https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Southeast_Asia 

Bagan is now a pilgrimage centre and contains ancient Buddhist shrines that have been restored and redecorated and are in current use. Ruins of other shrines and pagodas cover a wide area. An earthquake, in 1975, severely damaged more than half of the important structures and irreparably destroyed many of them. The whole of the Buphaya pagoda, for nine centuries a landmark for river boatmen, tumbled into the Irrawaddy and was carried off by the waters. The village also has a school for lacquer ware, for which the region is noted. Pagan's importance lies in its heritage rather than its present.

Old Bagan was a walled city, its western flank resting on the Irrawaddy River. It was the focus of a network of highroads by means of which its rulers could command a large region of fertile plains and could dominate other major Myanmar dynastic cities, such as Bago. From the port of Thiripyissaya, further down the river, important overseas trade was conducted with India, Ceylon, and other regions of Southeast Asia. The walls of the old city, within which lies a substantial area of the modern town, probably originally contained only royal, aristocratic, religious, and administrative buildings. The populace is thought to have lived outside in homes of light construction closely resembling those occupied by the present-day inhabitants. The walled city, whose moats were fed by the Irrawaddy, was thus a sacred dynastic fortress. The circuit of its walls and river frontage is some 4 km and there is evidence that perhaps as much as a third of the old city has been washed away by the river. Because building was principally of bricks, decoration was carried out in carved brick, in stucco, and in terra-cotta. The earliest surviving structure is probably the 10th-century Nat Hlaung Gyaung. The shrines that stand by the Sarabha Gate in the eastern wall are also early although later than the wall they adjoin. These are shrines of "nats", the traditional spirit deities of the animist ethnic Burmans.

Under King Anawrahta (reigned 1044-77), the ethnic Burmans finally conquered the other peoples of the region, including the Mon, who had been dominant around Thaton and Bago in the south. They transported the Mon royal family and their scholars and craftsmen to Bagan, making it the capital and centre of an official, fundamentalist form of Theravada(Hinayana)Buddhism adopted from Sri Lanka. This initiated the period of Pagan's greatness, which was sustained at first by Mon artistic traditions. The enormous number of monasteries and shrines built and maintained during the next 200 years was made possible both by the great wealth of the kingdom and by the large number of skilled and unskilled slaves owned by each monastery. The city became one of the most important centres of Buddhist learning.

Lesser buildings are grouped around the more important pagodas and temples. All are based on Indian prototypes, modified during subsequent development by the Mon. The principal architectural theme is the Buddhist stupa, a tall bell dome, designed originally to contain, near its apex, the sacred relics of Buddhist saints. Another, is the high, terraced plinth, which may be supplemented by stairs, gateways, extra stupas, and pinnacles and symbolizes a sacred mountain. During the course of artistic evolution, the themes were frequently combined and the combination opened into a complex rectangular hall with porticos extending from the sides, crowned by a stupa or, in some cases, by a rectangular tower of curved outline reminiscent of the contemporary Indian Hindu shrine tower. A vista across the site of Bagan shows a series of variations and combinations of the themes.

Anawrahta constructed the Shwezigon  pagoda to enshrine a replica of the Buddha tooth kept in Kandy. Nearby he built a nat shrine with images. The Shwezigon is a huge, terraced pyramid, square below, circular above, crowned by a bell-shaped stupa of traditional Mon shape and adorned with stairways, gates, and decorative spires. It is much revered and famous for its huge golden umbrella finial encrusted with jewels. It was considerably damaged in the earthquake of 1975. Also revered are the late 12th-century pyramidal Mahabodhi, built as a copy of the temple at the site of the Buddha's enlightenment at Bodh Gaya, in India, and the Anada temple just beyond the east gate, founded in 1091 under King Kyanzittha. By the time the Thatbyinuu temple was built (1144), Mon influence was waning, and a Burman architecture had evolved. Its four stories, resembling a two-staged pyramid, and its orientation are new. Its interior rooms are spacious halls, rather than sparsely lit openings within a mountain mass, as in the earlier style. This building combined the functions of stupa, temple, and monastery. The Burman style was further developed in the great Sulamani  temple and culminated in the awdawpalin, dedicated to the ancestral spirits of the dynasty, whose exterior is decorated with miniature pagodas and the interior, with extremely lavish, coloured surface ornament.

