You will learn

2. You will learn • Types of internal and external threats • How these threats brought about the fall of kingdoms and empires in ancient India, China and Southeast Asia • The measures each civilisation took to respond to these threats

3. EXTERNAL & INTERNAL THREATS

5. Let’s look at the causes of decline of the Indus Valley civilisation, the Mauryan and Gupta dynasties • Indus Valley civilisation • began in 2500 B.C. • Abrupt end in 1500 B.C. Mauryan Silver • Remember the well-planned cities of Mohenjo-Daro and Harappa? • What caused them to decline?

6. Foreign Invasion • Natural Disasters • Succession issue • Poor government

7. Attacked by the Aryans, invaders from Central Asia, who migrated to India • Indus people forced southwards where they settled

8. Could explain the mysterious disappearance of the Indus Valley civilisation • Earthquakes and floods could have caused decline • Indus River could have overflowed, flooding its banks and causing severe damage to the cities

9. Successors unable to fill leadership gap of a great ruler • Not as capable • Great Mauryan Dynasty came to an end after the death of Asoka • Mainly because his successors were weak • Imposed heavy taxes on people • Much unrest and dissatisfaction with the govt • Many rebellions resulted – empire declined

10. Another reason : Buddhism not promoted as strongly after Asoka’s death • Did not have a great influence on people • No common set of beliefs to hold people together as had been in Asoka’s time • Final result : Last Mauryan king was murdered in 185 B.C. & a new dynasty established

11. Foreign invasion also caused the downfall of the Gupta Dynasty • Reign of Skanda Gupta (A.D. 335-367) – repeatedly attacked by tribes from Central Asia • One was the Xiongnu, also known as the “Huns” • They had already begun attacking the empire during the rule of Kumara Gupta who ruled before Skanda • Kumara had managed to keep the empire intact • These attacks greatly weakened the Gupta Dynasty • Eventually collapsed at the end of the 5th century A.D.

12. In South India – rivalry and constant warfare among rival kingdoms led to their rise and fall • Kingdoms : Pandya, Chera, Pallava, Chola • Later part of 6th century A.D., Pallava had become strongest power in south India • Strong rival in the north – Chalukya kingdom • A.D. 642 – Pallava king invaded Chalukya capital and killed the king • Since then, the two kingdoms continued to fight each other for the next 200 years

13. Both kingdoms became weak • Pallava eventually conquered by another kingdom, the Chola in A.D. 891 • Ended Pallava dominance and marked the rise of the Cholas

15. Causes for the decline of Shang, Zhou, Qin, Han, Tang, Song dynasties • Harsh and unpopular laws and/or rules • No unity or central control – weak leader • Foreign invasions • Natural disasters

16. Shang Dynasty ended in 11th century B.C. • Last Shang king was a cruel ruler • Forced people to build luxurious palaces and parks for his own enjoyment • Subjects punished severely for disobedience • Led a much unhappiness among his people • When Zhou king attacked, the Shang slaves led him and his soldiers into the Shang capital instead

17. A dynasty could collapse because there was no unity or central control • Look at feudalism during the Zhou Dynasty • Feudal worked well provided there is a strong king who cou;ld aontrol the feudal lords • Later Zhou Period – period of the Warring States – in-fighting among the feudal lords for power and territories • All because the king was weak • Powerful feudal states would conquer the weaker ones • Zhou Dynasty fell when the powerful state of Qin emerged as the victor

18. Cruel and harsh methods used by kings also resulted in rebellions • This was the case with QSH which led to the end of his empire • QSH wanted his dynasty to last 10,000 generations • His wish never fulfilled • Qin Dynasty came to an end in 206 B.C. (founded in 221 B.C.)

19. QSH’s son and successor, Hu Hai, was a weak ruler • Indifferent to the sufferings of the people • Increased taxes; demanded more military service and public labour • Killed his capable Prime Minister Li Si • Hu Hai later committed suicide Qin Shihuang

20. The third and last Qin emperor had his adviser and chief eunuch, Zhao Gao, killed • Without effective leadership, the Qin Dynasty ended in 206 B.C. • The last Qin emperor defeated by a peasant named Liu Bang who established the Han Dynasty

21. China often attacked by nomadic tribes of the north especially the Xiongnu • Lived in the deserts north of China • Brought the other tribes under its control

22. The Xiongnu was a Turkish-speaking tribe • They were later known in Europe as the Huns • Often raided border villages of China • Robbed people of their animals and crops

23. Reign of Liu Bang or Emperor Han Gaozu – Xiongnu attacked and defeated the Han Chinese in 201 B.C. • This defeat was only a temporary setback for the Han • Foreign invasion was not the main cause of the decline of the Han Dynasty

24. Liu Bang SONG OF THE GREAT WIND A great wind rises, Clouds fly and scatter; With power over the four seas, I return to my homeland; Where shall I get brave warriors to safeguard the four quarters? (Tr.Ronald C. Miao) Note Liu Bang wrote this poem at wine party he gave in his hometown after putting down Ying Bu's armed rebellion in 195 B. C.. Source : http://www.chinapage.com/poem/liubang/liubang2n.html

25. Source : http://www.chinapage.com/poem/liubang/liubang2n.html

26. Remember what we learnt about the Chinese believing that the the Emperor ruled because he had the Mandate of Heaven? • Natural disasters were taken by the Chinese as a sign that the Emperor had not governed well • They believed that Heaven had withdrawn this Mandate • Thus they could rebel against the emperor • Remember how earthquakes indicated that the Emperor was not favoured by Heaven and needed to be overthrown?

27. Natural disasters also caused hardship to the people • Contributed to the decline of kingdoms or empires • Eg Later Han period A.D. 25 – 220 – poor peasants struggled to survived • Country hit by drought, famines and floods • Followed by outbreak of infectious diseases • People so poor that they had to sell their wives and children to survive • They blamed the government and rebelled • Can you blame them?

