Spread of Hinduism and Buddhism & North American Empires

Hinduism and Buddhism in Southeast Asia

  • Hinduism and Buddhism spread through trade routes.
  • Some Southeast Asian states started as Hindu and then converted to Buddhism.
  • Southeast Asia has tropical dense forests leading to isolated societies with unique cultural phenomena.
  • The area is interconnected with the Indian Ocean trade network.
  • Sometimes, people practiced elements of both Hinduism and Buddhism simultaneously.
  • Hinduism also spread during this time but was not as popular as Buddhism outside of India.

Hindu States in South and Southeast Asia

  • Vijayanagara Empire: An offshoot of the Delhi Sultanate, located south of it.
  • Rashput Kingdoms: Located in the North, consisting of city-states that resisted conquest by the Delhi Sultanate.
  • Kommer Empire: Modern-day Cambodia, home to Angkor Wat.

Buddhist States in South and Southeast Asia

  • Angkor Wat: Largest Buddhist temple shrine in the world, located in modern-day Cambodia.
    • Started as a Hindu shrine and later converted to Buddhism.
    • Example of syncretism, merging Hindu and Buddhist elements in architecture.
  • Sukhothai Empire: The establishment of modern-day Thailand.
  • Srivijaya: Controlled the Strait Of Malacca.
    • Strait Of Malacca: Connected China to the Indian Ocean, serving as the easiest route to Eastern Asia.
    • The empire controlling the Strait Of Malacca could impose fees on those who passed through.
    • Srivijaya was a thalassocracy, a sea-based kingdom.
    • They made money as a predominant factor in the Indian Ocean trade network due to their control of the Strait Of Malacca.
  • Pocket: Predominantly where Bora Bora is, which is one of the biggest Buddhist temples in the world, located on modern-day Java, in Indonesia.
  • The Srini Jaya will eventually get replaced by the sultanate of Mulangan, because Islam is spreading very much in the Indian Ocean in this time period, via Arab merchants because of the Latine sail and the ships.

Examples of Architecture

  • Angkor Wat and Coravador: Examples of architecture.

North American Empires

  • Pueblo People: The word "Pueblo" means dwelling.
    • Multiple indigenous tribes of North American people fall under this category.
    • Two examples are Mesa Verde and the Chaco Empire. Examples of their architecture are shown.