South East Asia- 50-1025 C.E.

South East Asia-Malay           

 

A.      Background/population/region

a.       Region first rose to prominence and prosperity b/c of its intermediate role in the trade exchanges between Southern and Eastern Asia

b.      Regions natural resources are SE Asiaʼs most important factor.

c.       Region is capable of sustaining a large group of individuals

d.      Malay people were the product of several waves of migration from S China starting at around 3000 BCE

e.      SE Asia mainland became overpopulated and disputes arose so they migrated via ship.

            i.      This became the longest lasting colonization movement in human history

B.      Political Aspects

a.       1st political units were small

            i.      Devised based on # of people who drew from the same water source

            ii.      They met periodically to develop a schedule for the use of valuable resources

C.      Migration/nomads

a.       The movements of nomadic people disturbed the OLD land route across central Asia

b.      Merchants extended the exchange trading network to include other goods and silk from SE Asia

D.      Religion

a.       Rise of larger political entities was the influence of Hindu-Buddhist culture

 i.      This is a culturally imported religion

 ii.      Spread as SE Asia became a way station for Indian Missionaries and E Asian pilgrims going to and from the Birthplace of their faith.   

b.      The adaptation of Indian ceremonial practices and forms of artistic representation and the employment of scribes skilled in writing all proved invaluable o the most ambitious and capable South Asian rulers