Regional Studies ● atlasofworldhistory.com

· Peoples of five language families play prominent roles in South Asia's history.

· South Asia provides many examples of political succession: same people, new leader, new political name.

SINO-TIBETAN LANGUAGES

PYU & MYANMAR (BURMANS)

Pyu migrate [500 BCE]. Groups speaking a Sino-Tibetan 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. The city, surrounded by a protective moat, became a center of trade.

Myanmar move south [656]. The Myanmar [Burmans], moved south from the mountains near Tibet. Their language, like that of the Pyu, was Sino-Tibetan. The Pyu abandoned Sri Ksetra and moved north.

Pyu attacked by Nanchao [800]. The Thai kingdom of Nanchao conquered the Pyu [835].

Pagan formed [835/1044]. The Thai kingdom of Nanchao conquered the Pyu [835]. The Burman Myanmar formed a kingdom with Pagan as its capital [849/1044]. Most citizens practiced Buddhism.

AUSTRO-ASIAN LANGUAGES

KHMER & MON

Funan villages [50 CE]. Groups speaking the Austro-Asian Khmer language settled 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 sailors began to use an all-water route [Straits of Malacca] that did not require carrying goods across land. Ships using the new routes rarely stopped at Funan’s ports.

Funan prosperity [400]. Trade by sea increased because weakness in China made land trade risky. Funan prospered and expanded. New 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 and finally conquered it [620].

Mon city-states [650]. After Chenla conquered Funan, the Mon formed city-states northwest of Chenla. The Mon and Khmer both spoke an Austro-Asian family language. 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.

Kambuja kingdom [802]. The Malay Srivijaya conquered Water Chenla [802/812]. A Khmer leader formed the kingdom of Kambuja and recovered Water Chenla [812, Jayavarman II].

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 the capital by surrounding flat fields with dirt walls [895, Baray Reservoir at Angkor]. The reservoir provided surplus food and prosperity 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]. Temples built of stone remain today. Palaces and other buildings were made from wood and have not survived. Most of the large temples which remain today were built in the 1100s.

MALAY-POLYNESIAN LANGUAGES

MALAY

Malay-Polynesians [2000]. People speaking Malay languages spread from Taiwan to the Philippine islands, Borneo, and New Guinea [before 2000].

Fiji settled [1000]. Sailors arrived at the islands of Fiji, 1500 miles east of New Guinea [1000].

Tahiti settled [200 BCE]. As sailors gained more knowledge of stars, winds, and ocean currents, they traveled another 2000 miles across the Pacific and reached 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. Indonesians brought to Africa crops that grew well in a wet environment including the Asian banana and yam. These crops helped the Bantu expand into wet areas of southern Africa.

Cham city-states [192]. The Cham were the only Malay-Polynesian speakers who settled on mainland Asia. They built four city-states along the sea coast and named them after places in India. The Cham adopted India’s Hindu religion. Cham society was matriarchal. 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 trade and piracy. To stop the piracy China destroyed the Cham capital [605] and forced the Cham to pay tribute. South Cham became stronger and began to use the name 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 [780/900]. Srivijaya emerged as a confederation of cities on the islands of Sumatera and Java. After Srivijaya conquered a mainland kingdom [790, Water Chenla], a strong leader formed the kingdom of Kambuja and drove Srivijaya from the mainland [812].

Srivijaya taxed shipping [900/980]. Srivijaya took part of the Malay Peninsula [900, Tambrilinga], giving it control over both sides of the narrow body of water [Strait of Malacca] and 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 [980/1000]. The first settlers, Malay-Polynesian sailors from Tahiti, arrived in New Zealand [about 1000].

TAI LANGUAGE

THAI

Nanchao [700]. Speakers of the Tai language migrated from southwest China and formed independent states in mountain areas. Several united to form the kingdom, Nanchao.

China attacks Nanchao [750]. China attacked Nanchao [750, 754] unsuccessfully and then recognized Nanchao as an independent state [789]. The Thai kept China from expanding into this region.

Nanchao conquers Pyu [835]. The Thai expanded and conquered Pyu [835]. The Tai also held parts of Annam for a short period [863].

Nanchao ally of China [967]. The emperor of Northern Song China refused to attack Nanchao because it had pledged its loyalty [967].

INDEPENDENT LANGUAGE

VIETNAM

Yueh [1200 BCE]. People in the Yueh region, northeast of present-day Vietnam, grew rice in fields flooded with water [1200 BCE], produced bronze weapons and drums [800C, Dong Son culture], and used canals to carry water from high tides to rice fields [550, Lac fields].

Nam Viet formed [208]. Qin China [208 BCE] conquered the Yueh region. Two years a civil war broke out in China and the south Yueh [Nan Yueh] rebelled. They formed the Nam Viet kingdom. [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. The people of Nam Viet refused to adopt the Chinese language and culture. Nam Viet tried to break away, but failed [39/43 AD].

Nam Viet Divided [203]. China divided Nam Viet [203] and took the north as a Chinese province. Nam Viet government workers used Confucian-style bureaucratic procedures and Chinese characters for writing. Nam Viet Mayahana Buddhism [200], and tried unsuccessfully to break away from China [248, 543].

Annam [679]. Tang China reorganized Nam Viet and called it Annam [679/907].

Nam Viet [907]. Annam broke away from China when China’s Tang Dynasty ended [907]. The Vietnamese repelled a Chinese attempt to retake it [938] and restored their country’s old name, Nam Viet [939]. The Vietnamese refused to be assimilated into Chinese culture and kept their own language alive during 1000 years of Chinese rule

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