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Culture of Asia: the story on HearLore | HearLore
Culture of Asia
The first evidence of farming emerged on the Hilly Flanks of West Asia around 9000 BC, marking the beginning of a cultural revolution that would eventually encompass the entire continent. This ancient agricultural shift did not happen in isolation but sparked the development of the Fertile Crescent, giving rise to the earliest civilizations of Mesopotamia and the Persian empires. These pioneering societies laid the groundwork for the Abrahamic religions of Judaism and Islam, which would later define the spiritual landscape of West Asia. The cultural roots here are so deep that some scholars, such as Ian Morrison, argue that the definition of the West actually originates from these Asian civilizations, challenging the traditional Eurocentric view of history. The Hilly Flanks remain the birthplace of western culture in this alternative historical framework, proving that the story of Asia is not merely a regional narrative but the origin story of global civilization.
The vast distances and hostile environments of Asia, including its deserts and mountain ranges, initially separated these early civilizations. Yet, the very challenges of geography forced the development of trade and commerce, creating a universal Pan-Asian character. Inter-regional trade became the driving and cohesive force, spreading cultural elements and ideas through vast road networks and sea routes. This exchange allowed the diverse ethnic groups of the continent to maintain a collective identity despite the immense scale of the land. The Silk Road, a major trading route, facilitated a steady exchange of ideas and conflicts, such as the Battle of Talas, making Central Asia a theater of cultural convergence. The region was conquered and dominated by a variety of cultures, including the Chinese, Greeks, Mongols, Persians, Tatars, Russians, and Sarmatians, creating a distinct local character in numerous urban centers.
In the Indus Valley, a sophisticated Bronze Age cultural tradition emerged around 3300 BC, flourishing in urban centers that would thrive for almost 2000 years. The Indus Valley Civilisation, also known as the Harappan Civilisation, is classified as one of the principal Cradles of civilization due to its high quality of arts, crafts, metallurgy, and urban planning. However, declining climatic conditions and population displacement, specifically the Indo-Aryan migration, caused the fatal disruption of this culture. It was superseded by the rural Vedic culture, which established the characteristic social groups of Brahmanas, Kshatriyas, Vaishyas, and Shudras in the caste system. The Vedic texts, which do not mention cities or urban life, became the basis of religious, ethical, and philosophical ideas in South Asia, influencing the future Hindu and Buddhist cosmology. The great significance of these texts for family, societal organization, and morality has never been contested, even as the urban centers of the Harappan culture remained hidden until 20th-century archaeology brought them to light.
Common questions
When did the first evidence of farming emerge in West Asia?
The first evidence of farming emerged on the Hilly Flanks of West Asia around 9000 BC. This event marked the beginning of a cultural revolution that eventually encompassed the entire continent of Asia.
What is the significance of the Indus Valley Civilisation in South Asia?
The Indus Valley Civilisation, also known as the Harappan Civilisation, is classified as one of the principal Cradles of civilization due to its high quality of arts, crafts, metallurgy, and urban planning. It flourished in urban centers for almost 2000 years before declining climatic conditions and population displacement caused its disruption.
How did the Imperial Chinese Tributary System influence East Asia?
The Imperial Chinese Tributary System was based on the Confucian religious and philosophical idea of submission to celestial harmony. Nations within its orbit, from Central Asia to Southeast Asia, paid tribute to the Emperor of China, who was recognized as the Son of Heaven and curator of the Mandate of Heaven.
Which countries are included in the region of West Asia?
West Asia consists of Turkey, Syria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. Cyprus is frequently considered to be part of the region but it has ethnic and cultural ties to Europe as well.
What are the main characteristics of Southeast Asian architecture?
Southeast Asian architecture reflects the diversity of cultural, historical, and geographic influences that have shaped it as a whole, ranging from native vernacular architecture to Hindu-Buddhist temples, colonial architecture, and modern architecture. Notable examples include Rumah Gadang, Tongkonan, Balinese houses, and Javanese Joglo, alongside the massive stone mandala-stupa of Borobudur and the Prambanan Hindu temple dedicated to Trimurti gods.
When did Rabindranath Tagore win the Nobel Prize in Literature?
