South+East+Asia

__Islam In South East Asia__ by Kevin Schlegel and Johnny Ton
Insight: Islam is said to have made its way into South East Asia, through trading. Some have argued that it arrived through trade with India, while others have argued that it was brought to the region directly from Arabia in the Middle East. Other scholars claim that Muslim Chinese who were engaged in trade introduced it. One thing is clear though, and that is that Islam had an influence on South East China. However Islam still made its way into south east Asia. From being traded from India, it made its way over to parts of Indonesia at first around 13th to 14th century C.E. From Indonesia, it began to spread out across south east Asia. After it spread into further parts of Indonesia, it journeyed over to parts of Malaysia and Brunei in the 15th century. During the 16th century, Islam arrived in the Phillipines and from their on it began to dominate in south east Asia.

Areas Affected The following video, shows us multiple places in which Islam had a lasting affect in south East Asia. The places shown are as followed 1.Brunei 2.Burma 3.Cambodia 4.East Timor 5.Indonesia 6.Laos 7.Malaysia 8.Philippines 9.Singapore 10.Thailand 11.Vietnam media type="youtube" key="vhodlLEiskg?fs=1" height="385" width="480"

Google Map
media type="googlemap" key="http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=Brunei&sll=8.841651,117.949219&sspn=47.58522,107.138672&ie=UTF8&hq=&hnear=Brunei+Darussalam&ll=4.535277,114.727669&spn=12.366145,26.784668&z=6&output=embed" width="425" height="350" This map details the major places of south east Asia, where Islam most affected. At first we see the two countries of Malaysia, and Brunei. If you zoom out, you will see Indonesia is near by. Today Islam has most affected these regions of south east Asia. Islam is the official religion in Malaysia and Brunei while it is one of the six official faiths in Indonesia. Even today countries outside these regions practice Islam.

Asian Muslims Video
media type="youtube" key="nzPb-8A5wiU?fs=1" height="385" width="480" The video shows us how much Islam affect south eastern Asian countries. In Vietnam, we have a Muslim saying a prayer to Allah. This man is of course praying in Arabic, as is required by all people of the Islamic faith. Arabic of course is from the Arabian Penninsula, which is in a far part of the world. The people of Vietnam, and other south eastern Asian nations, spoke their own languages and could have simply syncritized Islam into their own language for example. However the dedication of the people of the Islamic faith, is shown to us in this video. In shows us how the people of south east Asia, kept the traditions of Islam by praying in Arabic, rather than in their own language.

Image Analysis
This map shows us the different time periods in which Islam made its way to south east Asia. Islam made its way through trade from India over to parts of Indonesia, around 13th to 14th century C.E.. From this single area, it traveled over to Malaysia and spread out across Indonesia, along with traveling over to Brunei during the 15th century C.E. In the 16th century C.E, from Brunei Islam spread into newer parts of Indonesia In Malaysia and Indonesia, Islam spread more across their borders into new areas. The newest area to join Islam however, was the Philippines during this time period. In the 17th and 18th century C.E Islam spread out even more. By this time Islam now had completely reached all parts of Malaysia. It spread out even more across Indonesia, now reaching several of its secluded islands not attached to its main largest one, where it previously dominated.

How did Islam spread?
In south east Asia, Islam made its way into the lives of people via trade. The fall of the empire Shrivijava is Islam was able to dominate the trading ports.The Islamic religion was spread peacefully along southeast Asia, the norther coast of Sumatra was the first region to be converted. As time passed and people traded with other sections of the area, Islam began to travel with them. People did start to convert as the Muslims gained more control over trading cities, and the region.

Growth of Trade within the Islamic world
Trade within south east Asia, occurred in the major cities of the area. The most powerful trading cities in the region were Malacca, and Demak. Islam spread to south east Asia from India through trade routes with these cities and trade all together with the interior of the nations these cities were in helped lead to it spreading even further.

Reactions to Islam.
Muslims had to eventually fight the ideas of the Buddhist and Hindu people in the areas. The empires that used Buddhism and Hinduism, were less open into sharing tolerance with Islam. When Islam arrived in south east Asia, it had to slowly makes it way into these empires. This is why Islam started out in the edges of lands and islands, than making it way inward into land.

===Growth of Trade within the Islamic world === From the begginging of the 13th and 14th cerntury, people, began to trade from India, to parts of Indonessia. From Indonesia, people traded amounst themselves in the group. After some time, trade between Malaysia and Indonesia occurered and brought Islam with it. From Malaysia, people traded with part of the Phillipines. The cities of Malacca and Demek, dominated trade in south east Asia. They were the trading centers of the world. Malacca was located near the straight of Malacca near Malaya. Demek was located on the north coast of Java.

Urbanization and Islam
Cities such as Malacca and Demak dominated in status through trade. These cities were said to be the trading centers of this area and they dominated it. Because of their trade dominatiion, they allowed for Islam to spread into the region and they helped spread its ideals thoroughout the region through their complex trade routes.

===Architecture throughout the Islamic world === In south east Asia, the archiitecture of the Islamic faith was closely related to design of classic Arabic architecture. The styles of several builds were closely related to the Arabic style. For example mosques in Brunei relate to a style of architecture found in the Arabian Peninsula.

Examples of Syncretism and Islam
People began to blend Islamic teachings with the ideas of Hindu and Buddhist people, to makee converstions, generally easier.

Reactions to Islam
Society changed in several ways. For example women began to climb into a higher position in society, by being allowed options that were not availible to them elsewhere. In south east Asian Islam, forr example women gained a higher status with the family and in market places, women dominated the buying and selling of goods. Since Islam had also come from India, it began to intertwine with ideas of Hindus and Buddhist in the regions. Sufis would travel to towns and end building mosques and school centers in order for them to preach to others about their faith.