Ancient Civilizations, Geography, and Colonialism in Southeast Asia

Vocabulary flashcards covering Southeast Asian geography, ancient kingdoms, trade networks, and European colonialism based on the lecture notes.

Mainland and Maritime Southeast Asia

Mainland Southeast Asia includes Myanmar, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Maritime Southeast Asia includes the Philippines, Indonesia, and other archipelagos.

Austronesian Migration Theory

A theory stating that Austronesians spread from Taiwan southward to the Philippines and throughout other areas of Southeast Asia.

Funan

An ancient state that developed in the Mekong Delta region through agriculture, trade, and cultural interaction with India and China.

Indianization

The process by which local Southeast Asian communities adopted, modified, and integrated Indian cultural elements with their own traditions.

Angkor

An ancient mainland kingdom that supported rice agriculture and population growth through advanced water management systems like reservoirs and canals.

Pagan

An ancient kingdom in Myanmar located in the Irrawaddy valley where Theravada Buddhism played a central role, evidenced by numerous temples, pagodas, and monasteries.

Toungoo

An expansive state in mainland Southeast Asia that illustrated the challenge of administering distant territories and maintaining local leadership loyalty.

Lê Thánh Tông

Ruler of Đại Việt who strengthened state administration through an organized bureaucracy, legal reforms, expanded education, civil service examinations, and Confucian principles.

Trịnh and Nguyễn

Two ruling families that divided Đại Việt into northern (Trịnh) and southern (Nguyễn) administrations, each maintaining its own military and government structure.

Ayutthaya

A mainland kingdom founded in 1351 that flourished due to its riverine location, fertile plains, agricultural production, trade, and diplomacy.

Srivijaya

A powerful maritime state centered in Sumatra that derived its strength and wealth from controlling key straits, ports, and sea trade routes.

Majapahit

An empire centered in Java that expanded its regional influence across the archipelago through agriculture, trade, political alliances, and tribute.

Srivijaya vs. Majapahit Comparison

Srivijaya was a Sumatra-based maritime state focused on straits and sea trade, whereas Majapahit was a Java-based power centered on agriculture, trade, and archipelago-wide political influence.

Direct Control (Tuwirang Pamamahala)

A colonial system where the foreign power directly rules by sending its own officials and changing local laws, taxes, and government structures.

Indirect Control (Di-tuwirang Impluwensiya)

A colonial system where local rulers remain in place, but the foreign power exerts heavy influence over trade, investments, and major decisions.

Fall of Constantinople (1453)

The capture of Constantinople by the Ottoman Empire in 1453, which altered established trade routes and encouraged European maritime exploration for new trade routes.

Gold, God, and Glory

The primary motives for European exploration: economic gains such as spices and gold (Gold), spreading Christianity (God), and expanding territorial power and status (Glory).

Manila–Acapulco Galleon Trade

A Spanish-controlled trade route linking Manila and Acapulco, exchanging Asian silk and porcelain for American silver under a mercantilist system.

Mercantilism

An economic system focusing on strengthening state wealth and power by controlling trade and maximizing state economic benefit.

Malacca

A strategic port city captured by Portugal in 1511 to control trade routes in Southeast Asia.

European Trading Companies

17th-century chartered entities granted broad governmental powers to establish trading posts, make treaties, and use force to expand trade and political influence.

First vs. Second Stage of Imperialism

The first stage focused on spice trade routes and key ports, while the second stage (driven by the Industrial Revolution) focused on securing raw materials, new markets, and full territorial control.

White Man's Burden

An ideological concept used by Europeans to justify colonial rule under the claim of a obligation to bring education, religion, and 'civilization' to other societies.

Siam

A Southeast Asian nation that remained uncolonized by acting as a buffer state between British and French territories and implementing internal reforms and diplomacy.

Colonial Powers in Southeast Asia

Historical pairings of colonizers and territories: Dutch in Indonesia, British in Malaya and Burma/Myanmar, French in Indochina, Spanish and Americans in the Philippines.