Rabindranath Tagore became in 1913 the first Asian Nobel laureate, winning his Nobel Prize in Literature for notable impact his prose works and poetic thought had on English, French, and other national literature of Europe and the Americas.
China occupied the prominent, central role in East Asia for a long time in recorded history, deeply influencing the culture of peripheral countries and drawing them into a China-centered international order. This system, known as the Imperial Chinese Tributary System, was based on the Confucian religious and philosophical idea of submission to celestial harmony. Nations within its orbit, from Central Asia to Southeast Asia, paid tribute to the Emperor of China, who was recognized as the Son of Heaven and curator of the Mandate of Heaven. In elaborate ceremonies, both the tributary state and the various Chinese dynasties agreed to mutually favorable economic cooperation and beneficial security policies. This order was briefly interrupted by the 20th century, but the cultural influence of China remained a unifying force across the region.
The Chinese script, one of the oldest continuously used writing systems in the world, served as a major unifying force and medium for conveying Chinese culture in East Asia. Classical Chinese was the literary language of elites and bureaucrats, historically used throughout the region and still in use by Chinese diaspora communities around the world, as well as in Japan, Korea, Vietnam, and pockets of Southeast Asia. However, as Chinese writing concepts were passed on to Korea, Japan, and Vietnam, these nations developed their own characteristic writing systems to complement Hanzi. Vietnam invented their own Chữ Nôm glyphs, Japan invented Kana, and Korea invented their own alphabet Hangul. To this day, Vietnam mostly writes in Chữ Quốc ngữ, a modified Latin alphabet, but there is also a resurgence of Hán-Nôm, a type of writing that combines both Chữ Hán and Chữ Nôm. Sino cognates compose a vast majority of the vocabulary of these languages, creating a linguistic tapestry that binds the region together.
Apart from the unifying influence of Confucianism, Taoism, and Chinese characters, East Asian national customs, architecture, literature, cuisines, traditional music, performing arts, and crafts have developed from many independent and local concepts. They have grown and diversified as many rank among the most refined expressions of aesthetic, artistic, and philosophical ideas in the world. Notable among others are Japanese gardens and landscape planning, Heian literature, Vietnamese Water puppetry, and the artifacts of the Đông Sơn culture. Modern research has also focused on the several nations pivotal role on the collective body of East Asian Buddhism and the Korean influence on Japanese culture as well as Japanese influence on Korean culture. The cultural spheres are not mutually disjoint and can even overlap, representing the innate diversity and syncretism of human cultures and historical influences.
The Indianised Kingdoms
At the crossroads of the Indian and East Asian maritime trade routes since around 500 BC, Southeast Asia has been greatly influenced by the culture of India and China. Most of the influence of India came in the era of the Chola dynasty, spreading Tamil and Hindu cultures across present Southeast Asian countries and even expanding and establishing Hindu kingdoms in the region. The term Indianised Kingdoms is a designation for numerous Southeast Asian political units that had to a varying degree adopted most aspects of India's statecraft, administration, art, epigraphy, writing, and architecture. The religions Hinduism, Buddhism, and Islam gradually diffused into local cosmology. Nonetheless, the Southeast Asian nations have very diversely adapted to these cultural stimuli and evolved their distinct sophisticated expression in lifestyle, the visual arts, and most notably in architectural accomplishments, such as Angkor Wat in Cambodia and Borobudur in Indonesia.
Buddhist culture has a lasting and significant impact in mainland Southeast Asia, with most Buddhists in Indochina practicing Theravada Buddhism. In the case of Vietnam, it is also influenced much by Confucianism and the culture of China. Myanmar has also been exposed to Indian cultural influences. Before the 14th century, Hinduism and Buddhism were the dominant religions of Southeast Asia. Thereafter, Islam became dominant in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Brunei. Southeast Asia has also had a lot of Western influence due to the lasting legacy of colonialism. One example is the Philippines, which has been heavily influenced by the United States and Spain, with Christianity, specifically Catholicism, as the dominant religion. East Timor also demonstrates Portuguese influence through colonialism, as is also a predominantly Christian nation.
