Diverse Cultures of Southeast Asia
Destiny Smith & Eliecer Quintero III
Vocabulary
Matrilineal - inheritance through the mother
Stupa - domed shaped shrines
Paddies - fields with provided food for the population
Geography of Southeast Asia
- two major regions: Mainland Southeast Asia & Island Southeast Asia
- mainland is separated from Asia by mountains & high plateaus
- 4 main river valleys are separated by mountains: Irrawaddy, Chao Phraya, Mekong, & Red
- home to early civilizations
- monsoons, or seasonal winds. shaped trading patterns in southern seas
- ships traveled northeast in summer, and southwest in winter
- Southeast Asian ports were important centers of trade and culture
- key product of Southeast Asia was spices
- people of Southeast Asia developed their own cultures
- diverse ethnic groups spoke many languages, and settled in Southeast Asia
- lived in isolated villages
- female merchants could become rulers
- women could have some say in choosing or divorcing their marriage partner
Indian Culture Spreads To Southeast Asia
- Indian merchants & Hindu Priests spread their culture
- trade & religion brought fourth the influence of writing, law, government, art, architecture, & farming
- trade brought prosperity as merchants exchanged products
- contacts increased between India & Southeast Asia, Indian beliefs & ideas won widespread acceptance
- Indians carried third religion, Islam, into the region
- 1200's Muslims ruled northern India
- traders spread Islamic beliefs & Muslim culture
- trade network thrived
New KIngdoms & Empired Emerge
- Pagan kingdom arose in the fertile rice growing
- 1044, King Anawrahta united the region