RVIP YEAR 1

HISTORY 2014

What Make Singapore Prosperous?

UNIT 1: Was SEA an Emporium in Pre-Colonial Period?

CONTENTS

Was Southeast Asia (SEA)an Emporium in Pre-Colonial Period?

____________________________________________________

1. Introduction - What is History? - Year 1 Syllabus 2014

…… 1 - 3

2. Trade Routes in Early Southeast Asia - Overland Route - Sea Route

…… 4 - 13

3. Trade and the Rise of Maritime Kingdoms in Early Southeast Asia (1st – 14th centuries)

- Funan - Srivijaya - Melaka

…… 14 - 18

4. Worksheets for Thinking Routines

…… 19 - 23

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Introduction History is a record of what took place in the past. Even you have a history consisting of the events in your own life. The family you come from has a history, as well.

History is also about people who have changed the world. The people who have done the world good include leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and thinkers like Confucius. History may also recorded the achievements of scientists like Marie Curie, musicians like Elvis Presely and even writers like Mark Twain. Some people like Adolf Hitler have harmed others through their actions.

History is also about the discoveries and events that have changed the world. Some of these discoveries include fire, writing, metal and agriculture. Among the inventions are gunpowder, TV, the computer and the mobile phone. Our own country, too, has a history rich with events such as the Japanese Occupation and Singapore’s struggle for independence.

How do we find out about History? We rely on the work of historians, people who study the past using various forms of evidence: oral, pictorial and written. Oral evidence is based on songs, interviews and speeches which involve speech rather than writing. Pictorial evidence takes the form of cartoons, posters, amps and photographs.

How is History examined? In order to examine History, historians have to study evidence. Written, pictorial and oral evidence are referred to as sources. These are the basic materials used by historians who need to look for evidence to support their views.

However, how do historians find out about prehistory, the millions of years before history begins when people start to keep written historical records and accounts? The only way to find out about this period is through the study of archaeology. Archaeologists study the material remains of our ancestors which they dig up or excavate at places called sites. The remains or finds can be in the form of stone, bone, wood and metal. They also include bits of jewellery, pottery and tools, or artefacts.

Introduction: What is History?

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What Make Singapore Prosperous?

SYLLABUSUnits Terms

Unit 1: Was SEA an Emporium in Pre-Colonial Period Term 1

Unit 2: Was Singapore a Sleeping Fishing Village Before 1819? Term 2

Unit 3: How was Life Like in Singapore Under British Colonial Rule? Term 3

ASSESSMENT (100%) Continual Assessment (60%)

Term 1 (10%) Term 2 (25%) Term 3 (25%)

End of Year Examination (40%)

Continual AssessmentTerms Assignments & Tests

Term 1[10%]

Source Based Questions [10%] Two SBQ assignments Focus: Inference skill Students would read 3 written and/or pictorial sources about trade in

Southeast Asia and come to conclusions about this unitTerm 2[25%]

Essay Questions [10%] 1 explanation about Singapore

before 1819 Students would be assessed on their

argument supported with examples and linkages

History Test in May [15%] 2 Source Based Questions 1 Essay Question with 1

explanation

Term 3[25%]

Group Work during June Holidays [10%] Create a product for people in

Singapore under British Colonial Rule

History Test in August [15%] 1 Source Based Question 1 Essay Question with 3

explanation

End of Year ExaminationSkills to be tested Section A : SBQ

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Year 1 History 2014

Section B : Essay

There were already trade links between Europe, India and China even before the 1st century. The first ancient travellers returned to their homeland with goods from the new lands which they had visited. They either gave away these foreign goods or exchanged them for other things.

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Questions1. Why did people in early Southeast Asia use the overland route? Explain your answer.2. What led to the decline of the overland route? Explain your answer. 3. What were the implications and consequences of trade in early Southeast Asia?

Explain your answer.

2. Trade Routes in Early Southeast Asia

Introduction Trade in Early Southeast Asia

Soon, there was a demand for these foreign goods and more trips had to be made to the new lands such as China.