A common feature found around the region are stilt houses, which are elevated on stilts so that water can easily pass below them in case of a flood. Another shared feature is rice paddy agriculture, which originated in Southeast Asia thousands of years ago. Dance drama is also a very important feature of the culture, utilizing movements of the hands and feet perfected over thousands of years. Furthermore, the arts and literature of Southeast Asia are very distinctive, as some have been influenced by Indian, Chinese, Buddhist, and Islamic literature. The region's architecture reflects the diversity of cultural, historical, and geographic influences that have shaped it as a whole, ranging from native vernacular architecture to Hindu-Buddhist temples, colonial architecture, and modern architecture. Notable examples include Rumah Gadang, Tongkonan, Balinese houses, and Javanese Joglo, alongside the massive stone mandala-stupa of Borobudur and the Prambanan Hindu temple dedicated to Trimurti gods.
The Silk Road Synthesis
Central Asia, in between the Caspian Sea and East Asia, envelops five former Soviet Socialist Republics: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and Turkmenistan. However, Afghanistan is sometimes included. Its strategic and historic position around the east-west axis and the major trading routes such as the Silk Road has made it a theatre of steady exchange of ideas and east-west conflicts such as the Battle of Talas. The region was conquered and dominated by a variety of cultures, such as the Chinese, Greeks, Mongols, Persians, Tatars, Russians, and Sarmatians. As some Central Asian areas have been inhabited by nomadic people, numerous urban centers have developed in a distinct local character. This region was mainly dominated by Russians in the Soviet era and even after its dissolution in 1991. Even now, the region is dominated by them, yet the cultural layers of the past remain visible in the architecture and traditions of the people.
North Asia, more widely known as Siberia, is considered to be made up of the Asian part of Russia solely. The geographic region of Siberia was the historical land of the Tatars in the Siberia Khanate. However, Russian expansion essentially undermined this, and thus today it is under Russian rule. Other ethnic groups that inhabit Siberia include the Buryats, Evenks, and Yakuts. There are roughly 40 million people living in North Asia, and the majority consists now of Ethnic Russians. However, many East Asians also inhabit the region, and historically they have been the majority before Russia's expansion east. North Asia's harsh climate and unfavorable soil proved to be unsuited to permanently support large urban settlements and only permits the presence of a pastoral and nomadic population, spread over large areas. Nonetheless, North Asian religious and spiritual traditions eventually diffused into more comprehensive systems such as Tibetan Buddhism that developed its own unique characteristics, such as Mongolian Buddhism. For these reasons, it is becoming more unconventional to separate it from the rest of East Asian cultures.
The cultural spheres of Asia are not mutually disjoint and can even overlap, representing the innate diversity and syncretism of human cultures and historical influences. Central Asia has also absorbed influences from both West Asia and East Asia, including Persia and Mongolia, making it another melting pot of cultures. The region's history is a testament to the resilience of its people, who have adapted to the changing tides of empire and trade. The Silk Road, a major trading route, facilitated a steady exchange of ideas and conflicts, such as the Battle of Talas, making Central Asia a theater of cultural convergence. The region was conquered and dominated by a variety of cultures, including the Chinese, Greeks, Mongols, Persians, Tatars, Russians, and Sarmatians, creating a distinct local character in numerous urban centers.
The Faiths of the Crescent
West Asia must be distinguished from the Middle East, a more recent Eurocentric term that also includes parts of Northern Africa. West Asia consists of Turkey, Syria, Georgia, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, Israel, Palestine, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Oman, and Yemen. Cyprus is frequently considered to be part of the region but it has ethnic and cultural ties to Europe as well. The Israelite/Jewish civilization of the Fertile Crescent would have a profound impact on the rest of West Asia, giving birth to the three Abrahamic faiths. In addition, the Jewish origins of Christianity, along with the many cultural contributions from both Jews and Arabs in Europe, meant that West Asian culture had left a lasting impact on Western civilization as well. Other indigenous West Asian religions include Zoroastrianism, Yazidism, Alevism, Druze, and the Bahá'í Faith.
