[-AI-3.5]The History of Indochina: from Ancient Times to the 12th Century

Abstract

東南アジアを代表する歴史的な地域であるインドシナ。この地域では多くの古代文明が栄え、現代の多様な文化の基盤を形成しています。この記事では、主に古代から12世紀の期間に焦点を当て、インドシナの歴史を紹介します。

古代時代（紀元前1500年〜紀元前900年）には東北部の現在のベトナムにあった東山文化が最初にこの地域に生息しました。東山文化は青銅器時代の進歩的な文明で、金属工具の製造や桜の栽培を行っていました。メコン川文明（紀元前700年〜紀元前400年）は、後にクメール帝国が栄える地域でしたが、既に紀元前700年から紀元前400年までこの地域に文明が栄えていました。 周辺国、如くタイ、ミャンマー、カンボジア、ラオスで、この文明はブロンズや鉄器、米の栽培、家畜の飼育などに携わっていました。

また、100-600年代には、中国との貿易にも重要な役割を果たしました。ファナン王国は、1世紀から6世紀にかけて、インドシナ半島の南部に成立しました。また、6世紀から9世紀にかけて、フナン王国の影響下で成立したチェンラ王国もありました。この王国は、800年ごろにクメール帝国に吸収されました。

クメール帝国は9世紀に創設され、中央インドシナを支配する最初の主要な帝国の一つでした。その時代には、仏教やヒンドゥー教などの宗教が広まり、宮殿や寺院が建設され、繁栄がもたらされました。クメール王朝のリーダーたちは特に仏教を推進し、クメール文化の発展に重要な役割を果たしました。クメール帝国最も有名な建築物はアンコールワットです。この建物は、宗教的な役割を果たすだけでなく、オーナメントの装飾や彫刻などを通じて各種の技術革新を展示することで洗練された技術を表現しています。それは、アジアの神秘的な古代文明の強力な手段を示している多神の宮殿や寺院の中でも非常に大きな構造物でありました。

しかし、クメール帝国は、比僧兵らによる内戦やアユタヤ王国による侵略など、多数の衝撃的な出来事に直面し、12世紀までに衰退しました。その後、インドシナの支配は、タイやベトナムなどの周辺国に移りました。長い間、クメール帝国は多様な文化と宗教で繁栄し、アンコールワットなどの建造物は今なお美しさや技術革新を誇りとしています。それは、ある国の歴史における素晴らしい業績となっています。

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• History of Indochina
• Khmer Empire (9th century-12th century)
• Decline of the Khmer Empire
• Conclusion

-- CAUTION

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Introduction

Indochina is a historic region representing Southeast Asia. Many ancient civilizations flourished in this region, forming the foundation for the diverse modern cultures that exist today. In this article, we will introduce the history of Indochina, focused mainly on the period from ancient times to the 12th century.

History of Indochina

Ancient Times (1500 BC-900 BC)

The first civilization to inhabit the Indochinese Peninsula was the Dong Son culture. It was located in the northern part of present-day Vietnam from 1500 BC to around 800 BC. The Dong Son culture was a progressive civilization of the Bronze Age that produced metal tools and cultivated cherries.

Mekong River Civilization (700 BC-400 BC)

The Mekong River basin later became the region where the Khmer Empire flourished, but civilization had already thrived in this area from around 700 BC to 400 BC. The Mekong River Civilization was a vast civilization that spanned present- day Laos, Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar and was active in the production of bronze and iron tools, rice cultivation, and animal husbandry.

Funan (1st century to 6th century)

The Funan Kingdom was established in the southern part of the Indochinese Peninsula from the 1st century to the 6th century. Funan was a kingdom that stretched across a wide area from the Gulf of Thailand to the Mekong River and played an important role in trade with China.

Chenla (6th century to 9th century)

Chenla was one of the kingdoms that existed in the Indochinese Peninsula. It emerged under the influence of the Funan Kingdom. This kingdom prospered from the 6th century to the 9th century and was absorbed by the Khmer Empire around 800 AD.

Khmer Empire (9th century-12th century)

The Khmer Empire, founded in the 9th century, was one of the first major empires to dominate central Indochina. At that time, religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism spread, and palaces and temples were constructed, leading to prosperity. Particularly, Buddhism was promoted by the dynasty’s leaders, playing an important role in the development of Khmer culture.

The most famous building of the Khmer Empire was Angkor Wat. This building served not only a religious role but also demonstrated theoretical technological innovations. The building exhibited sophisticated technologies through an extended construction process with ornate reliefs and sculptures. It was an incredibly large structure among the multi-gods’ palaces and temples, showcasing the powerful means of Asia’s mystical ancient civilizations.

However, the Khmer Empire faced numerous shock events such as civil wars by monk soldiers or invasions by the Ayutthaya Kingdom, causing its decline by the 12th century. Subsequently, control over Indochina passed to the surrounding countries, such as Thailand and Vietnam.

For a long time, the Khmer Empire prospered with diverse cultures and religions, and its buildings, such as Angkor Wat, are still celebrated for their beauty and technological innovation.

Decline of the Khmer Empire.

The decline of the Khmer Empire was greatly influenced by civil war among monk soldiers, wars with external enemies, and conquest by the Ayutthaya Kingdom. Due to civil war, the kingdom declined and weakened. Wars with external enemies also pushed the kingdom towards decline. Furthermore, the invasion by the Ayutthaya Kingdom led to the downfall of the Khmer Empire. The splendid history of the kingdom came to an end during this period.