What Was The Appeal of Islam for Politics in South East Asia During the 12th 17th Centuries - Essay Example

The appeal of Islam for politics in South East Asia during the 12th – 17th centuries? Introduction Southeast Asia covered the vast peninsula of Indochina and the widespread East Indies. In this location lie the countries of Burma, Brunei Darussalam, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia, Vietnam, Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia, and the Philippines. Islam manifested a significant appeal for the Southeast Asia in the 12th throughout the 17th century. Over two-fifths of the region practice Islam as a religion. Most of the population involved in Muslim practices live in Malay Peninsula, the Archipelago, and on the Mindanao Island in Philippine Indonesia is distinct in the world as the single largest Muslim country, with a populace of about 212 million persons. Two-thirds of Malaysia is 23 million individuals and are Muslims. Evidently, Islam given that it was and it is still is a popular religion in south East Asia, it must have a greater influence as far as politics and policies of the day are concerned. Arguable, in the period 12th -17th centaury Islam appealed for polities in the South East Asia with a view to maintain dominance. As of mid 14th century, the Hindu-Javanese kingdom of Majapahit conducted an influence over an island kingdom and applied substantial pressure on the mainland. But it was by now experiencing two pressures to its commercial and cultural fame. In Malaya it was disputed by the upcoming power of Siam; and in the islands its power was being destabilized by the coming of Islam. The islands had contacted with Islam, via Arab merchants, for long though their traditional cultural beliefs on India barred Islam from being acceptable to them until Islam was firmly recognized via Moslem rulers in the northern India, at during the end of the 12th century. Then, in the 13th century, Indian merchants from Gujerat transformed to Islam particular ports of northern part of Sumatra and from there Islam spread to Malay and through to the Philippines. The rise of Islam in Malaya was connected to the establishment and consequent significance of the resolution of Malacca on the western coast. Islam was founded in the onset of the 15th century, customarily by a Sumatran prince, Parameswara. The prince was changed to Islam, which in his power and the succeeding rulers extended all through the peninsula. Malacca became the major trading port in the Eastern region due to its favourable position on the trade routes connecting India, South East Asia and China. Malacca upheld its sovereignty, cosseted in its early times from Siamese antagonism by the diplomatic acts of the Chinese Ming rulers for a whole century. Consequentially, Malacca became the South East Asia Islam headquarters. In the meantime in Indonesia, the Majapahit Empire divided into smaller and scrawny Moslem nations and the Philippines The Philippines, was inhabited by a combination of Malays and Indonesians, organised in tribal groups referred to as “barangays". The units possessed definite culture, and did business widely with Arab, Indian and Chinese merchants; but isolated themselves from the different imperial resistance of South East Asia. Most of barangays were converted to Islam between 13th to 15th centuries, though remained excluded in external affairs till the arrival of Europeans during the 16th century. Islam also made insignificant effect on the South East Asia’s mainland which maintained devastatingly Buddhist. China sent many naval teams and diplomatic missions to all their neighbours proximate to Indian Ocean and the South China Seas between 1405 and 1433. The main intention of the chinece for their missions was to seek trade and military esteem. As the missions ended, the Europeans found permission for entry into the Far East Asia. The Arrival of the Europeans : The Portuguese, the Spaniards, and the Dutch. The Portuguese The Portuguese started massive voyages by the end of the 15th century to seek exploration and determination of trade routes towards the east especially India and China spice Islands. Bartholomew successfully explored South Africa in 1488 before Vasco da Gama’s arrival in India after one decade later. The Portuguese attained climax of their exploration in 1505 before finding the trading settlement of Goa on the western coast of India. Malacca The Portuguese realized the essence of Malacca to the economic dominance in the South East Asia and conquered it in 1511 by capturing it from the Moslem rulers. Therefore, they targeted control over the Spice Islands where they experienced competition from Spain. The Spaniards Ferdinand Magellan set out through South America for the Moluccas but got killed by the inhabitants of Philippines. Nonetheless, one ship circumnavigated successfully and went back to Spain. This resulted into a conflict between Spain and Portuguese. Eventually, the Portuguese obtained the full control of the Moluccas. The Philippines The Spaniards dominated most regions of the Philippine islands from the regional Moslems from 1564 and two decades after. The capital of the island was the Spanish