Today, almost 93% of West Asia's inhabitants are Muslim and is characterized by political Islamic, with the exception of Israel, a Jewish state. At its north-western end, Armenia and Georgia have an unmistakable Christian tradition, while Lebanon shares a large Christian and a large Muslim community. Ethnically, the region is dominated by Arab, Persian, Kurdish, Azerbaijani, and Turkish people. Among them smaller indigenous groups are the Jews, Assyrians, Druze, Samaritans, Yazidis, and Mandeans. Many Middle Eastern countries encompass huge deserts where nomadic people live to this day. In great contrast, modern cities like Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Amman, Riyadh, Tel Aviv, Doha, and Muscat have developed on the coastal lands of the Mediterranean Sea, the Persian Gulf, and at the periphery of the Arabian Desert. West Asian cuisine is immensely rich and diverse, and the literature is also immensely rich with Arabic, Jewish, Persian, and Turkish dominating.
The ancient architecture of the region of the Tigris-Euphrates River system dates back to the 10th millennium BC and led to the development of urban planning, the courtyard house, and ziggurats. The basic and dominant building material was the mudbrick, which is still in use in the region for the construction of residential structures. Kiln-burnt bricks were coated with a vitreous enamel for purposes of decoration, and bitumen functioned as cement. Palaces or temples were constructed on terraces as rooms usually grouped round quadrangles, with large doorways and the roofs rested on richly ornamented columns. The Great Mosque in Kuwait City, one of the largest mosques in the region, stands as a testament to the architectural grandeur of West Asia. The region's history is a testament to the resilience of its people, who have adapted to the changing tides of empire and trade.
The Art of the East
Asia is home to countless grandiose and iconic historic constructions, usually religious structures, castles, and fortifications or palaces. However, after several millennia, many of the greatest buildings have been destroyed or dismantled, such as the Ziggurats of Mesopotamia, most of the Great Wall of China, Greek and Hellenistic temples, or the royal cities of Persia. Chinese architecture has taken shape in East Asia over many centuries as the structural principles have remained largely unchanged, the main changes being only the decorative details. An important feature in Chinese architecture is its emphasis on articulation and bilateral symmetry, which signifies balance. Bilateral symmetry and the articulation of buildings are found everywhere in China, from palace complexes to humble farmhouses. Since the Tang dynasty, Chinese architecture has had a major influence on the architectural styles of Korea, Vietnam, and Japan.
Indian architecture is that vast tapestry of production of the Indian Subcontinent that encompasses a multitude of expressions over space and time, transformed by the forces of history considered unique to the sub-continent, sometimes destroying, but most of the time absorbing. The result is an evolving range of architectural production that nonetheless retains a certain amount of continuity across history. Being few architectures brought by Mughals in Northern India, Dravidian architecture in Southern India flourished under Chola's, Vijayanagara, Satavahana, and many other south India's flourished kingdoms until the Mughal occupation and followed by Britishers in India. Korean architecture refers to an architectural style that developed over centuries in Korea. Just like in the case of other Korean arts, architecture tends to be naturalistic, favors simplicity, avoids the extremes, and is economical with shapes.
Japanese architecture is distinctive in that it reflects a deep understanding of the natural world as a source of spiritual insight and an instructive mirror of human emotion. Attention to aesthetics and the surroundings is given, natural materials are preferred, and artifice is generally being avoided. Impressive wooden castles and temples, some of them 2000 years old, stand embedded in the natural contours of the local topography. Notable examples include the Hōryū Temple complex, Himeji Castle, Hikone Castle, and Osaka Castle. The architecture of any country is a marker of its culture, history, and tradition. The materials used, the shape, the lines, curves, and colors all come together to present a masterpiece that is unique and beautiful. Vietnamese architecture is no different, ranging from vernacular stilt houses to extravagant palaces and concrete towers, an ode to its rich past and its promising future.
The Living Word
Arabic literature is the writing, both prose and poetry, produced by writers in the Arabic language. One of the most famous literary works of West Asia is One Thousand and One Arabian Nights. In Tang and Song dynasty China, famous poets such as Li Bai authored works of great importance. They wrote shī poems, which have lines with equal numbers of characters, as well as cí poems with mixed line varieties. Jewish literature consists of ancient, medieval, and modern writings by Jews, both in their original homeland and in the diaspora. A sizable amount of it is written in the Hebrew language, although there have been cases of literature written in Hebrew by non-Jews. The most important such work is the Hebrew Bible, with many other ancient works of Hebrew literature surviving, including religious and philosophical works, historical records, and works of fiction.
