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Indianization of

Southeast Asia-2-

Indianization of

Southeast Asia-2-

Southeast Asia

大林太良編「東南アジアの民族と文化」＜民族の歴史＞６、山川出版社、１９８４年

What is “Indianization”?review

Hindouisation（Frence）Indianization（English）Sanskritization

cf. SinicizationVietnam, Japan, Korean peninsula

Chronological table of SEA(BC 1st-12th C)

“thalassocratic” state

Power is based on the control of maritime trafficStrategic points;strait, bay, river mouthNo interest in territorial controlOnce popular in Malay worldSrivijaya was the forerunner

Ocean once connected people afar

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Southeast Asia in the 7-8 C. Shrivijaya（室利仏逝、三仏斉）shi-li-fo-she, san-fo-ji

（7-13AD）This map is too much exaggeratedCurrent theory claims that Shrivijaya’ s control extended only in the Straits of Malacca and Sunda

Palembang was the center of Srivijayan

power

religionmarket

seafaring peopleport

South Sumatra

Palembang→

←Jambi

Characteristic of SrivijayaControl of major route of maritime trafficCenter of economic activitiesDeveloped as the harbor to wait for favorable monsoon windCenter of religious activities：Center of Mahayana Buddhism in the 7th centuryHigh mobility in populationUse of orang laut (seafaring people) The maritime trade zone of Shrivijaya;

7th and 13th centuries

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Muara Takus Buddhist

temple ruin

Shrivijayanpower left very few

remains due perhaps to its commercial character Telaga Batu inscription

義浄「南海寄帰内法伝」Yi jing

Nan-hai ji gui nei fa zhuan

「斯乃咸遵仏法、多是小乗、

唯末羅遊少有大乗耳。」

“There everybody respects Buddhism. Most of them are of Hinayana school. In Melayuare found a few Mahayanists.” Buddhist statue excavated in Palembang

8th C.AD

Grass beads found in Palembang Song porcelain excavated in Palembang

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Reasons for Indianization

So far, a number of scholars have proposed wide range of theories, however there is no any decisive evidence.There is no clear evidence that a large-scale migration from Indian subcontinent to Southeast Asia took place in the pastMerely cultural diffusion

Reasons for Indianization1. Adventurous upper castes came in

pursuit of gold and spiceC. C. Berg

1. The insufficiency of the gold in India due to the embargo in Roman empire Dr. Nagazumi Akira

2. Discovery of trade wind and improvement of navigation techniqueExpansion of China marketDiffusion of Buddhism N. J. Krom

Reasons for Indianization4. Local students went to India and

invite intellectuals from India F. D. K. Bosch

5. Colonization of Indian immigrants. Establishment of the “Greater India” R. C. Majumdar(This theory was denied)

Reasons for Indianization6. The indigenous chief invites brahman

priests for the authority and dignityJ. C. Van Leur

7. The marriage of Indian man with the local woman「竺枝扶南記日：、、、（頓孫国）有、、、 天竺婆羅門千余人、頓孫敬奉其道、 嫁女与之、故多不去。」

『太平御覧』巻七八八(Taiping Yulan, vol. 788)

Taiping YulanZhuzhi funanji records;(in the country of Tunsun), …….there lived more than thousand Indian brahmans. People of Tunsun respect Brahmanism so much that they wanted to marry their daughters to the brahmans. So many of them did not want to go home.

Phnom DaHoly hill in

Angkor Borei

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Hindu Syncretism

Spirits resideOn the hill

acculturation

Ancestralworship

Culturalfoundation Indian culture

Hindu godsReside in

Mt. Sumeru

Royal legitimacyIn

HinduismKing, priests

Clans, People

Unification Of kingdom

Javanese king,Raden Vijaya

in the form of Harihara

Harihara represents the combined body of Vishnu

and Shiva.This unique deity cannot

be found in India

Limits of Indianization

Acculturation of caste system （varna, jâti）Juxtaposed with a clan.Varna-jati system and concepts still remain in Bali, Indonesia.Only brahman(priests) and sudra(populace) are found, but no other varnascan be found.

