Southeast Asia

Peoples of five language families play prominent roles in Southeast Asia's history. Southeast Asia provides many examples of political succession: same people, new leader, new political name.

TIBETO-BURMAN LANGUAGES
Pyu migrate [500]. Speakers of a Tibeto-Burman Pyu language moved south from mountains near Tibet.
Pyu form kingdom [150 CE]. The Pyu formed a kingdom in Myanmar [Burma] where their farmers took advantage of a monsoon climate and its three seasons: cool, warm, and rainy. Most Pyu were Buddhists. They avoided war and sometimes settled disputes by allowing two warriors to fight.
Pyu at Sri Ksetra [550]. The Pyu used the port city, Sri Ksetra, as their capital. Surrounded by a protective moat, the city became a center of trade.
Myanmar move south [656]. Speakers of the Tibeto-Burman Myanmar language moved south from mountains near Tibet. When the Myamar [Burmans] arrived, the Pyu abandoned Sri Ksetra and moved north.
Pagan formed [835]. The Thai kingdom of Nanchao conquered the Pyu [835]. The Myanmar formed a kingdom with Pagan as its capital [849/1044]. Most citizens practiced Buddhism.

AUSTRO-ASIAN LANGUAGES
Funan villages [50 CE]. Speakers of the Austro-Asian Khmer language established Funan along the Mekong River. Funan grew prosperous by selling supplies to ships traveling between India and China.
• Wet rice. The Khmer grew rice in flooded fields [wet rice]. While other methods of farming wear out the soil quickly, rice paddies can be kept fertile for generations.
Funan decline [250]. Funan's prosperity declined when ships changed to a different route and rarely stopped at Funan's ports.
Funan prosperous [400]. Sea trade increased because instability in China made land trade risky. Funan prospered and expanded. Settlers from India introduced the Hindu religion.
Chenla takes Funan [550]. Chenla, a new Khmer state, emerged along the Mekong River north of Funan. Chenla attacked Funan repeatedly for 100 years before conquering it [620].
Mon city-states [650]. The Mon, who also spoke the Austro-Asian Khmer language, formed city-states north of Chenla. Most Mon were Buddhist. Most Khmer were Hindu.
Chenla divided [750]. Chenla split into two kingdoms, Land Chenla in the north and Water Chenla in the south [750].
Kambuja kingdom [802]. After the Malay Srivijaya conquered Khmer Water Chenla [802/812], a Khmer leader [Jayavarman II] broke away, formed the kingdom of Kambuja, and recovered Water Chenla [812].
Kambuja expands [877]. Kambuja united Water Chenla and Land Chenla [877], took land from the Mon and the Thai.
• Green Revolution. A 6 kilometer [3.5 mile] long reservoir was built at Kambuja's capital city of Angkor by surrounding flat fields with dirt walls [895, Baray Reservoir]. The reservoir provided surplus food by allowing an extra crop of rice to be harvested each year [green revolution].
• Temples at Angkor. The first of many temples was completed at Angkor [900]. Many of the temples that remain today were built of stone in the 1100s. Palaces and other buildings were made from wood and have not survived.

MALAY-POLYNESIAN LANGUAGES
Malay-Polynesians [2000]. Speakers of Malay languages spread from Taiwan to the Philippine islands, Borneo, and New Guinea [before 2000].
Fiji settled [1000]. Malay sailors arrived at the islands of Fiji, 1500 miles east of New Guinea [1000].
Tahiti settled [200 BCE]. Sailors gained more knowledge of stars, winds, and ocean currents and traveled another 2000 miles across the Pacific to Tahiti [200].
Madagascar settled [100 CE]. Malay-Polynesian sailors from Indonesia became the first settlers on the island of Madagascar near Africa [100].
• Asian crops. The Asian banana, yam, and other crops brought to Africa from Indonesia grew well in a wet environment. These crops helped the Bantu expand into wet areas of southern Africa.
Cham city-states [192]. The Cham, the only Malay speakers who settled on mainland Asia, built city-states along the sea coast and named them after places in India. The Cham observed Hinduism and had a matriarchal society. Newly married couples lived with the bride's family. Women inherited family property.
Hawaii settled [400]. Sailors from Tahiti reached Hawaii [400].
Cham attacked by China [600]. Cham's coastal cities became centers for piracy. China destroyed the Cham capital [605], ended the piracy, and forced the Cham to pay tribute. The southern city state grew stronger called itself Champa.
Champa kingdom [750]. The Cham stopped paying tribute to China after 150 years [750]. Champa's center of power returned to the north [875, Indrapura]. The kingdom of Champa continued for 500 years until the Mongols took it [1283].
Srivijaya confederation [780]. Srivijaya emerged as a confederation of Malay cities on the islands of Sumatera and Java. Srivijaya conquered Khmer Water Chenla on the mainland [790]. A strong Khmer leader formed the kingdom of Kambuja and drove Srivijaya from the mainland [812].
Srivijaya taxed shipping [900]. Srivijaya took part of the Malay Peninsula [900] that gave it control over both sides of the narrow body of water [Strait of Malacca]. Srivijaya taxed ships traveling between India and China.
• Choke Point. The Strait of Malacca is a 'choke point', a place where geography makes it easy for a nation to control and tax trade.
New Zealand settled [980]. Malay sailors from Tahiti arrived in New Zealand [about 1000].

TAI LANGUAGE
Nanchao [700]. Tai speakers migrated from southwest China and formed states in mountain areas. Several of the states united to form the kingdom, Nanchao.
China attacks Nanchao [750]. China attacked Nanchao unsuccessfully [750, 754] and later recognized Nanchao as an independent state [789]. Nanchao kept China from expanding into this region.
Nanchao conquers Pyu [835]. Nanchao expanded and conquered Tibeto-Burman Pyu [835]. Nanchao held parts of Vietnamese Annam for a short period [863].
Nanchao ally of China [967]. China's Northern Song emperor refused to attack Nanchao because it had pledged its loyalty [967].

VIETNAMESE LANGUAGE
Yueh [1200]. People in the Yueh region, northeast of present-day Vietnam, grew rice in fields flooded with water [1200], produced bronze weapons and drums [800, Dong Son culture], and used canals to carry water from high tides to rice fields [550, Lac fields]. They spoke a Vietnamese language.
Nam Viet formed [208]. Qin China conquered the Yueh region [208]. A civil war broke out in China two years later and the south Yueh [Nan Yueh] broke away and formed Nam Viet [206].
Nam Viet under China [111 BCE]. West Han China [111 BCE] conquered Nam Viet, imposed high taxes, and tried to change the social structure from matriarchal to patriarchal. Nam Viet refused to adopt the Chinese language and culture and tried, but failed, to break away [39 CE/43].
Nam Viet divided [203]. China took the north of Nam Viet [203] as a Chinese province, imposing Confucian-style bureaucratic procedures and Chinese characters for writing. Nam Viet adopted Mayahana Buddhism [about 200], and tried unsuccessfully to break away from China [248, 543].
Annam [679]. Tang China reorganized Nam Viet and called it Annam [679].
Nam Viet independent [907]. When China's Tang dynasty ended, Annam broke away [907], resisted a Chinese attempt to retake it [938], and restored the name, Nam Viet [939]. During more than 1000 years under Chinese domination, the Vietnamese maintained an independent spirit, refusing to be assimilated into Chinese culture and keeping their own language alive.
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