310 Asian Humanities310 Asian Humanities1 September 20111 September 2011

Southeast Asia and Early Maritime Trade

Regional map

Oc-eo or Funan 1st - 7thc.s, present-day Vietnam

Srivijaya

Champa

Srivijaya - 7-14th c.sRose to prominence after the decline of Funan, maintained close relations with Java’s Sailendras.

Srivijaya - 7-14th c.sRose to prominence after the decline of Funan, maintained close relations with Java’s Sailendras.

Champa 7-15th c.s

Chenla Chenla 7-12th c. Predecessor of Angkorian empires

Sailendras 8-9th c.s

Early Empires in Southeast Asia

Regional mapSrivijaya

Champa

Chinese Tributary System

“Vassal states” were allowed to trade with China, sending missions to China.

In return they received:• Protection• Status & regional

recognition• Prized Chinese goods

Chinese Tributary System

“Vassal states” were allowed to trade with China, sending missions to China.

In return they received:• Protection• Status & regional

recognition• Prized Chinese goods

Chenla

Sailendras 8-9th c.s

Early Empires in Southeast Asia

Srivijaya, Sumatra7-14th centuries

SRIVIJAYA map

Srivijaya map

I-ching

Trade itemsbased on recent 9-10th c. shipwreck excavations

-- an Arab dhowChinese ceramics, mirrors-- Thai pottery-- Metal ingots of bronze, tin, lead and silver-- Indonesian gold jewelry, bronze religious items-- Arab glass, iron pots-- Cooking ware

The Belitung shipwreck was undertaken by a for-profit, professional salvage company -- good or bad?

Srivijaya, Sumatra7-14th centuries

I-ching

I-Ching

The 7th c. traveling monk I-Ching described a monastery with 1,000 monks, and Srivijaya as an important center for learning.

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.”

Other impressions

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.

A Local inscription: Telaga BatuA Local inscription: Telaga Batu

Telaga Batu

Chola dynasty 200 BCE - 1300 CE

A modern-day Shiva lingam

Shiva lingam in the Chola templeBrihadeeswarar -- a tribute to the kingand Shiva

Shiva lingam

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

ContributionsContributions: : primarily within the court culturesprimarily within the court cultures

-- Architecture -- Architecture (temples and palace layout)(temples and palace layout)

-- Literature -- Literature (Ramayana, Mahabharata)(Ramayana, Mahabharata)

-- Alphabets, scripts -- Alphabets, scripts ((allall S.E.A. scripts based on Indic ones) S.E.A. scripts based on Indic ones)

-- Philosophy & religion-- Philosophy & religion

-- -- Concepts ofConcepts of governance, social structure governance, social structure

-- -- Sciences:Sciences: astronomy, mathematics astronomy, mathematics

-- Priests, travelers-- Priests, travelers

INDIANIZATION OF SOUTHEAST ASIA

• 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: Trade

• 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 ofSrivijaya.

* A predecessor of other maritime centers, notably Melaka and Singapore.

Summing up Srivijaya: Culture

Malacca, 14th c.

Singapore, 19th c.

Java 9th- 15th c.

Srivijaya 7-14 c.

Srivijaya and succesorsSrivijaya and succesors

Srivijya successors

*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

Coming up: Section 2 - Ramayana WorldsComing up: Section 2 - Ramayana Worlds

WK 3. GODS AND PHILOSOPHY: HINDUISM

Readings due:T/Sept. 6: Ramayana, Intro i-xii; Intro (2); pps. 1-32Th/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-- IntroductionsOver to you-- Introductions

• The Name Game -- who has the best memory?

• Split up into groups of 3 people -- introduceyourselves, and be ready to make a 1-2 min.

intro to the class, hitting the highlights.

• Introductions