Lj Galit
Reference:http://berclo.net/page00/00en-sea-history.html.

For three and a half centuries, Lan Xang was one of the largest kingdoms in Southeast Asia. The meaning of the kingdom's name alludes to the power of the kingship and formidable war machine of the early kingdom.^[1] The kingdom is the precursor for the country of Laos and the basis for the national historic and cultural identity.
Patrick Natal

The Chiang Mai kingdom(LanNa)in what is today northern Thailand, was founded by the Thai ruler of Chiang Rai, Mangrai, who conquered the ancient(9th century) Mon kingdom of Haripunjaya and built a new capital at Chiang Mai in 1296. Under Mangrai and his successors Chiang Mai became not only powerful but also a centre for the spread of Theravada Buddhism to Thai peoples in what are now northeastern Myanmar, southern China, and northern Laos. Under Tilokaracha (ruled 1441-87), Chiang Mai became famous for its Buddhist scholarship and literature. It was conquered by the Toungoo  and incorporated into the Burman empire in 1558 but the central Thai states of Ayutthaya and Bangkok challenged Burman control over the area. In 1774, the Thai king Taksin drove out the Myanma; but Chiang Mai retained a degree of independence from Bangkok until the late 19th century.

Chiang Mai is the largest city in northern Thailand and the third largest city in the nation after Bangkok and Khorat(Nakhon Ratchasima). It is located on the Ping River, a major tributary of the Chao Phraya River, near the centre of a fertile intermontane basin at an elevation of 335 meters. It serves as the religious, economic, cultural, educational, and transportation centre for both northern Thailand and part of neighbouring Myanmar. The older part of town and particularly the 18th-century walled settlement, is on the west bank of the river; it contains ruins of many 13th and 14th century temples of which Wat Phra Sing (1345) that houses Phra Sing, the most venerated Buddha figure of the north and Wat Chedi Luang (1411) that held Bangkok's famous Emerald Buddha during the 15th and 16th centuries. Just outside the city, at an elevation of 1,073 m on the slopes of Mount Suthep, stands the temple complex of Wat Phra That Doi Suthep which is one of Thailand's most famous pilgrimage sites. Phu Ping Palace, the summer home of the Thai royal family, is also nearby.



Marc Allen K. Ramos
http://berclo.net/page00/00en-sea-history.html

In the sixteenth century, it was described by foreign traders as one of the biggest and wealthiest cities in the East. The court of King Narai (1656–88) had strong links with that of King Louis XIV of France, whose ambassadors compared the city in size and wealth to Paris.

By 1550, the kingdom's vassals included some city-states in the Malay Peninsula, Sukhothai, Lan Na and parts of Burma and Cambodia.This part of the Kingdom's history is sometimes referred to as 'The Ayutthayan Empire.'

In foreign accounts, Ayutthaya was called Siam, but many sources say the people of Ayutthaya called themselves Tai, and their kingdom Krung Tai "The Tai country". It was also referred to as Iudea in a painting that was requested by the Dutch East India Company

Source:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ayutthaya_Kingdom

Liane Ona

Several small Bai kingdoms occupied the region centred on Lake Erhai between the Mekong, the Yangtze, and the sources of the Red River, under varying degrees of Chinese control, starting from the 2nd century BC. Nanzhao was formed by the unification of six such kingdoms in 729. Pi-lo-ko, the leader of one small tribal state, extended his control over the five neighbouring kingdoms while acting in alliance with China, which needed an ally against the aggressive Tibetans.

Once unification was complete, Pi-lo-ko established Nanzhao's centre of power at Dali. Geographic factors rendered the capital impregnable and two Chinese attacks were repulsed in 751 and 754. Nanzhao was also able to dominate the east-west trade routes from China and Tongking through Myanmar to India.

