ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS OF SOUTHEAST ASIA

Both on the mainland and on the islands of Southeast Asia, a number of kingdoms rose to power
between the 1st and 9th centuries AD.
Included among these kingdoms were the Khmer kingdom on the Mekong River, the Pagan and
Mon kingdoms on the Irrawaddy River, and several Tai kingdoms on the Chao Phraya River.
Present day nations of Southeast Asia trace their historical and cultural origins to these
kingdoms.
Cambodia has its roots in the Khmer kingdom; Myanmar in the Pagan and Mon kingdoms; and
Thailand in the ancient Tai kingdoms.

Cultural Diffusion

Traveling monks and merchants introduced three major religions to Southeast Asia Hinduism,
Buddhism, and Islam.
Many thousands of Chinese who migrated to Thailand, the Malay Peninsula, and other parts of
Southeast Asia introduced a philosophy called Confucianism.
When European explorers and missionaries reached the region in the 1500s and 1600s,
Christianity was introduced to the region.
The temples and artistic treasures of Southeast Asia reflect the regions religious diversity.
The golden spires of beautiful Buddhist temples are found in Myanmar and Thailand.
In Cambodia, Angkor Wat is a huge stone temple erected in the 12th century by the Khmer
people. It honors the Hindu god Vishnu.

In Malaysia and Indonesia today, Islam is the dominant religion. There are more Muslims in
Indonesia than in any single country in the Middle East.

Ethnic Diversity

The ethnic character of Southeast Asia is even more mixed than its religions.
In the prehistoric past, dozens of ethnic and racial groups settled in the area. These included
the Khmers in Cambodia, the Malays on the Malay Peninsula, the Burmese in Myanmar and
many others.
Later migrations from China and South Asia added to the ethnic mix.
Europeans increased the cultural diversity even further. They also introduced languages
French in Indochina (present-day Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam), English in Burma (Myanmar)
and the Malay Peninsula, Dutch in the Netherlands East Indies (Indonesia), and Spanish in the
Philippines.