28. Emperor of Later Han period had to rely on his military to crush these rebellions • However, one of the military leaders forced the last Han emperor to step down in A.D. 220 • This ended the Han Dynasty Han ruins

29. The Tang Dynasty also experienced a great rebellion by An Lushan, a general and adopted son of Emperor Xuanzong & his favourite concubine Yang Gueifei • An Lushan tried to seize the throne in A.D. 755 • Emperor & his concubine had to flee the capital, Changan • An Lushan rebellion took a decade to put down • Weakened the Tang Dynasty so much that it never really recovered from it A painting on silk of Yang Kwei-fei by Chobunsai Eishi (1756-1829). Source : http://www.taleofgenji.org/yang_kwei-fei.html

30. The generals sent to the provinces to put down the rebellion later set themselves up there • They became independent of the central government • More rebellions took place towards the end of the 9th century • Weakened the government further • Last Tang emperor too weak to stop his generals from splitting up his empire • Forced to give up his throne in A.D. 907 thus ending the Tang Dynasty

31. The Song Dynasty was also troubled by foreign attacks • 1126 A.D. – northern China was conquered by the Jurchen tribe from north-eastern Manchuria • The Song capital – Kaifeng – as well as the emperor was captured • One of the Song’s emperor’s sons, Gaozong, escaped to the south • There he became the emperor of southern China • His dynasty became known as the Southern Song • This China was divided into two

32. Imperial Order from Emperor Song Gaozong to General Yueh Fei Source : http://www.chinapage.com/callig1.html#sgz

33. Another group of foreign invaders, the Mongols, attacked China in the 13th century • By this time, China had weak rulers • The Mongols defeated the Jin • The weak Song soldiers and the Great Wall could not stop the Mongols • The Mongols, under Kublai Khan, had a well-trained army and excellent horses • Conquered China in 1279 A.D. Source : http://www.chinapage.com/painting/kublai.html

35. Causes for decline of Funan, Srivijaya and Melaka • Funan & Srivijaya – foreign invaders

36. Funan • conquered by kingdom of Chenla in 6th century A.D. • People of Chenla moved south and occupied fertile plains of Funan

37. Srivijaya • Decline of Srivijaya • Began when Rajendra (A.D. 1014 to 1044) RULER OF CHOLA KINGDOM from South India attacked Srivijaya • Captured Palembang in A.D. 1025 • Chola controlled and ruled these territories for about a century • Srivijaya further weakened when more territories were conquered in 13th century • Northern part of Malay Peninsular taken by Siam • King Kertanegara from rival kingdom of Singhasari (in Java) took over Srivijaya’s territories in south-eastern Sumatra

38. Srivijaya • External threats can also be economic in nature • Srivijaya declined partly because of the growth of other ports in Southeast Asia • Many traders sailed directly to ports of Eastern Java to trade • Palembang, the Srivijayan port, became one of the port of call for these traders

39. Srivijaya • Majapahit was one of the kingdoms that took trade away from Srivijaya • Later, Majapahit declined because of the rise of the kingdom of Melaka • 15th century : Melaka risen to become a great port and emporium in SE Asia • Many small kingdoms broke away from control of Majapahit and traded with Melaka

41. Melaka declined in the 15th century – several causes • Main causes – weak and corrupt leadership & disloyalty • Last sultan, Mahmud, was unsuitable • Weak character; not interested in state affairs • No capable PM to help him • After the great Tun Perak (Chief Minister [Bendahara] of Melaka) died in 1498, his brother Tun Puteh succeeded him • Tun Puteh an old man, Bendahara for only 2 years

42. Replaced by Tun Mutahir – greedy and corrupt • Executed by Sultan for plotting against him • Replaced by Paduka Tuan, a toothless, paralysed old man • Thus Malacca was without capable leadership when the Portugese attacked in 1511

43. Another reason – lack of unity among its people • Two factions/groups in Melaka • Malays and Indian Muslims • Quarrels and political intrigues common • Appt of Tun Mutahir, an Indian Muslim, as Bendahara made the Malay faction unhappy • Tun Mutahir appointed his own relatives to power • Malay faction became jealous

44. Rich and powerful foreign merchants of Melaka, especially the Javanese, did not help defend Melaka • Afraid their business would be affected once the Portugese took over • Some secretly supported the Portugese • Others openly helped them • Local Malays not loyal to Sultan as Melaka was a feudal state • Many forced to work as slaves for the Sultan and nobles • No reforms to improve welfare of the people • People thus had no love for and no loyalty to the Sultan • Offered little resistance to the Portugese

45. Melaka depended on Javanese mercenaries for her defence • They were not prepared to sacrifice their lives for Melaka • When Portugese victory inevitable, some deserted the army • Others joined the Portugese • Melaka was also dependent on foreign food supplies • When besieged by the Portugese, she was doomed

46. The great Melaka Sultanate ended in 1511 A.D. after a century of prosperity • Melaka Malays were no match for the guns and cannons of the Portugese • Portugese soldiers well-armed and well-trained • Disciplined and experienced fighters • Had a good leader in Alfonso d’Albuquerque

49. DEFENSIVE MEASURES • Strong walls or fortifications for protection • Kings maintained large armies • Horses, chariots and elephants to defend themselves • These measures were inadequate when foreign armies were superior • Weak leaders make it easier for foreign troops to take over a kingdom

50. CHANDRAGUPTA • Chandragupta’s empire put security as an important aim • The capital, Pataliputra, had 570 watch towers • A moat surrounded the city • He had a War Office of 30 officials • His army : 700,000 soldiers, 8,000 chariots and 9,000 elephants