Asian Studies

I. ASIA: Geographical Features and its Development

A. Geographical Features

 World’s largest continent (17,139,000 sq. miles – nearly 1/3 of the earth land).
 Geographically it is compact and unified
 Boundaries: Ural mountains from Europe; red Sea and Suez Canal from Africa
 It is a continent of physical contrast: Mt. Everest world’s highest mountain (29,028ft); Dead Sea
(1,292ft. below sea level) as the lowest.
 Term Asia was derived from an early Agean term ASER which meant “sunrise”. ASIA was first
used by Pindar, a Greek poet.

Regional Division of Asia

1. South Asia – centered on the Indian subcontinent. It includes India, Pakistan, Ceylon, Afghanistan,
Himalayan Kingdoms of Nepal, Bhutan and Indian Protectorates, Sikkim
2. Southeast Asia – a relatively recent term thaht came into usage during World War III. It covers
Burma (Myanmar), Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, Brunei
and Philippines.
3. East Asia – China and Taiwan (Formosa), Korea, Japan. This region is more often referred to as
Far East by the Westerners because it is part of Asia farthest east of Europe.
4. Southeast Asia – known to Westerners as the Near East for these are countries nearest to Europe.
More recently, Westerners refer to this region as Middle East for it is midway between Westren
Europe and East Asia. These include Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Saudi
Arabia, Yemen, People’s Republic of South Yemen, Kuwait and the Tracial States.

B. ASIA in World History

1. Asia is the biggest continent

 It has very important economic potentials (varied resources)
 It also has demographic potentials – more than half of the world’s population is in Asia where there
is low death rate, high birth rate and longer life expectancy

2. Asia was the seat of the world’s civilization

3. Asia’s nationalism is a powerful force which is shaping the future of Asia and the world
4. Asia is the home of religions

C. Pre-historic Asia

1. Earliest Man

 Asia is said to be the place which has yielded the greatest number of fossils of simian species.
Ramapithecus fossils were discovered in Pakistan and in the Yunnan Province of China.
Ramapithecus fossils is sid to be the closest to man.
 Earliest man’s capacity for production was shown through the development of tools. Technology
divides the evolutionary period of culure into:
a. Stone Age
b. Bronze Age
c. Iron Age
 Activities engaged in during Stone Age: food gathering, hunting. Mastery of fire was a great step in
man’s emancipation from environment.

2. Peopling of the Pacific was the greatest feat of colonization. Migration took place in Southeast
Asia, Australia and its island neighbors in the great Oceans (Melanesia, Polynesia, Micronesia)

D. Birth of Civilization

1. Bronze Age (3,000 BC – 1800 BC) saw the birth of civilization

2. Early civilization started in the river valleys
Tigris-Euphrates - Mesopotamia
Nile - Egypt
Indus - India
Yellow - China
3. Characteristics/Indicators of Civilization
a. existence of political system
 b. division of labor/occupation became specialized
c. system of writing
d. organized trade
e. existence of class structure
f. monumental architecture
g. representational art

4. Development of Religions
a. Hinduism - India
b. Buddhism - India
c. Christianity - Israel
d. Islamism - Saudi Arabia
e. Judaism - Israel
f. Zoroasterianism - Persia (Iran)
g. Shintoism - Japan

E. Warrior Groups Responsible for the Unification of the Peoples of Asia

1. HUNS (from Neolothic Period to about 12000 AD) also known as Hsiung Nus

o Horseriding people, semi-nomadic who attempted to move toward the fertile land of
China. They were based in Mongolia thn extended to Manchuria, Central Asia and even
reached as far as the Slavic territories to Germany and Spain in the 5th century.
o Greatest leader was Attila who upon reaching Rome was persuaded by Pope Leo the
Great to give up his plans to take Rome.

2. MONGOLS

o Based in Central Asia (near Lake Baal), they lived in small groups of few families. Basic
social and political units were patriarchal clans; spiritual life was focused on loyalty to clan.
Polygamy necessitated the acquisition of wives outside of the clan and in most cases,
wives were obtained through seizure.
o Genghis Khan (or Chinggis Khan) was formerly known as as Temujen. He acquired the
name Genghis or Chinggis (meaning “universal ruler”) after successful conquest were
made by him. His empire extended as far as Middle East and Europe. They were noted
for espionage and psychological warfare.

3. OTTOMAN TURKS – (11th Century)

o Original home near Gobi dessert, Siberia and Turkestan. “Ottoman” was derived from the
third caliph Osman. They moved westward into Europe. Great leader was Sulaiman.

