South and Southeast Asia 1200-1450 - Vocabulary Review

Vocabulary terms and definitions covering key people, places, and concepts from the notes on South and Southeast Asia (1200–1450).

Bhakti movement

A Hindu devotional trend emphasizing personal love of a single deity and downplaying rigid social hierarchies.

Theravada Buddhism

A form of Buddhism that spread widely in India and Southeast Asia; emphasizes monastic life and personal devotion.

Angkor Wat

Massive temple complex in Cambodia; built in the 12th century as a Hindu temple and later transformed into a Buddhist holy site.

Khmer Empire

Also called the Angkor Empire; Khmer-centered state around Angkor that built monumental temples and promoted Hinduism, later Buddhism.

Nalanda monastery

Leading Buddhist center of learning in India from the 5th century; destroyed in 1193, contributing to the decline of Buddhism in India.

Mongols

Nomadic peoples from the Central Asian steppes who expanded under leaders like Chinggis Khan and attempted conquests into India and other regions.

Chinggis Khan

Genghis Khan; founder of the Mongol Empire who led campaigns across Asia, including attempts to invade northern India.

Delhi Sultanate

Independent Muslim sultanate established in 1206; ruled much of northern India for about 300 years and influenced northern and southern regions.

Timur (Tamurlane)

Turkic-Mongol military leader who forged a short-lived empire across Persia, Russia, and north India; empire collapsed after his death.

Dai Viet

Vietnamese state that included the Tran dynasty (1225–1400) and Le dynasty (1428–1788); bureaucracy modeled on China with Confucian values.

Tran dynasty

Vietnamese ruling dynasty (1225–1400) part of Dai Viet; contributed to centralized governance.

Le dynasty

Vietnamese ruling dynasty (1428–1788) part of Dai Viet; reinforced Confucian bureaucratic rule and Vietnamese identity.

Pagan (Pagan Kingdom)

Center in present-day Myanmar; one of the major territorial states whose kings built armies and monumental temples.

Islam in South and Southeast Asia

Spread of Islam via Turkic conquerors and merchants; by 1200 Dar al-Islam stretched from West Africa to India; many rulers adopted the title 'sultan' and Islam blended with local practices.

purdah

Seclusion of women; more common and stricter in parts of South Asia under Islam, less so in much of Southeast Asia; varies by region.

Village councils

Local, male-headed bodies in Southeast Asia that managed planting, irrigation, and land use; women often retained significant legal rights.