For many centuries, the famous Silk Road was the only way to travel between Europe and Asia. It was the longest ancient caravan overland route across Central Asia that linked China in the East with Europe in the West. In fact, the ancient Silk Road spanned one-quarter of the circumference of the Earth. This 4500 kilometer route was not one singular route but rather a network of routes overland and overseas. It contained three major routes leading westward from Chang'an, with perhaps hundreds of smaller ways and by ways. It was first reported to have been used during the Han Dynasty of the 2nd century BC.

It was a difficult route as traders had to cross dry deserts with no water for miles, mountain passes with avalanches, faced heavy snow and attacks from nomadic tribes. In fact, bandits laid in wait to rob travelers’ caravans and thus travelers were often robbed and killed.

Reason for tradeDespite difficulties, traders were often willing to travel along this overland route to distant lands to get goods that were not easily available. For example, traders from the West could only obtain silk from China. This was because people back in their countries were willing to pay high prices to obtain these goods and thus traders made huge profits if they could get them.

Types of goods The Silk Road was used primarily to transport small and luxury goods with a high price such as silk and porcelain. This was because camels could not carry extremely heavy goods over mountains and across the deserts.

1) Silk

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Overland Route The Silk Road

Silk generated a lot of profits. In fact, this trade route became known as the famous Silk Road because the most popular product that was carried along this route was silk.

By the time of the Shang Dynasty, the Chinese already knew how to weave silk threads. They kept this knowledge a secret for a long time. As foreigners liked Chinese silk, it became an important export in China’s trade. In fact, clothing made of this beautiful soft fabric was a source of pride and a sign of great wealth. For example, even the smallest pieces of silk would be displayed by wealthy Romans.

2) Porcelain Chinese porcelain was so prized by Europeans in the West that they called it “china”, meaning quality porcelain. Porcelain was made from a special white clay that had been mixed with powedered rock, made moist and worked int a paste. A potter’s wheel or mould was used to shape the pots. Glazes were also used to give porcelain a soft, rich colour and a shine.

A wide variety of goods were also traded beside silk and porcelain. Precious ivory and gold, food items such as pomegranates, safflowers, and carrots went east out of Rome to the west; from the east came jade, furs, ceramics, and manufactured objects of bronze, iron and lacquer.

Beside goods, the Silk Road also carried people. In fact, a cemetery in Loulan, dated to the first century AD, contained burials of individuals from Siberia, India, Afghanistan, and the Mediterranean Sea. As a result, the use of this road aided the spread of technological advances such as medical science from India and religions such as Buddhism. In fact, Buddhism was introduced to China during the Han Dynasty by merchants from India. Over time, Buddhism lost much of its influence in India, but became very popular in China.

Travelers along the Silk Road included Marco Polo, Genghis Khan, and Kublai Khan. Among these travelers, the most famous Westerner was Marco Polo, an Italian traveller from Venice, as he excelled all the other travelers in his determination, his writing, and his influence.

Marco Polo travelled to Central Asia and China for 24 years. He managed to travel to lands where few Europeans had ever been and reached further than any of his predecessors, beyond Mongolia to China during the Yuan Dynasty. In fact, he became the first European to visit the Chinese capital (modern Beijing).

He traveled the whole of China and returned to tell the tale, which became the greatest travelogue. After he returned to Italy, he recorded his experiences in a book called “the Travels of Marco Polo”, sparking a surge in interest in the Far East among Europeans that led to a great age of exploration.

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Case Study: Marco Polo (1254-1324) and The Silk Road

Marco Polo’s route back home

Note: The key focus for this unit is Marco Polo’s sea route from China to Hormuz

Marco finally sailed home instead of going overland after staying for 17 years in the service of Kublai Khan. Kublai Khan asked them to lead an expedition to deliver a Mongol princess by the sea route to Persia where she was to be married. From Persia, they would continue on to Venice.

Most of their return journey was done by sea around the coast of South-East Asia, Hindustan, visiting many seaports on the way. This sea voyage passed through the South China Sea to Sumatra and the Indian Ocean, and finally docked at Hormuz. They arrived in Venice in 1295.