Nanzhao attained a high level of culture. Skilled artisans taught the weaving of cotton and silk gauze. Salt and gold were mined in many parts of the kingdom, and a complex system of government and administration was developed.

Nanzhao became an imperialistic state, waging war deep into Myanmar in 832 and into north Vietnam in 862. The Mon and Khmer cities held firm, but the Pyu capital of Halingyi fell. The Burmans moved into this political vacuum, establishing Bagan as their capital city in 849.

At its zenith, Nanzhao extended over most of Yunnan and a large part of today's Myanmar but it declined at the end of the 9th century. It was later known as the smaller Dali kingdom (still under Bai control), until it was defeated by the Mongols under the leadership of Kublai Khan in 1253.


Alyssa Daigdigan
http://berclo.net/page00/00en-sea-history.html

After the Siamese conquered Angkor, they brought many Khmer captives back to Ayutthaya. Some of these had been officials or craftsmen at the Khmer royal court and Ayutthaya's rulers adopted many Hindu practices that had been followed by the Khmer, including the concept of the ruler as god-king. The king acquired powers of life and death over all his people. Only members of the royal family could gaze upon his face and he had to be addressed in a special language used exclusively for royalty. The power of the ruler was enhanced not only through symbolic and ideological concepts drawn from Khmer-Hindu beliefs about the god-king but also through the centralization of political power. The Thai developed a state in which the ruler stood at the centre of a series of concentric circles. The outer circles were governed by hereditary lords, while the inner circles were administered by office-holders appointed by the king.

The kings of Ayutthaya also issued formal codes of civil and criminal law based on ancient Indian jurisprudence. At the same time, a formal and highly complex hierarchical system assigned each person a varying number of units that designated one's rank within society. At the bottom of the scale, a slave was worth 5 units; freemen were ranked at 25 and above, while the heir apparent was assigned no fewer than 100,000 units.

The mass of the people in Ayutthayan times were peasant farmers, either freemen or slaves. The latter included war captives, bondsmen, and debtors. Freemen were obliged to work for six months each year for the local representatives of the king, to pay taxes, and to provide military service as required. An intricate patronage system extended throughout society, whereby clients provided their patrons with services in return for the protection of the patrons. Ayutthaya was an underpopulated society, and the constant need for manpower helped protect clients from excessive demands by patrons; if the demands of the patrons became too burdensome, the freeman could always move and take up new land as a last resort.

Despite the introduction of Brahmanism into court ritual and the admixture of animism and superstition that pervaded religious practice at all levels of society, Theravada Buddhism took deep root throughout Siam during Ayutthayan times. The Buddhist monastic establishment played an important role in society, forming a focal point for village life, providing young males with an education, and offering those who elected to remain in the monkhood a channel for upward social mobility.

At its height, Ayutthaya was one of the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan cities of its day. Although it lay inland, it was easily accessible to oceangoing vessels traveling up the Chao Phraya River, and it became a thriving international trade emporium. It was during this period that European traders and travelers first started coming to Siam. The Portuguese reached Siam as early as 1511, following their conquest of Malacca on the Malay Peninsula. They were followed in the 17th century by Dutch, English, Spanish, and French traders and missionaries. Ayutthayan kings permitted settlements of Chinese, Indian, and Persian, as well as European, traders. They employed Japanese warriors and allowed Western missionaries to preach within Ayutthayan domains. In addition to engaging in extensive trade with China, Southeast Asia, and India, the rulers of Ayutthaya also sent triennial tribute missions to the Chinese imperial court, established Buddhist missions in Sri Lanka and sent emissaries abroad as far afield as Europe. King Narai (ruled 1656-88) initiated a series of diplomatic exchanges between Ayutthaya and the French court at Versailles and even appointed a Greek adventurer, Constantine Phaulkon, as his chief minister. Eventually, however, the Europeans became overly zealous in their efforts to convert Buddhist Siamese to Christianity. In 1688 the Siamese expelled the French from Ayutthaya and all but closed their doors to the West for the next 150 years.