The famous poet and playwright Kālidāsa wrote two epics: Raghuvamsham and Kumarasambhavam, written in Classical Sanskrit rather than Epic Sanskrit. Some other examples of his plays are Abhigyanam Shakuntala. Other examples of works written in Classical Sanskrit include the Pānini's Ashtadhyayi, which standardized the grammar and phonetics of Classical Sanskrit. The Laws of Manu is an important text in Hinduism. Kālidāsa is often considered to be the greatest playwright in Sanskrit literature, and one of the greatest poets in Sanskrit literature, whose Recognition of Shakuntala and Meghaduuta are the most famous Sanskrit plays. He occupies the same position in Sanskrit literature that Shakespeare occupies in English literature. The polymath Rabindranath Tagore, a Bengali poet, dramatist, and writer from India, became in 1913 the first Asian Nobel laureate, winning his Nobel Prize in Literature for notable impact his prose works and poetic thought had on English, French, and other national literature of Europe and the Americas.
Asia has a variety of festivals and celebrations, reflecting the diverse cultural and religious traditions of the continent. In China, Chinese New Year, Dragon Boat Festival, and Mid-Autumn Moon Festival are traditional holidays, while National Day is a holiday of the People's Republic of China. In Japan, Japanese New Year, National Foundation Day, Children's Day, O-bon, The Emperor's Birthday, and Christmas are popular. According to Japanese syncretism, most Japanese celebrate Buddhism's O-bon in midsummer, Shinto's Shichi-Go-San in November, and Christmas and Hatsumoude in winter together. In India, Republic Day and Independence Day are important national festivals celebrated by people irrespective of faith. Major Hindu festivals of India include Diwali, Dussehra or Daserra, Holi, Makar Sankranti, Pongal, Mahashivratri, Ugadi, Navratri, Ramanavami, Baisakhi, Onam, Rathayatra, Ganesh Chaturthi, and Krishna Janmaashtami. Islamic festivals such as Eid ul-Fitr and Eid ul-Adha, Sikh festivals such as Vaisakhi, and
The Rhythms of Life
Christian festivals such as Christmas, are also celebrated in India.
The Philippines is also tagged as the Fiesta Country because of its all-year-round celebrations nationwide. There is a very strong Spanish influence in their festivals, thus making the Philippines distinctively Western, yet retaining its native Asian characteristics. Fiesta is the term used to refer to a festival. Most of these fiestas are celebrated in honor of a patron saint. To summarize it all, at least every city or municipality has a fiesta. Some prime examples include Sinulog from Cebu and Dinagyang of Iloilo. Other famous Philippine festivals include the MassKara Festival of Bacolod and Panagbenga Festival of Baguio. In Indonesia, the Independence Day and the birthday of Pancasila are important. This Muslim majority country also celebrates Islamic celebrations and festivals, such as Eid ul-Fitr, Eid ul-Adha, Mawlid, Islamic New Year, Ashura, Tabuik, and Tasyrik day.
Martial arts figure prominently in many Asian cultures, and the first known traces of martial arts date from the Xia dynasty of ancient China from over 4000 years ago. Some of the best known styles of martial arts in the world were developed in East Asia, such as Karate from Okinawa, Judo from Japan, Taekwondo from Korea, and the various styles of Chinese martial arts known collectively as kung fu. Ancient India was home to many martial arts that were mentioned in the Vedas, such as Khadgavidya, Dhanurvidya, Gadayuddha, and Malla-yuddha. These various martial arts and communities flourished after the Vedic period. Many other styles of martial arts originated in Southeast Asia, Southeast Asian boxing from Indochina, Vovinam from Vietnam, Arnis from the Philippines, and Pencak Silat from Indonesia. In addition, popular styles of wrestling have originated in Turkey and Mongolia. Development of Asian martial arts continues today as newer styles are created, with modern hybrid martial arts systems such as Jeet Kune Do and Krav Maga often incorporating techniques from traditional East Asian martial arts. Asian martial arts are highly popular in the Western world, and many have become international sports, with Karate alone having 50 million practitioners worldwide.