Marco completed the greatest journey of that time both distance wise and time wise. In fact, the sea journey took 2 years during which 600 passengers and crew died. Marco did not tell us much about the circumstances, so we could only imagine what they must have been. Historians attribute the numerous deaths to a combination of storms, disease, and combat with hostile natives encountered along the way.

1) Sumatra as 1st Port of Call – Spices

Marco Polo sailed through the Straits of Malacca, stopping in Sumatra. They spent five months on the island of Sumatra due to poor weather as they wait for the monsoon rains to end.

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He made journal references to Java and the Spice Islands. In fact, his other accounts of various places also mentioned about seeing spices growing in various parts of Asia and of spice trading in India.

Spices were already in great demand in Europe and a pound of nutmeg in Europe was worth seven fattened oxen and was considered more valuable than a pound of gold during the 1300s. Nobles were the consumers in the spice trade, driven by their desire for spices for medicine, embalming and culinary uses. For example, spices aided in preservation and gave taste to dull food in the days before refrigeration.

However, the spice trade was governed for centuries by the Middle East and North African merchants who kept the origins of spices secret. With Marco’s account, Europeans eventually realized that these spices could be found in the ‘spice islands’ of Celebes and Moluccas. This made the Europeans interested in coming to Asia to participate in the spice trade.

2) Sri Lanka as 2nd Port of Call - Gemstones

Finally, the weather improved and the Polo expedition set sail again. They crossed the Indian Ocean and stopped at the island of Sri Lanka (formerly known as Ceylon), just off the southeastern tip of India.

Marco Polo wrote of the abundance of gemstones during his 1292 visit to Sri Lanka.

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And the King of this Island possesses a ruby which is the finest and biggest in the world; I will tell you what it is like. It is about a palm in length, and as thick as a man's arm; to look at, it is the most resplendent object upon earth; it is quite free from flaw and as red as fire. Its value is so great that a price for it in money could hardly be named at all. You must know that the Great Kaan (Kublai Khan) sent an embassy and begged the King as a favour greatly desired by him to sell him this ruby, offering to give for it the ransom of a city, or in fact what the King would. But the King replied that on no account whatever would he sell it, for it had come to him from his ancestors.

An excerpt from Book 3 of The Travels of Marco Polo”

“I want you to understand that the island of Ceylon is, for its size, the finest island in the world, and from its streams comes rubies, sapphires, topazes, amethyst and garnet”.

A comment from Marco Polo

3) Southern India as 3rd Port of Call – Textile

From Sri Lanka, the Polos sailed along the southern and western coast of India, stopping in several places. After visiting several seaports in India, he and his party sailed across the Arabian Sea and to the mouth of the Persian Gulf, landing at the port city of Hormuz, where they decided to travel eastward across Asia following a land route and reached home.

Marco mentioned the famous cotton of Gujarat (state in western India) and the export of leather goods to Arabia and other countries. In fact, Marco Polo reported that the finest cotton fabric was made in Madras, India. The ships that called at Cambay brought gold, silver and brass, exchanging them for leather goods, cotton textiles and indigo.

The ancient sea route was a network of sea routes that link the East with the West, covering a distance over 15,000 kilometres. The geography of Southeast Asia, with its many islands, jungles and mountains, restricted overland travel among the people of ancient Southeast Asia. Travel by rivers and seas was more convenient. In fact, trade among the people of Southeast Asia using sea routes was already common before the coming of the Indian and Chinese traders.

More traders began to use the sea route and travel by way of Southeast Asia instead of using the Silk Road during the 15th century.

Situation outside Southeast Asia

1) Overland Trade Route – Dangerous

The Silk Road was disrupted around AD200 due to frequent attacks from nomadic tribes in Central Asia. This was because the Mongols Empire disintegrated and thus the Mongols no longer policed the routes. The Silk Road became even more dangerous when these bandits learned to make Chinese gunpowder.

As such, Europeans were no longer able to travel freely along the Silk Road and had to buy expensive eastern goods from the middleman, the Muslim merchants. Therefore, they began to

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Sea RouteGrowth of Trade in Southeast Asia

make use of the alternative sea route to the East which allowed them to get their goods more cheaply than buying them from the middlemen.