Law of Manu

The origin of four varnas

Duty of four varnas

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Evolution of Indianization in the 13th century crisis

Indianized states

Insular SEAIslamizationExcept Bali

ContinentalSEA

Theravada Buddhism

13th century crisis

SEA dynasties after the 13th century

Crisis

11th century Asia 12th century Asia

Bagan dynasty, Upper Myanmar

Upper Myanmar

Kyaukse Plain

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Bagan dynasty (1044-1299)

Dynasty built by Burmese in the dry zone of Upper MyanmarThe annual amount of rainfall is less than 800 mm.Agriculture cannot depend on natural rain fallThe successive Bagan kings constructed irrigation in the Kyaukse plain.

Islamization of Southeast Asia

Islamic influence in Insular Southeast Asia and Evolution in continental SEASoutheast Asia changed dramatically after 13th centuryIslamic influence in insular part (not much in the Philippines) New races such as Thai and Burmese emerged in the scene.They chose Theravada Buddhism to replaces conventional Hinduism.Vietnam remained in the Chinese cultural sphere .

Southeast Asia after the 13th century

Continental SEA：

Theravada BuddhismVietnam：periphery of Chinese civilizationInsular part：Islamic worldThe Philippines and Eastern Indonesia：tribal society

Southeast Asia after 13th century

Theravada BuddhismChinese

sphere

Islamic world

Tribal society

Tribal society

SEA after the 13th century crisis

Tribal society

Islamic worldExcept

Bali

Chinese culture

TheravadaBuddhism

Philippine&

Eastern Indonesia

InsularVietnamContinent

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Remnants of Indian Impact

Use of Indian character: Thai, Laos, Cambodia, BurmaUse or words originated in Sanskrit, Pali

Kawi characters of Indonesia

Lontar written in Kawi characters The book of fortune-telling written in the Javanese character

Kodak advertisement (Thailand) The timetable of the Thai National Railway (North line)

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Burmese advertisement in Mandalay

Postbox in Laos

Written in Lao and French

Myanmar banknote75 kyat

Used in 1986. Not in use now.

Cinema in Cambodia

Phnom Penh

Javanese textbook used in Indonesia

hanacaraka

Hanunoo-Mangyan tribal bamboo document and knives to curve letters

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A Man of Hanunoo-

Mangyan tribe curving letters on the bamboo

Mindoro,The Philippines

Mindoro Island

Remnants of IndianizationThe prevalence of the classic India literary motif：two great epics ex. Wayang kulit, art, sculptureThe use of Indian calendars,Shaka samvat, vikrama samvat,Concepts of black and white half of a month. Vikrama samvat still in use

in Nepal

Hindu calendars

Vikrama samvat (BC 58)Shaka samvat (AD 78);Javanese calendarGupta samvat (AD 320)Harsya samvat (AD606)Buddhist Era(BE) (BC 543)

Buddhist Era (BE)Began in the legendary year of Sakyamuni Buddha’s nirvanaCurrently Used in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Myanmar, Laos2000 AD = 2543 BE1957AD = 2500 BE, Buddha Jayanti

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BaliMicrocosmos of Hinduism Hindu temple in Bali island

Pura Besakih,holiest temple

of Bali

Hinduism

Garuda, or divine bird, appeared in

Barong dance, Bali

Garuda in Bali Hindu temple

Garuda is supposed to be

Vishnu’s vehicle

Karura(迦楼羅)

or Garudamask in Gigaku(伎楽)

8th centuryHoryuji

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Kecak dance,Bali

Prince Sitaabducted by demon king

RavanaThe house shrine in

Bali Beach Hotel

Javanese wayang kulit, shadow play

Epilogue

If you have an opportunity to visit Southeast Asia, try to look for the the Indian cultural remnants for yourself.Surely you can find various kinds