European Exploration and a New Economy

​SE Asia Pre-European Explorers

Age of Exploration (Part 3)

​Emerging Mainland States

​Southeast Asia had their own kingdoms, ethnic groups, linguistics, and cultural characteristics

​Conflicts did happen (Example: Thai and Burmese war over land)

​Vietnamese accomplished "March to the South" conquering all of Vietnam under one government

​Vietnam continued to conquer - Khmer monarchy (Most Powerful Country in the region)

​Malay Peninsula a great point for Muslim Merchants to take hold

​Start pushing inland and set up in Melaka (port that controls who has access to the other islands

​The Arrival of Europeans

​Portuguese seized Melaka

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​Controlled all the Moluccas Islands and trade - Spice Islands - HIGHLY PRIZED for Europeans

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​Portuguese lacked military and financial resources to keep control so had to settle with small settlements

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Open Ended

Moluccas Islands were valuable because they were believed to hold what precious resource for Europeans?

​A Shift in Power

​Portuguese lost land in Southeast Asia - British & Dutch show up - Had the MONEY!!!​

Dutch first pushed Portuguese out of the Spice Trade

Took control of a lot of Portuguese ports and lands in the Moluccas Islands and ports​

​Drove the English out to only a single English port was controlled Sumatra

​Dutch centralize their military and political control over the area

​1. Limit growth of Spice to one island

2. Establish fort on Island of Java

​3. Slowly take control of Islands from other nations and the natives

Conquer the Islands, isolate the resource, make it easier to control​

​Impact on the Mainland

​Europeans had hardly any impact on the mainland of Southeast Asia

Mainland SE Asia were more politically unified against European influence

Non-mainland Islands were more diverse and not as unified against European influence​

​Limited trade relations between Europeans & Mainland SE Asia

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​Mainland states - part of a continent

​Missionary efforts were limited by the Asian gov'ts along with trade

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Europeans settled for the offshore Islands bc the Spice Trade was VERY PROFITABLE

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Open Ended

Why was it easier for Europeans to establish themselves on the Islands of SE Asia rather than the Mainland of SE Asia?

​Religious Systems

​Religious systems changed between 1500-1800

​Especially in non-mainland states such as the Phillipines

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​Islam and Christianity began to grow in these areas

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​Buddhism advanced on Mainland

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​Traditional beliefs survived and influenced the new religions

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Open Ended

(Formulate)List the three religions that were influencing SE Asia.

​Political Systems

​SE Asia Political systems evolved into four styles of Monarchy

​1. Buddhist kings

2. Javanese Kings

3. Islamic Sultans

4. Vietnamese emperors

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