2) Vasco da Gama’s Discovery

Moreover, Vasco da Gama, a Portugese, discovered a sea route around Africa and the Indian Ocean to India in 1498. This route was linked up with the ancient sea route to the Far East. With this discovery, the Europeans stopped using the Silk Road and thus this overland route lost its importance for trade.

3) Demand for goods found in Southeast Asia especially spices

During the 1st century AD, there was an increased demand for goods. The demand for silk, spices and incense grew in Rome, Alexandria and other Western cities. The demand for precious metals such as silver and gold grew in India. All these goods could be found in Southeas Asia and China, which meants that more traders had to come to Asia to obtain them.

Spices Southeast Asia was an important source of spices. The most valued of these spices were nutmeg and mace which grew only on the tiny Banda Islands in Indonesia. Other important spices were pepper, cloves and cinnamon.

Trade in spices was very profitable. At the height of the spice trade, a cargo of nutmeg and mace could bring in profits of up to 3000 percent for the trader bringing them back. This trade was so valuable that traders were prepared to risk long and dangerous voyages for it. Later, European powers would even go to war with each other for control of this spice trade.

Since spices were the main items of trade along the routes, the Spice Routes is the name given to the network of sea routes linking the East with the West. The Spice Routes stretched from China, through the islands of Southeast Asia, around India, to the Middle East and across the Mediterranean Sea to Europe.

Situation within Southeast Asia

1) Geographical Location of Southeast Asia

Southeast Asia was located along the route taken by sailing ships which depended on the seasonal winds or monsoons. Moonsoons are winds that blow steadily in certain directions at specific times of the year. For example, the southwest monsoon drove ships sailing from India to Southeast Asia. However, the journey to China was too long to complete during a single monsoon season and thus these ships had to stop at ports in Southeast Asia such as Oc-eo (Funan’s capital) for shelter and supplies. Then, these ships would leave Southeast Asia for China. The northeast monsoon guided ships from China to Southeast Asia and back to India. Therefore, Southeast Asia’s ideal location in the midpoint of these two countries acted as a stopover for many ships. Moreover, these ports served as collection centres for goods produced in Southeast Asia, China and India. For instance, Indian traders met other traders who were able to supply them with

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goods from the Malay Archipelago as well as from China. In this way, the Indian traders could then go back home without having to sail all the way to China.

Therefore, Southeast Asian ports served both as convienient stopovers and as trading centres for goods from Aisa. In fact, there was a growth of important ports like Funan and Srivijaya.The wealth gained from trade allowed some of these ports to grow into small kingdoms.

Conclusion Even though the sea route was long and dangerous, it was safer than the Silk Road and it allowed traders to carry many more goods by ship than they could carry by camel. As such, traders gradually stopped using the Silk Road.

In fact, the usage of the sea route became quite widespread as archeologists found a gold coin from the Roman Empire at Oc-eo (Funan’s main port, now part of Vietnam) together with Persian, Indian and Greek artefacts.

Today, the sea routes still serves as highways of transportation between the East and the West. But now goods are carried in giant tankers and continaer ships. It is now faster to travel from China to Europe, while in the past such a journey would take many months.

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Case Study: Zheng He Golden Age of Chinese Seafaring across the Indian Ocean (1405-1433)

Zheng He was the Admiral of the Imperial Navy during the Ming dynasty which meant he was given command of the Chinese oceangoing imperial fleet. Between 1405 and 1433, he embarked on seven sea voyages to places such as Thailand, Malaya, Java and India. He travelled as far as the east coast of Africa.

Admiral Zheng He was commissioned by Emperor Yongle to carry out a huge programme of sea exploration and to let places outside China know of her military might. In fact, at the start of the first of Zheng He's epic voyages in 1403, 317 ships and almost 28,000 men gathered in the port of Nanjing. It was the largest fleet in the world at that time. His largest ships had nine masts and were 400 feet long. This impressive show of force that paraded around the Indian Ocean during the first three decades of the 15th century was intended to signal to other places that China was powerful.