However, the primary threat to Ayutthayan sovereignty came not from Europe but from Myanmar. In 1569 a force from the Burman state of Toungoo overran Ayutthaya and devastated the country for miles around. Led by Naresuan (ruled 1590-1605), Ayutthaya recovered its independence. Conflict with Myanmar persisted, however, and in the mid-18th century Burman armies once again captured Ayutthaya. This time the city was not to recover. Following the sacking of the city in 1767, the king and members of the royal family, along with thousands of captives, were deported to Myanmar. All Ayutthayan records were burned and its works of art destroyed.


-Julius Evasco

 
http://berclo.net/page00/00en-sea-history.html

The origins of the inhabitants of the Funan Kingdom are much disputed. The most accepted theory relates that they were a tribe that spoke a tongue of the Mon Khmer family languages, thus creating a linguistic link with the Cambodians. Also, Chinese records relate the origin of the Funan people using the same origin myth that has been used in Khmer folklore to explain the origins of the Khmers: A foreign indian prince arrives by sea to an island where the Naga Kings live and meets the daughter of the naga king. He marries her with the blessing of her father, who drinks the sea around the island and builds a capital for them.

Map of the Funan Kingdom in 200 A.D.

The Funan Kingdom was strongly influenced by Indian culture and had adopted many elements of the Indian tradition such as the use of the sanscrit language in the high courts, the Buddhist and Hindu religions, astronomy, legal system and literature. The Kingdom reached its power peak under the reign of King Fan Shih-man in the early third century, occupying present Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Myanamar and part of Malaysia. However, by the 6th century A.D the stability of Funan was put in jeopardy by civil wars and the Kingdom of Chenla gained control ofver Funan, starting another phase of Cambodian history

 

Ayutthaya is located in the rich rice plains of the Chao Phraya River basin, 90 km north of present-day Bangkok. During the 400 year Ayutthayan period the Thai consolidated their position as the leading power in what is now central and north-central Thailand, as well as throughout much of its southern peninsular region. Since many of Ayutthaya's neighbours called the country "Siam," the Thai of Ayutthaya came to be known as the Siamese. Ayutthaya at first was only a small city-kingdom on the northwestern edge of the powerful Khmer empire. Within less than a century, however, Thai kings succeeded in pushing back the Khmer, and in 1431 they sacked their great capital of Angkor. Wars against neighbouring powers remained endemic throughout the Ayutthayan period. In 1438 a greatly weakened Sukhothai was made a province of Ayutthaya but Chiang Mai(Lan Na)remained free of Ayutthayan control, although it was later brought under Burman influence.

After the Siamese conquered Angkor, they brought many Khmer captives back to Ayutthaya. Some of these had been officials or craftsmen at the Khmer royal court and Ayutthaya's rulers adopted many Hindu practices that had been followed by the Khmer, including the concept of the ruler as god-king. The king acquired powers of life and death over all his people. Only members of the royal family could gaze upon his face and he had to be addressed in a special language used exclusively for royalty. The power of the ruler was enhanced not only through symbolic and ideological concepts drawn from Khmer-Hindu beliefs about the god-king but also through the centralization of political power. The Thai developed a state in which the ruler stood at the centre of a series of concentric circles. The outer circles were governed by hereditary lords, while the inner circles were administered by office-holders appointed by the king.

The kings of Ayutthaya also issued formal codes of civil and criminal law based on ancient Indian jurisprudence. At the same time, a formal and highly complex hierarchical system assigned each person a varying number of units that designated one's rank within society. At the bottom of the scale, a slave was worth 5 units; freemen were ranked at 25 and above, while the heir apparent was assigned no fewer than 100,000 units.

