S5: DiverseCulturesof SoutheastAsia
By Contessa Wilson and Trey Woodfork
Vocabulary
Matrilineal- inheratence through the mother
Stupa- Dome shaped shrine
Paddy- fields that provided food
Geography of Southeast Asia
- Southeast Asia is made up of two major regions.
- Consist of 20,000 islands scattered between the Indian Ocean and South China Sea
- The mainland is separated from the rest of Asia by mountains and high plateaus
- Mountains also separated the four main river valleys of Southeast Asia
- Monsoons or seasonal winds shaped trading patterns in the southern seas
- The peoples of southeast Asia developed their own cultures before Indian or Chinese influences shaped the region
Indian Culture Spreads to Southeast Asia
- In the early centuries A.D Indian traders settled in Southeast Asian port cities
- Trade brought prosperity as merchants exchanged products
- Long after Hinduism and Buddhism took root, Indians carried a third religion, Islam
New Kingdoms and Empires Emerge
- The blend of Indian with local cultures in time produced a series of kingdoms and empires in Southeast Asia
- Example of this is The Pagan kingdom. Arose in Irrawaddy Valley
- The Khmer Empire reach the peak between 800 and 1350