When he returned from his seventh and final voyage, Zheng He was 62 years old. Soon after his death, the imperial government decided that massive expeditions were too costly and they were discontinued. All overseas trade was banned and it became a capital offense to set sail from China in a multi-masted ship.

Zheng He’s Ports of Call and their Importance

1) Increased Control of Maritime Trade Routes

China wanted to hold the position in Melaka so that it could control the maritime trading routes. In fact, China had been warring with the Siamese over the control of these routes for a number of years. So, the emperor sent Zheng He to bestow upon Parameswara (leader of Melaka) two silver robes, a mandarin's hat, a girdle of office, and an embroidered silk robe. Parameswara in return, presented the Emperor with a pair of spectacles. Then, the Emperor proclaimed Parameswara as the ruler of Malacca and declared that it was a city-state under the protection of the Emperor of China and paid homage to the Ming throne. As a result, China secured the trading routes and developed Melaka as its regional warehouse for trading of goods.

2) Ensured a Safe Maritime Trade Route

Zheng Ho’s ships encountered the notorious Cantonese pirate Chen Zuyo in the Strait of Malacca in 1407. Operating out of Sumatra, Chen used his fleet of armed junks to control the straits. Almost all ships that passed through were either raided or forced to pay tribute to Chen Zuyo. When Zheng arrived, he demanded the pirates to surrender. Chen agreed but secretly planning a surprise attack. However, Zheng had been alerted to the details of his plan and was ready. In the fierce battle, Chen was captured while 5,000 of his men were killed and his fleet was destroyed. Chen was publically executed in Nanjing. The Chinese informant who gave up Chen was made the ruler of Palembang.

3) Exchange of Goods

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Zheng He carried Chinese goods to be exchanged for foreign commodities such as spices and animals. For instance, there was a great exchange of goods during Zheng He’s second voyage. The Siamese offered goods such as peacocks, elephants, parrots, woods, and tin, in exchange for Chinese fine writing materials and precious silk clothing. In Cochin, the locals offered their natural resources such as pepper, pearls and gemstones for Chinese silk and embroidery.

In fact, by the end of his last voyage 28 years later, Zheng He had established major trading centers at ports all along the way, and China was importing and exporting goods in ports from East Asia to Africa.

4) Spread of Islam

Zheng He and his Muslim advisors regularly promoted Islam wherever they traveled. In the Indonesian islands of Java, Sumatra, Borneo and others, Zheng He already found small communities of Muslims there. This was because Islam had started to spread in Southeast Asia a few hundred years before through trade from Arabia and India. As such, Zheng He actively supported the continued growth of Islam in these areas.

Zheng He established Chinese Muslim communities in Palembang, and along Java, the Malay Peninsula, and the Philippines. These communities preached Islam to the local people and were very important to the spread of Islam in the area. The fleet built masjids and provided other social services the locals needed. Even after the death of Zheng He in 1433, other Chinese Muslims continued his work in Southeast Asia, spreading Islam. For instance, Chinese Muslim traders in Southeast Asia were encouraged to intermarry and assimilate with the local people on the islands and Malay Peninsula. This brought more people to Islam in Southeast Asia as well as strengthened and diversified the growing Muslim community.

Today, Indonesia has the largest Muslim population of any nation in the world and it could be largely attributed to Zheng He’s activties in the region. In fact, numerous masjids in the region are named after him to commemorate his contributions.

1) Exchange of Products

Due to these overland and sea routes, the exchange of products from one part of the world to another was made possible. From China came silk and porcelain which were exchanged with the West for luxuries such as precious stones and ivory. Southeast Asia was an important place to collect spices and sandalwood. India was the place for cotton, glassware and precious stones. As a result of trade, people were introduced to more products cloth, ornaments, pottery and crafts.

2) Exchange of Ideas

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Conclusion Results of trade along land and sea routes

Many ideas were also exchanged as a result of travel. The important ideas from India had to do with areas such as language, the arts, religion, medicine and mathematics. From China, four important inventions: paper; printing; the compass and gunpowder were taken to the West. From the Middle East, Arab traders spreaded their culture to many places.

