Buela, Capuyan, Recana, Fernandez, Velasco, Victa, Victoria

PRELIMINARY PAPER OUTLINE

APS103 SEA STUDIES
Thesis Statement:
I. Introduction
II. Body
A. The Funan Kingdom
1. Origins
a. Funan was derived from the Chinese rendition of
the old Khmer word bnam (meaning mountain)
b. Mythical origins: marriage of Indian Brahmin
named Kaundinya and Liu Yeh, the Funan queen.
2. Characteristics
a. Its the first large Southeast Asian civilization and
the first kingdom in Indianized Southeast Asia.
b. It was situated in lower Mekong Delta in presentday Cambodia and Vietnam and stretched into Thailand, and, possibly,
Malaysia.
c. It was a convenient stopover point for Hindu traders
on the way to China since it was located strategically at the bend of the
Indochinese peninsula, i.e., Funan became an alternative to the continental
Silk Road
d. Capital: Vyadhapura
3. Stories
a. Ancient Chinese texts: in the mid-3rd century A.D.,
two Chinese traders, Kang Tai and Zhu Ying, visited Vyadharapura (town
of the hunters), the legendary capital of the Funan kingdom.
b. Kaundinya dressed his wife in clothe, thereby
starting the new clothing trend for women.
4. Funan Culture
a. Cultural syncretism consisting of local beliefs and
Indian ideology
b. Dominantly Sanskrit speaking most notably in their
courts.
c. Main religion was Hinduism but saw the
introduction of Buddhism after the 5th Century.

d. Practiced slavery and rendered justice through trial

by ordeal.
e. Established a tradition of art and architecture and
became goldsmiths and jewelers
5. Funan Government and Economy
a. There was an increase in international trade from
the Mediterranean to China as Funan became part of the maritime-based
alternative to the continental Silk Road.
b. There were more advanced sailing ships allowed for
transoceanic travel
c. Nancy Tingley of the Asia Society wrote Fu Nan
culture flourished in the Mekong River delta in southern Vietnam center of
Southeast Asian trade between the first and fifth century.
d. Business was conducted with gold, silver, pearls,
and perfumed wood being used as currency.
e. Funan gained allegiance with their trade partners
against usurpers.
6. Contributions/Legacies
a. Irrigation
b. Transportation
c. Temples and other ruins (i.e. Prasat Preah Threat
Toe & Kuk Trapeang Kuk)
7. Fall: Vassal kingdom Chenla successfully revolted against Funan. Funan then
was integrated into Chenla which was later on eclipsed by Sri Vijaya and Khmer
states.
B. The Sri Vijaya Empire
1. Origins
a. Chinese records: In the 6th century, Sri Vijaya rose due to the change in
traders maritime path (from Isthmus of Kra to Malacca Strait)
b. It was a Tang Chinese monk, Yijing, who wrote that he visited Srivijaya
in 671 CE for 6 months.
2. Characteristics
a. Its a maritime kingdom, meaning, it has naval power to maintain
hegemony of neighbouring countries
b. location: island of Sumatra
c. first capital: Palembang

3. Stories
a. Referred to in Chinese Texts as Shih-li-fo-shih and San-fo-ch'i
4. Culture
a. Its monarch had a daily ritual of
feeding gold bars to sea so as to show the significance of the sea to
his people
b. The traded valuable goods (i.e.
camphor) and had great skill in building faster ships.
c. Due to the fact that the king was a
patron of Buddhism, Sri Vijaya became a center of Buddhist
learning.
d. They were considered as a secular
nation since Sri Vijaya was propelled on power and dominance
5. Government and Economy
a. A Federal Constitutional Monarchy
b. Its king was a patron of Buddhism; the empires oath of loyalty to the
king was in the form of Hindu-Buddhist rituals by using symbolic stones
c. Government utilized the sea nomads or boat-dwelling people as patrols
to ensure security against pirates, usurpers, etc.
d. Power was decentralized as the king and his staff ruled the port city
while officials ruled the ports as village heads.
d. Sri Vijaya was rich in Chinese porcelain of Tang dynasty and HinduBuddhist relics, proving its strong and frequent trade relations with China.
6. Contribution/Legacies
a. Trade and waterways
7. Fall
a. In 1025, Sri Vijaya was raided by
seamen of the Chola dynasty in India. In a failed effort to restore
its power, the capital of Sri Vijaya was moved to Jambi-Melayu
until, in 1260, it came under Javanese power. The Javanese were
thrown off by Adityvarman, the last king of Sri Vijaya until finally,
the port of Melaka was all that was left of Sri Vijayas legacy.

C. Synthesis: Funan and Sri Vijaya

1. Similarities
a. Good to sailors: they offered shelter, food, water supplies and security
to traders
b. Both became a huge, recognized trading import in Southeast Asia
c. Both gained their power from being a part of a maritime road: Funan in
Isthmus of Kra, Sri Vijaya in Malacca Strait
d.Their decline was due to the move of other kingdom or dynasty against
them.

2. Differences
a. While Funan utilized their trade partners (i.e. China) to ensure their
safety from pirates and usurpers, Sri Vijaya was able to benefit more from
the partnership.
b. Records and mentions of the kingdom of Funan ceased when it was
assimilated by the kingdom of Chenla, whereas the legacy of Sri Vijaya
was passed on to the port of Melaka.

III. Conclusion
Works Cited:
APS 103 SEA Student Manual. Chapter 3, pp.33-42.
Funan.de,. 'FUNAN.DE History Of Funan'. N.p., 2015. Web. 26 Nov. 2015.
Goucher, Candice, Charles LeGuin, and Linda Walton. Trade, Transport, Temples, And Tribute:
The Economics Of Power. 1st ed. Annenburg Foundation, 2015. Web. 26 Nov. 2015.
Hays, Jeffrey. 'ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS IN SOUTHEAST ASIA: FUNAN, SRIVIJAYA
AND THE MON | Facts And Details'. Factsanddetails.com. N.p., 2015. Web. 26 Nov. 2015.