their most impressive city, Angkor Wat, is a great example of this cultural diffusion (ideas moving from one area to another) as the temple was built as a symbolic mountain dedicated to the Hindu god Vishnu.
The Dai Viet were one of many dynasties which came before modern Vietnam. During the classical age of Asia, the Vietnamese had been conquered by their neighbors to the north. Their conquerors taught them a great deal about efficient government so that even when their own fell apart the Vietnamese were able to establish their independence and build a strong centralized government for themselves. Much of this success was due to what they had learned about Confucianism and its lessons of how to manage government through moral behavior and efficient bureaucracy. They also adopted the civil service exam given by their neighbor to the north and former conqueror. Another example of the influence this neighbor had on the Dai Viet was the widespread conversion to Buddhism.
Directions:
Answer the questions below with regards to the information explored in the
"Learn This" section of the station and feel free to do your own research as well. You may also refer to pages 344-347 in your textbook.
1. Was the Khmer Empire more influenced by China or India? Explain at least two pieces of evidence.
2. Was the kingdom of Dai Viet more influenced by China or India? Explain at least two pieces of evidence.