3) Spread of Religion and Culture

Buddhism and Hinduism made their way from India to Southeast Asia and China. In fact, the earliest inscriptions shows that by AD 500 some people in Southeast Asia had adopted Indian religious beliefs. The rulers worshipped Vishu and Shiva (gods from the Hindu religion) and showed their devotion by building many Hindu temples. Islam also spread to Southeast Asia from the Middle East.

4) Written Records Became Avaliable

Due to trade with India and China, written recourds about Southeast Asia were made. That marked the end of prehistoric period of Southeast Asia and the beginning of the historic period. The earliest records of Southeast Asia come from India. The Chinese also kept records about Southeast Asia.

From the West came the first knowledge of the geography of ancient Southeast Asia. Ptolemy, a Greek geographer who lived in Egypt around 100 AD, drew his map of Southeast Asia with the help of information gathered from sailors and traders.

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3. Trade and the Rise of Maritime Kingdoms

in Early Southeast Asia

Questions: 1. Was a good geographical location the most important reason for the rise of various

kingdoms? Explain your answer. 2. What were the impact of trade on various kingdoms in Southeast Asia? Explain your

answer.

Introduction Rise of Maritime Kingdoms in Southeast Asia from the 1st to 14th century

The control of the trade routes through the South China Sea and the Straits of Melaka gave various Southeast Asia ports the wealth to grow. This was because the growing volume of trade passing through Southeast Asia enabled ports in Southeast Asia to not only became convienent stopovers but grew into trading centres. Traders like Indian traders met other traders at the various Southeast Asian ports who were able to supply them with goods from the Malay Archipelago and China. Over time, these trading centres developed into great maritime kingdoms such as Funanand Srivijaya. They were known as maritime kingdoms because they were located near the sea and were involved in sea-borne trade.

In the 1st century AD, the first important kingdom located in present-day Southern Cambodia and the southernmost part of Vietnam was known as Funan. According to a Chinese source, it was founded by an Indian Brahmin who married a local queen and became the first king. The name Funan derived from the Chinese rendition of the old Khmer word bnam (mountain).

Reasons 1) Good Geographical Location Funan’s major port, Oc-eo, was situated near the Isthmus of Kra. Traders from India sailed to the western side of the Isthmus of Kra and had their goods carried overland to shipds on the eastern side. Oc-eo served as a convienent stopover for these traders to take shelter and collect food. They also exchanged some of their godds with traders from Southeast Asia before continuing on their journey to China or returning to their homelands.

2) Fertile Land Moreover, the land of Funan was fertile and the people built canals to irrigate the rice fields. There was enough rice for both the local people and the foreign traders who called at Funan. Thus the location of the port and the availiability of food led to the rise of Fuanan as a major centre for traders from places like India, Java and Sumatra. Through trade, Funan became a wealty and strong kingdom.

3) Territorial Conquests Funan grew to be a powerful kingdom when the kings of Funan conquered many places by the 3rd century AD. With these territorial conquests, Funan gained control of ports along the Isthmus of Kra and part of the coast of present-day Vietnam.

However, by the 5th century, Oc-eo lost its important as a major trading centre because traders from Sumatra and Java began to sail directly to China and bypassed Oc-eo. Similarly, traders from India also bypassed Funan and began to use the route down the Straits of Melaka to trade in Sumatra and Java.

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1. Rise of Funan (1st - 6TH Century AD)

Srivijaya, which means ‘Glorious Victory’ in Sanskrit, was founded by chiefs in Sumatra around AD 700.

Reasons1) Good Geographical Location Unlike Funan, the soil where Srivijaya was located was infertile but it grew up around the port of Palembang which was well-located, being near the Straits of Melaka. At Palembang, local produces such as spices and scented woods from the surrounding islands was sold to foreign traders from India. Some of the local produce was also carried by the local traders from Palembang to China to be sold.

2) Good Leadership The rulers of Palembang made it an attractive port for traders by supressing piracy along the Straits of Melaka.

