Transcript 310 Asian Humanities 1 September 2011 Southeast Asia and Early Maritime Trade Early Empires in Southeast Asia Oc-eo or Funan 1st - 7thc.s, present-day Vietnam Champa.

310 Asian Humanities
1 September 2011
Southeast Asia and Early Maritime Trade
Early Empires in Southeast Asia
Oc-eo or Funan 1st - 7thc.s,
present-day Vietnam
Champa 7-15th c.s
Chenla
Champa
Chenla 7-12th c.
Predecessor of Angkorian empires
Srivijaya - 7-14th c.s
Rose to prominence after
the decline of Funan,
maintained close relations
with Java’s Sailendras.
Srivijaya
Regional map
Sailendras 8-9th c.s
Early Empires in Southeast Asia
Chinese Tributary System
“Vassal states” were allowed
to trade with China,
sending missions to China.
Chenla
Srivijaya
Champa
In return they received:
• Protection
• Status & regional
recognition
• Prized Chinese goods
Regional map
Sailendras 8-9th c.s
Srivijaya, Sumatra
7-14th centuries
SRIVIJAYA map
Srivijaya map
Trade items
based on recent 9-10th c. shipwreck excavations
-- an Arab dhow
Chinese ceramics, mirrors
-- Thai pottery
-- Metal ingots of bronze, tin, lead and silver
-- Indonesian gold jewelry, bronze religious items
-- Arab glass, iron pots
-- Cooking ware
I-ching
The Belitung shipwreck was undertaken by a for-profit,
professional salvage company -- good or bad?
Srivijaya, Sumatra
7-14th centuries
I-Ching
The 7th c. traveling monk I-Ching
described a monastery with 1,000
monks, and Srivijaya as an
important center for learning.
I-ching
Other impressions
A 10th century Arab traveler, al-Mas’udi wrote,
“One finds here the kingdom of the Maharaja, the king of
the islands, who commands an empire without limits
and with innumerable troops. The fastest vehicle [ship]
could not in two years make the tour of the islands, which
are under his domination. The lands of this king produce
all kinds of spices and aromatics, and no other
sovereign in the world extracts as much wealth from his
country.”
-- Quoted in Geoffrey Wade, “An Early Age of Commerce in Southeast Asia, 900-1300 CE.”
A Local inscription: Telaga Batu
Telaga Batu
Om! Success!...All of you, as many of
you are – sons of kings, chiefs, army
commanders, confidants of the king,
judges, surveors of groups of workmen,
surveyors of low castes, cutlers,
…clerks, sculptors, naval captains,
merchants, ….And you – washermen of
the king and slaves of the king – all of
you will be killed by the curse of this
imprecation; if you are not faithful to
me, you will be killed by the curse…
However, if you are submissive, faithful
and straight to me and do not commit
these crimes, an immaculate tantra will
be my recompense. You will not be
swallowed with your children and wives
…. Eternal peace will be the fruit
produced by this curse which is drunk
by you.
Chola dynasty 200 BCE - 1300 CE
Shiva lingam
A modern-day Shiva lingam
Shiva lingam in the
Chola temple
Brihadeeswarar -a tribute to the king
and Shiva
Nalanda
• Buddhist center for learning,
5 c. - 12th c. (destroyed by Muslim
Turks).
• Located in Bihar, India
• Accommodated 10,000 students,
1,500 teachers
• Included: A vast library,
classrooms, dormitories,
temples, gardens, meditation
halls
• Subjects: religion, meditation,
philosophy, literature, sciences
INDIANIZATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIA
Contributions: primarily within the court cultures
-- Architecture (temples and palace layout)
-- Literature (Ramayana, Mahabharata)
-- Alphabets, scripts (all S.E.A. scripts based on Indic ones)
-- Philosophy & religion
-- Concepts of governance, social structure
-- Sciences: astronomy, mathematics
-- Priests, travelers
Summing up Srivijaya: Trade
• A thalassocracy or trading entrepôt, 7 - 14th centuries
• Controlled passageway through the Strait of Malacca.
• Served as a safe, well-managed port for outside and regional
visitors.
• Gained China’s sponsorship (Chinese tributary system); sent 20
trade missions between 907-1087.
• Gathered for trade resources of neighboring islands and
Sumatra: forest resins, sandalwood, spices, medicinal herbs, etc.
• Decline likely due to regional competition; attacked in 10th c. by Cholas
(India).
Summing up Srivijaya: Culture
• Supported a Buddhist center for learning with as many as 1,000 scholars.
• Patron of Nalanda (Buddhist) University in N. India (Bihar region)
• Ruler demanded loyalty of his subjects, used a naga stone for loyalty oath
• Chinese, Arab, India and regional visitors all speak of the awesome reach of
Srivijaya.
* A predecessor of other maritime centers, notably Melaka and Singapore.
Srivijya successors
Srivijaya and succesors
Malacca, 14th c.
Singapore, 19th c.
Srivijaya 7-14 c.
Java 9th- 15th c.
Coming up: Section 2 - Ramayana Worlds
WK 3. GODS AND PHILOSOPHY: HINDUISM
Readings due:
T/Sept. 6: Ramayana, Intro i-xii; Intro (2); pps. 1-32
Th/Sept. 8: Ramayana, pps. 33-61
Class Sessions:
T/Sept. 6: The Hindu Pantheon
Th/Sept. 8: Culture Transmission
in Literature: The Ramayana
As you read the opening sections, don’t expect a “straight-forward,” Western
narrative: Narayan is trying to capture that sense of traditional story-telling,
which we’ll be discussing next week.
*The image above, from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, is a painting donated by Rudyard Kipling in 1917, part
of a collection gathered by his father when he was head of the Lahore School of art. See V&A’s page on Hinduism
and searchable art collection: http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/h/hinduism/
s
Over to you-- Introductions
• The Name Game -- who has the best
memory?
• Split up into groups of 3 people -- introduce
yourselves, and be ready to make a 1-2 min.
intro to the class, hitting the highlights.
• Introductions
*The image above, from London’s Victoria and Albert Museum, is a painting donated by Rudyard Kipling in 1917, part
of a collection gathered by his father when he was head of the Lahore School of art. See V&A’s page on Hinduism
and searchable art collection: http://www.vam.ac.uk/page/h/hinduism/
s