Indian Religion goes Global: The adoption and adaptation of Buddhism and Brahmanism in 1st Millennium CE Southeast Asia Stephen Murphy “Buddha their god lying on his side in the museum. Taking it easy with hand under his cheek. Joss sticks burning.”
Ulysses, James Joyce
Globalization
• Globalization is a process of • Globalization describes the interaction and integration world-encompassing among the people, companies, outcomes of human and governments of different connectivity that . . . ha[ve] nations, a process driven by epitomized human societies international trade and for millennia” (Robbie investment and aided by Robertson) information technology. • Globalization is a macro-scale • phenomenon with factors https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ such as the frequency, Globalization strength, and content of the connectivities acting as some of the most salient features (Carl Knappett)
Globalizaton
• frequency, strength, and content of the connectivities. • outcomes of human connectivity. • Reflects a more organic process? • a process driven by international trade and investment and aided by information technology. Localisation
• Localization/ indigenization/ socialization • the creative employment by local inhabitants of ideas and aspects of material culture arriving “globally” Tartan and turbans There and back again…
South and Southeast Asia
• Colonial/empire model • New Information technology: • Core-periphery model Sanskrit had been transformed • from a purely sacred to a more Network theory broadly based language, • Indigenous Southeast Asian particularly concerning royal models and political matters. • influences from India were not • It provided expression not only hegemonic and/or for ritual and religion, but also homogenous (strength, for the praise of royalty and frequency) political authority. • India too at this period (mid – 5th cent AD) was not a unified culture • The Sanskritization of the Indian religious world was under way.
Sanskritization
• Over time local cults and deities became appropriated by both Brahmanism and Buddhism • Pollock (2006: 530-532) noted that the process of Sankritisation in India was contemporaneous with that taking place in Southeast Asia. • The ability of these religions to fuse with local deities and practices goes some way to explaining how they could successfully replicate this process in a Southeast Asian context.
Sanskritization What about China? Trade and connectivity Faxian, ca 410 CE. Yijing’s voyage to India, ca. 671 CE
• Took at Persian ship from Guangdong
• After 20 days at sea they reached Bhoga/Srisbhoga (Srivijaya) where their were monasteries housing 1000 monks.
• stayed for 6 months, and learnt Sanskrit Grammar; then boarded a ship to Kedah and changed ship here for India.
• After about 15 days travel they reached Tamralipti (an ancient trading port somewhere on the Hooghly) River in modern day Bengal.
• Arrived sometime in early 673 CE The Tang Shipwreck and Global trade in the 9th century.
Frequency, strength, and content
• White Wares, Yue, Sancai, Changsha wares, Persian wares Incentives and Agency
• Southeast Asian elites sought • Pali and Sanskrit: As with new and sophisticated ways to India, these provided new legitimate their rule, addressed ways to praise and eulogize by the arrival of Buddhism and leaders. Brahmanism. • New programs of architecture, (Localization/Socialization). urban planning, and • Buddhist concepts; monumental religious – such as the bodhisattva sculpture in stone and bronze (Buddha-to-be), arrived (technology) – the cakravartin (universal • A new vocabulary of religious Buddhist monarch) symbolism and architecture – the dhammaraja (the king who overlay more local symbols rules in accordance with (technology/localization) Buddhist principles) 1. Myanmar
2. Thailand
3. Cambodia
4. Laos
Myanmar Urbanisation
Sri Vikrama
Śrī Prabhuvarman and Śrī Prabhudevi Retaining the local
Mount Popa
Thailand
Cambodia
Saivism in Cambodia
• The Pāśupata sect of Śaivism? • Lingodbhavamurti myth • lower scene depicts a king’s coronation ceremony (abhiṣeka) • Direct association between the king and Siva
Durgā Mahiṣasuramardinia grafting of this female deity onto a local cult?
Wat Phu Champassak • Local spirit Podouli • The close association • Becomes Bhadresvara between Śiva as a god of the mountain and the liṅga, a symbol of the god’s • Śiva is known as Giriśa or fertilizing energy, made it Giritra, “Lord of the readily adaptable to local mountain” or “Protector of cults. the mountain” • Using Śaivism to unify local deities, rulers exerted • Parvati, is “Daughter of the religious and political mountain”. control over newly acquired territories, illustrated by erecting liṅga.
Concluding remarks
• South and Southeast • Localisation/ Asia in the first indeginization occurred millennium were part of over time. a globalized world. • A process that is still • Local Southeast Asian happening today. elites had incentives to adopt and adapt incoming Indian religions.