3) Territorial Conquests As a result of trade, Srivijaya became wealthy and built up a powerful navy. It extended its control to many places in Sumatra, the Malay Peinsula, western Borneo and western Java. In this way, Srivijaya gained control of ports used by traders who passed through these territories. Just as in the case of Funan, traders using the ports of Srivijaya brought wealth to Srivijaya.

However, Srivijaya declined when a Chola ruler of South India attacked Palembang in 1025.

Melaka was only a fishing village when it was founded by a Hindu prince called Parameswara from Palembang in 1403, but it soon grew into a great trading empire.

Reasons 1) Good Geographical Location Melaka was well-situated on the Straits of Melaka which was part of the trade route between India and China. It was convenient for traders to stop at Melaka for a rest before continuing their journey. It also had a safe harbour to shelter ships from strong winds.

Also, Melaka was near the main trading area of the Malay Archipelago and thus it became a centre for collecting and distributing goods. Traders from the Malay Archipelago, India and China brought their goods to Melaka and exchanged them for other goods to bring home. This kind of trade is called entrepot trade.

4) Parameswara’s LeadershipParameswara won the support of China and thus the Ming Emperor, Yong Le, recognised Melaka as vassal of China and said he would protect it from Siamese attack. As a result of its friendship with China, Melaka was able to enjoy peace and this helped its trade to grow as traders would only come to trade in Melaka if it was a safe place.

Also, Parameswara became a Muslim thourgh marriage with a Muslim princess. As Melaka

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2. Rise of Srivijaya (7TH - 13TH century AD)

3. Rise of Melaka (1430-1511)

was ruled by a Muslim ruler, many Muslim traders from India, Arabia and the Malay Archipelago began to trade with Melaka.

Parameswara set up a good system of government in Melaka. The rulers who came after him made further improvments to the system of government. The important people in the govenrment consisted of the ruler or Sultan, his four ministers (Bendahara, Bendahari, Temengong and Laksamana) and other officials such as the eight major chefs and 16 minor ones, as well as 32 village chefs who carired out the day-to day work of the government. By having a good system of government, there was law and order and thus this attracted traders and helped trade to grow.

However, Melaka fell to the Portugese when they attacked it in 1511. The weak leadership of Sultan Mahmud was one of the reasons for the fall of Melaka. Moreover, he did not have a goodand capable Bendahara after Tun Perak died. In fact, the other Bendaharas were either weak or corrupt.

Trade had a huge impact on many aspects of life in these Southeast Asia maritime kingdoms. Traders introduced new goods, ideas and craft skills to Southeast Asia from India and China.

The people in Southeast Asia had greater contact with new ideas from India instead of China for the first few centuries AD. This was because Chinese officials did not encourage Chinese traders to sail down the South China Sea. The Chinese traders could obtain foreign goods from traders from India and Southeast Asia who visited China. As few Chinese traders and envoys came to Southeast Asia, ideas and lifestyles from China did not spread widely throughout this region.

On the other hand, through contacts with Indian traders, many of the educated people of Southeast Asia learned to read in Sankskrit and to wrtie using Pallava, an Indian script from the Pallava Kingdom in South India. They kept copies of many Indian books on various subjects such as religion, mathematics, law and architecture.

However, this interaction did not mean that these countries became the same, with a shared culture made up from elements of India. Each country had a strong local culture to begin with. This culture remained the strongest. People in Southeast Asia borrowed from their neighbour those ideas that fitted their own needs best. They also changed some of the Indian ideas to make them more suited to their own customs and beliefs. For example, the kings of Southeast

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Features of Maritime Kingdoms Indianised Kingdoms

Asia behaved quite differently from the kings of India. In India, the kings were not considered to be gods, nor were they worshipped. However, in Southeast Asia, many kings claimed to be gods.

Also, the people in Southeast Asia retained many of their own ideas. For example, women in some Southeast Asian societies enjoyed high status and could even attain the status of reigning queens. This was impossible in India, where men had much higher status than women.

In conclusion, the cultures of the various Southeast Asian countries were unique, in a sense that they showed evidence of Indian influence on the one hand, yet on the other had their own distinctive features.

