SOUTHEAST ASIA

Khmer, Vietnam, Myanmar and Thai

S.E. Asia

Includes Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Indonesia & Philippines

S.E. Asia (cont’d)

Heavily influenced by India: Sanskrit, Hinduism & Buddhism, architecture, laws & political ideas

The Khmer, 802-1431 A.D.

In Cambodia, conquered much of Laos, Thailand & Vietnam

Hindu-Buddhist empire

Capital at Angkor

The Khmer (cont’d)

Hydraulic engineering allowed irrigation & to harvest rice 3x’s per year

Used wealth from crops for construction projects: hundreds of temples, roads, reservoirs, irrigation canals, harbors & hospitals

Rulers known for splendor of court -- presented selves as incarnations of Hindu Gods to enhance their power

King Suryavarman &Angkor Wat

1100’s height of power

King Suryavarman built Angkor Wat temple to glorify Hindu God Vishnu and himself

Temple nearly 1 square mile big

Fall of The Khmer

Cost of building Angkor Wat weakened the kingdom

Rebellions against the Khmer & infighting within royal family crippled the empire

In 1431 A.D., the Thai captured the capital & ended Khmer rule

Vietnam

Dominated by China for more than 1000 yrs

Absorbed Confucianism, Daoism & Buddhism from Chinese

Govt similar to China, including civil service exams based upon Confusianism

Vietnam (cont’d)

Believed in “animism” = that spirits inhabit living & nonliving things

Building “dinhs” = spirit houses in each village, a home for the guardian spirit of the village

Continuously fought China for independence

Vietnam (cont’d)

The Trung Sisters rode atop elephants & led a successful revolt against China in 39A.D., & gained independence for 2 yrs

When later defeated by Chinese, sisters drown selves

Vietnam (cont’d)

938 A.D., Ngo Quyen lead Vietnamese to defeat Chinese warships in the Battle of the Bach Dang River -- China countered & invaded Vietnam

Vietnamese date their independence from defeat of warships

Vietnam (cont’d)

To keep peace with China and so as not to be invaded, Vietnam agreed to send tribute (gifts) to the Chinese emperor

Myanmara/k/a Burma

First settled by 2 groups of people: the Mons (south) & the Tibeto-Burmans (along Irrawaddy River in the north)

Both were Buddhist & adopted Indian culture

Myanmara/k/a Burma

500 B.C., the Tibeto-Burmans dominated & pushed the Mons southward

Tibeto-Burmans set up capital called Pagan, center for Buddhist learning & culture with temples & monasteries

1200’s, Mongols under Kublai Khan captured Pagan; many Burmans moved south but remained ununited

The Thai

The Thai were originally from China

1238 A.D., established Thai kingdom at Sukhothai; kingdom only lasted 100 yrs.

King Ramkhamhaeng ruled during golden age

Thai King Ramkhamhaeng

Thai developed alphabet & writing system based upon Khmer

Followed Buddhism & built beautiful temples