The mass of the people in Ayutthayan times were peasant farmers, either freemen or slaves. The latter included war captives, bondsmen, and debtors. Freemen were obliged to work for six months each year for the local representatives of the king, to pay taxes, and to provide military service as required. An intricate patronage system extended throughout society, whereby clients provided their patrons with services in return for the protection of the patrons. Ayutthaya was an underpopulated society, and the constant need for manpower helped protect clients from excessive demands by patrons; if the demands of the patrons became too burdensome, the freeman could always move and take up new land as a last resort.

Despite the introduction of Brahmanism into court ritual and the admixture of animism and superstition that pervaded religious practice at all levels of society, Theravada Buddhism took deep root throughout Siam during Ayutthayan times. The Buddhist monastic establishment played an important role in society, forming a focal point for village life, providing young males with an education, and offering those who elected to remain in the monkhood a channel for upward social mobility.

At its height, Ayutthaya was one of the wealthiest and most cosmopolitan cities of its day. Although it lay inland, it was easily accessible to oceangoing vessels traveling up the Chao Phraya River, and it became a thriving international trade emporium. It was during this period that European traders and travelers first started coming to Siam. The Portuguese reached Siam as early as 1511, following their conquest of Malacca on the Malay Peninsula. They were followed in the 17th century by Dutch, English, Spanish, and French traders and missionaries. Ayutthayan kings permitted settlements of Chinese, Indian, and Persian, as well as European, traders. They employed Japanese warriors and allowed Western missionaries to preach within Ayutthayan domains. In addition to engaging in extensive trade with China, Southeast Asia, and India, the rulers of Ayutthaya also sent triennial tribute missions to the Chinese imperial court, established Buddhist missions in Sri Lanka and sent emissaries abroad as far afield as Europe. King Narai (ruled 1656-88) initiated a series of diplomatic exchanges between Ayutthaya and the French court at Versailles and even appointed a Greek adventurer, Constantine Phaulkon, as his chief minister. Eventually, however, the Europeans became overly zealous in their efforts to convert Buddhist Siamese to Christianity. In 1688 the Siamese expelled the French from Ayutthaya and all but closed their doors to the West for the next 150 years.

However, the primary threat to Ayutthayan sovereignty came not from Europe but from Myanmar. In 1569 a force from the Burman state of Toungoo overran Ayutthaya and devastated the country for miles around. Led by Naresuan (ruled 1590-1605), Ayutthaya recovered its independence. Conflict with Myanmar persisted, however, and in the mid-18th century Burman armies once again captured Ayutthaya. This time the city was not to recover. Following the sacking of the city in 1767, the king and members of the royal family, along with thousands of captives, were deported to Myanmar. All Ayutthayan records were burned and its works of art destroyed.


Aliana Barachina
7-joel
http://berclo.net/page00/00en-sea-history.html

According to Cham tradition, the founder of Champa was a goddess known as Po Nagar. Legend said that Po Nagar was abandoned as a baby in a forest near Nha Trang. She was discovered by a woodcutter whilst he was returning home in the evening. The previously childless woodcutter and his wife raised her as if she was their own daughter. One day, Po Nagar, now a young lady, brought home a special piece of sandalwood, which she took good care of and did not allow anyone to touch.

A day came when she informed her foster parents that she was commanded to go to the Chinese Emperor’s court, where she would marry the crown prince. Although her foster parents initially forbade her from undertaking this journey, they eventually relented.

by:Yannah Callo

Changes in India, too, affected the rise of Sri Vijaya, for in the middle of the seventh century the Mahayana form of Buddhism gained widespread acceptance. Bengal's renowned Nalanda University, which represented all schools of religious thought but especially the Mahayanist, attracted students from all parts of Southeast Asia and China. Gradually, Sri Vijaya became a major center for the propagation in Southeast Asia of this form of Buddhism. A North Indian script, the Nagari, replaced the south Indian Pallava script formerly used. The Chinese traveler I-tsing, who spent 6 months studying Sanskrit at Sri Vijaya before going on to Nalanda, reported that there were more than 1,000 monks at Sri Vijaya. 
              by:      Alexis Baracol Source:http://www.globalsecurity.org/