stronghold habitation of Manila. The Spanish spiritual leaders set about the change of the residents to Roman Catholicism; and as past lifestyles had had insignificant influence in these islands than in other parts of South East Asia the Filipinos, in the course of the subsequent centuries, became almost absolutely Christianised. Macao Portuguese control of the Asian sea trade routes was expanded by the attainment from China in the year 1557 of the hire of Macao existing on the Chinese mainland as a return for outdoing the pirates in the seas of south China. Macao afterwards turned into a Portuguese ownership to the present. The Portuguese popularity in the East started to diminish, especially after 1580 in which their royal line faded and Portugal was unified by force with Spain under the leadership of Philip II. The Dutch and Indonesia During this period, Spain was involved in a long fight in Europe to maintain ownership of the Netherlands. Spain succeeded in Belgium, but the Dutch obtained their independence, supposedly in 1648, but practically, four decades earlier earlier. The determinant in this fight was the Dutch ability at sea, and long previously the end of the war daring Dutchmen were sailing longer distances and wide for trade. Philip of Spain stopped the port of Lisbon to the Dutch when Portugal became him. This resulted to a development of Dutch shipping. The Dutch East India Company was started in 1601, and soon banished the Portuguese as the dominating trading authority in the East. They continued driving away the Portuguese and reduced their possessions in the East. The Dutch main intention was trade but consequentially obtained territorial power by signing treaties and fighting the local Moslems states as well. The Dutch companies such as the one in India continually obtained incomplete political control of Indonesia. Between the periods of 1650 to 1713, the Dutch have involved into serious fights with England seeking maritime supremacy. The Dutch also overcame the French’s hunger for power. However, the wars jeopardized the Dutch’s financial capability and the naval supremacy withered. The 17th Century on the Mainland In 17th century, whilst the Dutch were merging their location in the East Indies, and Spain her rule in the Philippines, evident internal friction and exterior wars persisted among the mainland states. The Trinh dynasty lasted throughout the period from the 12th to 17th century. The southern part of the country was under Cambodian rule for a period of over one century. Cambodia Cambodia was driven from the Mekong delta, their original habitat in southern Vietnam between the periods of 1700 and 1760, and then sustained to be a vulnerable to Siamese intrusions in the western region. Laos Laos was one of the most peaceful countries in the east. Nonetheless, by the end of the 17th century an internal strife occurred and the country engaged into an internal conflict. The conflict divided the country into three kingdoms in the north, centre and the south known as Luang Prabang, Vientiane and Champassak respectively. Siam Siam was peaceful and developing well after its wars with Burma in the 16th century. Throughout this period, the Europeans engage in trading contracts in siam. This led into opposition between the Dutch and the French. The French were taking their initial strategies on the South East Asia. The English also ventured int the challenge but later withdrew and opt to support the Dutch. The French proceeded into persuading the Siam to accept and convert to Christianity. Through this attempt, they obtained the support of the greek adventurer Paulkone. He became the King’s advisor and consequently the first minister. This resulted to a palace protest in 1688, where Paulkone was murdered, succeeding duration of civil war. Siam opted to stay detached from the western influence to avert troubles for over one and a half century. Burma In Burma collapsed after a Mon rebellion in 1740, however the country was joined back in 1752 by Alaungpaya. His successors deterred a Chinese invasion, momentarily dominated Siam and intruded towards the west and north into Indian region. Conclusion It is evident that there was a fundamental appeal of the Islam for polities in Southeast Asia. In as much as the Southeast Asia struggled to achieve living status of their desire, some countries longed to operate with them as partners while others wanted to rule them. According to the study, many political states got interested to the activities and some commodities from the south East Asia. Consequentially, there were conflicts between countries interacting with the South Eastern Asia due to desire for more power and market influence. Bibliography Andaya W., B Andaya L., 1984, A History of Malaysia. London: Palgrave Macmillan Held D (1999). Global Transformations: Politics, Economics and Culture. New York: Stanford University Press Tadgel C, 1998, India and South-East Asia: the Buddhist and Hindu tradition. Michigan: Whitney Library of Design Tarling N (1992). The Cambridge History of Southeast Asia: Volume 1, from Early Times to C.1800: Volume 1, from Early Times to C.1800. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press Read More