Pre Colonial Southeast Asia (1)

7/31/2019 Pre Colonial Southeast Asia (1)

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Pre-Colonial Southeast Asia

Part I: An Area View

1450 - 1680


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A Special Time

1450-1680 was a period of an explosive increase in tradewhich brought great wealth. Some call the period EarlyModern.

Trade included all parts of Asia plus Europe. Frequently a monarch was a countrys principaltrader who

exercised a monopoly over certain items. Ex: gems, teak.

Great wealth led to better weaponry which led togreater

consolidation of political power. (Consider the relationshipto modern terrorism.)

Dispel the idea of Europe discovering Asia.


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An Overview Life Style

Health

Appearance

Housing

Government

Warfare Weapons

Legal Practices

Marriage

Festivals

Sports

Literacy


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Life Style

Numbers33 million estimated in 16th Century.

593 million report in 2004 (114 million in Java) Health Amazingly disease free. Suicide

practice of Amok

Tattooing - Talismanic Hair Styles Long vs. Short. Brush Cut

Finger Nails Sign of wealth & position


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Life Style (Contd)

Ear Lobes Distended

Clothing Topless Sarong

Housing

Residential Bamboo on stilts

Religious Stone

Patronage A system of obligations

Slavery POWs, debtors and corves labor


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Housing

Common Housing Native Chiefs House


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Governmental Model

Mandala model of semi-feudal powercenters of variable size.

King ruled by right of birth and religiousmerit.

Members connected by common ancestry,

loyalty, patronage and religious beliefs. Members obligated at times of planting,

harvest, festive occasions and war.


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Mandalas


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Cosmic Harmony

Government is responsible to maintain

harmony between heaven and earth.

Otherwise terrible calamities would befallthe kingdom. To do so, governments sought

to imitate heaven to the extent possible.

Architectural layout of capital city.Organization of government

The functions of king and court


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Hindu/Buddhist Cosmos This is a Mahayana Buddhist conception of the

universe. Mount Meru is at the center of the universe.

It is surrounded by seven mountain ranges separatedfrom each other by seven annular seas.

Beyond the seas lie four continents, one at each cardinaldirection.

The continent south of Mount Meru is Jambudvipa.

On the slopes of Mount Meru are the four greatkings/guardians of the world in the lowest paradise. Onthe summit in the second paradise are the 33 gods in thecity of Sudarsana with Indra reigning as king.


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Where Is Mount Meru

Some say Mount Meru is the North Pole. Others

believe it is located in the Himalayas, Mt Kailash.


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Creating the Cosmic Setting

The earthly capital of anempire was believed to beits magic center.

The capital took the formof a large square, facing inthe cardinal directions. Itrepresented Jambudvipa.

At the center, a hill and/ortemple represented MountMeru. In the temple was

placed the lingam of Siva.It represent the Deva Raja. Shiva


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Imitating The Cosmic

To imitate the city of Sudarsana, 32 main gates

were built with a palace making 33. The 32 also

corresponded to the number of provincial chiefswith the king being number 33.

The king was supposed to have four principal

wives and four secondary wives, representing the

four cardinal points and four intermediarydirections. They symbolized the four guardian

kings of Mount Meru.


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Imitating The Cosmic

The cosmological principle led to four

undersecretaries of state, eight assistant

undersecretaries, four heralds, four royalmessengers, etc.

In a variation on this theme, the king himself could

represent the cosmos. His body was Mount Meru;

his eyes, the sun and the moon; his arms and legs,the cardinal points; the point on his crown, the spire

of Indras crown.


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Warfare

Armies composed of peasant farmers. Recurring village vs. village conflict.

People a form of wealth.

Absence from fields could cause crop failures.

Warfare consisted of amassing & posturing.

Use of elephants equivalent to tanks.

Use of champions common. Victors sought to capture rather than kill.

Dislocation a primary source of depopulation.


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Kris

A short, curved

knife/sword.

Frequently elaboratelydecorated.

Carried by almost all

men.

Considered to possess

magical powers a

soul.


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Judicial Practices

Custom more important than legal codes.

Oaths and trial by ordeal.

Immersion in water. Immersion of hand/foot in molten tin or lead.

Punishments: Fines, flogging, loss of limbs,

strangling, trampling by elephants, krissing to

death, beheading & slavery in lieu of fines.

Capital punishment required consent of sovereign.


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Marriage

Status of women higher than in Europe. Bride price.

Couple became part of womans family.

Women retain name.

Age of women when married: Islamic 12 to 14.

Average 18. Faithfulness in marriage expected; divorce

possible.

Acceptance of any attention/favors considered a

slight to husbands honor.


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Marriage (Contd)

Short term marriages.

Foreign traders.

Role in negotiation and business.

Vietnamese exception.

Patriarchal.

Confucian role of eldest male.


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Festivals & Amusements

Greater opportunity for leisure.

Mild climate and availability of food. (Sago-Palm)

Social obligation. Underlying objective to enhance prestige of

monarch.

Rituals: role of Brahman priests.

Processions: Parades and flotillas of huge numbers of

persons and animals.

Contests: combat between humans and animals.

Drama and Music:dance, puppetry & shadow theater.


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Entertainment

Singing and dancing wereprincipal forms of entertainment.Dancing evolved from temple

art. Music was influenced by India

with gongs and cymbals used.

Drama was frequentlyintertwined with dance.

Puppetry and shadow theaterremain serious art forms.Themes are often derived fromHindu epics.


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Sports & Amusements

Cross between soccer and haki-sak.

Jousting with lances on horseback.

Kick boxing.

Cock fighting.

Boat Racing.

Flying Kites.

Playing cards and dice.


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Literacy

Paucity of written records.Climate

Use of palm leaves and bamboo.Stone and Copper.

Local syllabary modeled on Indian letters.

Written language taught in monasteries. Tradition of romantic courting poetry.

Vietnamese exception: Chinese ideograms.


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Questions

Was the health of most S.E.Asians better or worsethan Europeans? Why?

What was principal measurement of wealth? What model did government normally follow?

What was the tactical objective of most battles?

What is a kris?

Give two examples of trial by ordeal?

What was the effect of the bride price on the statusof women?


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More Questions

S.E.Asian music and drama were heavilyinfluenced by what country?

The syllabaries used to write most languages drewheavily on the practices of what country?

What was the significance of long fingernails?

What color teeth were fashionable?

In what attire did most S.E.Asians cloththemselves?

How were most homes built?


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The End

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Pre Colonial Southeast Asia (1)