1) Literature, Dance and Drama

Southeast Asia borrowed ideas from India. The story of Rama and episodes from the Mahabharata are still told in dance, recitiation and drama all over Southeast Asia and performed in villages and in the courts of kings. For example, the Indonesians today still watch wayang kulit or shadow puppet plays about the exploits of Rama. Scenes from the Mahabharata are also portrayed in the wayang orang, anoher form of theatre, in Java.

However, many of the Southeast Asian countries adapted the Ramayana to suit their culture and thus the details differed from coutnry to country so that the story becamse a local legend and was known by different names in different areas. In Mlaaysia, the story has come to be known as Hikayat Seri Rama while It is known as the Ramakien in Thailand.

2) Art and Architecture

In Southeast Asia, architecture appears to be influenced by Hinduism and Buddhism. Among the most well-known works of art are the temples such as Borobudur and the Angkor Wat. Though inspired by Hinduism and Buddhism, these temples show the creativity of Southeast Asians.

Angkor Wat It is a great Hindu temple in Cambodia built in the 12th century. Many ideas from India were adopted in the construction of Angkor Wat. For instance, the carvings on the walls and pillars of Angkor Wat depict scenes from the Hindu epics (Ramayana and Mahabharata) and local scenes.

BorobudurIt is a famous Buddhist temple in Central Java built around 800 AD. The temple was made up of a series of terraces or levels. Each terrance was decorated with statues of Buddha in different positions. The walls were decorated with carvings depicting scenes from Budhdist legends. In addition, there were carvings showing Javanese customes and what life was like during that time. Furthermore, the presence of stupas showed influence from India. On the three upper terraces, there were 72 huge bell-shaped shrines called stupas, each containign a statue of Buddha. The summit of the temple was crowned by an enormous central stupa.

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Islam also had an important influence for architecture. Many mosques were built but no sculptures of any living creatures were allowed in the mosques as they were forbidden by Islamic law. Moreover, in wood carving, a traditional Malay art form, only floral designs and Arabic inscriptions with verses from the Koran, the holy book of the Muslims, were used.

3) Language

Language was another area where influence from India was felt. In the Malay, Indonesian, Thai, Camobdia and Myanmar, we could find words that were adopted as well as adapted from either Sanskrit or Pali (a language used in Buddhist writings and Sanskrit). For instance, the Sanskrit word “raji” for king was also a word in Bahasa Malaysia. Also, ‘Garuda’ which was a Sanskit word which meant ‘Eagle of Vishu’ was the name of the national Indonesian Airline.

As for the influence of Islam, it could be seen in the adoption of the title ‘Sultan’ by Muslim rulers such as the ruler of Melaka. This could be seen from the inscriptions on some tombstones. Also, a large number of words in the Malay language have been borrowed or adpated from the Arabic language as well as the introduction of the Jawi script.

4) Sculpture

Bronze and stone statues found in Southeast Asia were inspired by Hindu and Buddhist ideas. These statues were originally copied from those in India. Later, the statues were adapted and carved differently. Among them were those of Hindu gods Vishu and Shiva and that of the Buddha.

Thinking RoutinesSee What do you see?

Think What do you think about that?

Wonder What does it make you wonder?

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4. Worksheets

I used to think But now I thinkWhen we began this study of ________, you all had some initial ideas about it and what it was all about. I want you to write what it is that you used to think about _________. Take a minute to think back and then write down your response to “ I used tothink…”

Now, I want you to think about how your ideas about __________ have changed as a result of what we’ve been studying/doing/discussing. Write down what younow think about ___________. Start your sentences with, “But now, I think…”

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WHAT MAKES YOU SAY THAT?Interpretation with Justification Routine

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ThinkWhat do you think you know about this topic?

Puzzle What questions or puzzles do you have?

Explore What does the topic make you want to explore ?

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Connect How are the ideas and information presented CONNECTED to what you already knew?

ExtendWhat new ideas did you get that EXTENDED or pushed your thinking in new directions?

Challenge What is still CHALLENGING or confusing for you to get your mind around? What questions, wonderings or puzzles do you now have?

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