Contribution of the Warrior Groups:

1. Advanced the knowledgde of metallurgy

2. Evolved different political systems
3. Fostered international trading

F. Development of Empire

1. Persian Empire (West Asia

o Recognized as the first biggest empire especially during the time of Cyrus. Captivity of
Babylon, the capital of the Chaldean empire in 539 BC signified the ascendancy of this
Aryan race over the older cultures. The empire included the Iranian Plateau, the Fertile
Crescent, Anatolia, Sogdania, Egypt (conquered by Cambyses). Darius moved westward
through the Balkans only to be repulsed bb the Greeks in the “famous Battle of Marathon”.
Eastward, Persian reached as far as Punjab in India.
o Persian empire was known for its organized political system where the empire was divided
into political units known as satrapes ruled by satraps. This satrapes could be the
equivalent of present day provinces.
o Zoroastrianism was advocated most especially during the time of Darius, when he
declared that sovereignty was granted to him by Ahura Mazda because he advocated this
god’s teaching which was to act righteously and justly to all men.
o Lengua franca was Aramaic, serving as language of official communication
o Persia developed a system of communication by providing road network where
messengers of the Great King rode back and forth from satrapes.
2. Indian Empire (South Asia)

o Indus valley civilization (Harappa and Mojendro Daro) was disintegrating in 1500 BC when
Aryans entered north-west of India. Aryans or Indo-Aryans were descendants of Indo-
Europeans (from North Iranian plateau).
o Empire building was credited to the Mauryan Dynasty (321-183 BC), although to some
historians, the Nada Dynasty laid the foundation of empire building but this was cut short
by Chandragupta Maurya who usurped the throne and in him the imperial idea
materialized.
o Political system was similar to that of Persia where the empire was divided into province
for administrative purposes.
o Hinduism evolved – which was a religion that blended the aborigines (Dravidians) manner
of worship and the Aryans religious beliefs and practices.
o Brahmannical theories influenced the characterization of Kingship
o Caste system was institutionalized where Indian society was divided into Brahman,
Kshatriya, Vaishya and Sudra.
o In 6th century BC, opposition to the rigidity of the Caste system led to the development of
Buddhism and Jainism. Buddhist propagated a new concept of Dharma which
emphasized tolerance and non-violence.
o During the reign of Asoka (3th century BC) Buddhism aws accepted because he himself
had become a zealous follower. He used the Buddhist religious principles fo secular
purposes such that his reforms was focused on humanity in internal administration and
the abandonment of aggressive war. He termed his territorial expansion as conquest of
Righteousness.

G. Development of Trade

o Commerce between Europe and Asia began as early as the first century A.D.
o Trade/Commerce was conducted through land routes and sea routes
o Trade centers between 200AD to 1500 AD were:
1. Mediterranean – West Asian Trade Complex
2. Central Asia Trade Complex
3. Strait of Malacca – Indo China Trade Complex
4. Indian Ocean Trade Complex

o Effects of the Expansion of Trade

1. Spread of sericulture or silk culture (The Chinese were called “Seres” or “Serices” by the
Romans. These two terms may have originated from the Chinese word for silk.
By the 3th century AD Korea and Japan acquired the knowlegde of sericulture and by the
6th century Byzantium learned the secret of sericulture.
2. Buddhism spread to China and to the rest of Southeast Asia and Far East
3. Christianity and Islamism found their way to China and other parts of Asia
4. By 7th century centers of power were:
Tang Dynasty - China
Islam - West Asia
Byzantine - West Asia
5. Trade played an important role in defining Asia and Asian civilization to the Western
world:
a. Earliest reference to Asia was made by Herodotus who wrote about the “nomad
synethians who dwelt in Asia”.
b. Western world perceived Asia as the source of silk, spices and various exotic products
c. Asia and Europe were linked. Goods were exchanged and migration of people took place
d. Asian religions were spread to different parts of the world
e. Culture was enriched

II. Asia’a Transition

A. Age of Exploration and Discovery in Europe

B. Imperialism in Asia

1. Most countries in Asia came under colonial rule particulary those in Southeast Asia,
except Thailand
2. China was under the “sphere of influence”
 3. Korea (hermit Kingdom) and Japan went out into isolation to avoid the influences of
western countries but eventually were opened to allow Western countries to trade with
tehm

C. Asia’s involvement with the West dragged her into 2 global wars. In World War II Japan actively
led the war in the Pacific on the side of the Axis Powers. Japan occupied most of the territories in
Southeast Asia.

D. After the World War II, colonies occupied by Japan came again under Western rule but were
eventually given independence. Korea was divided; so with Vietnam due to ideology (Democracy
advocated by USA and Communism by USSR)

E. Experience from colonial rule changed the outlook of most people in Asia.

III. Great Contribution of Asia in Civilization

A. Architecture and Engineering

o Great Walls – China (initial construction by Shing Huang Ti)

o Taj Mahal – India (contructed by Shah Jahan)
o Hanging Garden – Babylon (By Nebuchadnezzar)
o Pyramid – Egypt (in ancient time, Egypt was considered part of the Orient)

B. Form of Writing

o Hieroglphics – Egypt
o Cuneiform – Mesopotamia
o Sanskrit – India

C. Religions
D. Empire Building
E. Great Philosophers: Confucius, Lao Tzu, Mencius