Ancient Southeast Asia facts for kids
At the dawn of the last millennium, around a thousand years ago, trading ships sailed between India and China. They traveled across the Bay of Bengal and through the Straits of Malacca. Along their journey, traders shared Indian culture. This included Hinduism and Buddhism, as well as new ideas in science and art. They also brought the Sanskrit writing system and smart ways to run a country. These ideas spread across mainland Southeast Asia, reaching as far as southern Vietnam and down into the islands of Indonesia.
The empires that grew in this region over the next few centuries adopted parts of this new culture. They mixed it with their own local customs and beliefs. The most impressive empire was the Khmer, which began in the 8th century. At its strongest, it covered most of what is now Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. The Khmer people built the famous temples of Angkor for their god-kings (devaraja). They also created a clever system to water their farms around Tonlé Sap (the Great Lake). Meanwhile, in island Southeast Asia, the powerful kingdom of Srivijaya controlled sea trade from the 7th to the 12th centuries. Its capital, Palembang, was a busy center for trade and Buddhist learning.
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The Classical Age
Around the 14th century, the regions that look like today's Southeast Asian countries started to take shape. The Khmer empire became weaker. New Thai city-kingdoms grew strong to the west. Ayutthaya (also called Siam), the most powerful Thai kingdom, grew to cover most of modern Thailand and parts of Myanmar. This was from the 14th to the 18th centuries.
The Majapahit kingdom (13th–15th centuries) united Indonesia, from Sumatra to New Guinea. It controlled the seas very well. The kingdom of Dai Viet, which had long faced challenges from China, grew strong under the Later Le dynasty (15th–18th centuries). It expanded its borders south, forming a state much like present-day Vietnam.
By the 10th century, trade winds brought a new cultural force from India and the Middle East: Islam. It spread slowly and mostly peacefully. Becoming Muslim meant people could join a huge trade network across the Muslim world. It also offered a way out of the strict caste system of Hindu-Buddhist Srivijaya. By the 17th century, Islam was well-established in Malaysia, Indonesia, southern Thailand, and the Philippine island of Mindanao. During this time, the influence of Hinduism began to fade. While old Hindu traditions still appeared in art, Theravada Buddhism became the main religion. It spread from Sri Lanka across most of mainland Southeast Asia.
Colonialism
European traders began arriving in Southeast Asia in the 16th century. They were looking for the famous 'Spice Islands' (the Maluku Islands in eastern Indonesia). The Portuguese came first, then the Dutch. At first, local people were not too worried. The region was used to trading with many different groups.
However, the Europeans arrived at a good time for them. The empires of the classical age were already stretched thin and weaker. The Dutch aggressively sought to control trade. Their efforts pulled them into Indonesian politics. Eventually, the Dutch gained control over Java. By the early 19th century, they controlled all of Indonesia. They called it the Dutch East Indies.
The Industrial Revolution in Europe increased the demand for raw materials. Southeast Asia could supply things like rubber, oil, and tin. It also provided goods like coffee, sugar, and tobacco. In the 19th century, the British took control of the Malay Peninsula and Myanmar. The French, using their powerful warships to force agreements, took over Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos. These were called French Indochina.
Meanwhile, the Spanish focused on the Philippines. At that time, the Philippines was a group of islands with little connection to each other. When the Spanish arrived in the 16th century, they quickly took control. They also spread Catholicism.
Thailand was the only Southeast Asian nation to remain independent. This was thanks to the Thai kings. They changed their country to be more like Western nations. They also cleverly played competing European powers against each other.
The 20th Century: War, Revolution & Independence
Before World War II began, many people in Southeast Asia wanted to be free from colonial rule. During the war, the Japanese Imperial Army quickly took over the region. Some local people were at first hopeful that the Europeans were gone. However, the Japanese proved to be harsh rulers. Millions of people were forced into hard labor. To gain local support, the Japanese encouraged anger against the Western powers. When the war ended and the Japanese left, nationalist feelings were very strong. People were also organized.
One by one, the former colonies gained their independence. But they faced new problems. There were civilian protests, minority groups fighting, and communist fighters. These groups were often encouraged by Cold War powers like China, the Soviet Union, and the USA. This often made countries unstable.
After gaining freedom from the French, Vietnam was first split into two parts. The North went to the resistance leader Ho Chi Minh. The South went to the anti-communist Ngo Dinh Diem. The USA feared a communist Vietnam. They stepped in, first secretly, then with full war, to stop the North from uniting the country under communist rule. The North won, but after terrible losses on both sides.
At the same time, a hidden war was happening in Cambodia and Laos. American bombers tried to find Vietnamese communist fighters who were using paths through Vietnam's neighbors. Cambodia fell into civil war. The Khmer Rouge group took power. Their leader, Pol Pot, wanted to create a simple farming society. Many people were killed in purges. Vietnamese forces ended the Khmer Rouge's cruel rule in 1979.
In Indonesia, efforts to stop communism in the 1960s led to many deaths. It also led to the long rule of dictator Suharto for three decades. In Myanmar, a coup in 1962 started a half-century of military rule. Thailand has had many military coups since 1932. Malaysia and especially Singapore are seen as success stories after the war. However, order was often kept by limiting people's freedoms.
The 1990s and Beyond
Overall, things looked better for the region by the 1990s. Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines seemed ready to follow the 'Asian Tigers.' These were Singapore, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea, whose economies had grown very fast. Vietnam and Cambodia, which had been closed off, began to open up with new economic reforms.
However, this positive trend was stopped in 1997. The collapse of the Thai currency caused a financial crisis across Asia. The value of the Indonesian currency dropped sharply. This made Indonesia so unstable that its long-time leader, Sukarno, stepped down. More than two decades later, with help from international finance groups, the region is in a better place. Still, problems like corruption and political tensions continue.
The 20th century had many long-standing leaders. But by the start of the 21st century, most had left power or been replaced. This change has created some uncertainty. But it also brings hope that true democracy could grow.
This century has avoided major wars so far, but there has been violence. In the southern border areas of Thailand, where most people are Malay Muslims, separatist groups have bombed public places. In Myanmar, where many different ethnic groups live, armed conflicts continue. Minority groups want more control, and the national army tries to stop them. Acts of terrorism in Indonesia, especially in Jakarta and Bali, have been linked to international groups.
Sometimes, it feels like stability is just out of reach. Years of violence on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines seemed to be ending. A peace treaty was signed in 2014, promising a Muslim self-governing region called Bangsamoro. However, in 2017, fighters attacked the city of Marawi in Mindanao. The whole island was then placed under military rule.
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