The Shailendra Kingdom of Java

The Shailendra Kingdom of Java In the 8th century CE, a Mahayana Buddhist kingdom sprang up on the central plain of Java, now in Indonesia. Â  Soon, glorious Buddhist monuments flowered across the Kedu Plain - and the most incredible of them all was the massive stupa of Borobudur. Â  But who were these great builders and believers? Â  Unfortunately, we do not have many primary historical sources about the Shailendra Kingdom of Java. Â  Here is what we know, or suspect, about this kingdom. Like their neighbors, the Srivijaya Kingdom of the island of Sumatra, the Shailendra Kingdom was a great ocean-going and trading empire. Â  Also known as a thalassocracy, this form of government made perfect sense for a people located at the linch-pin point of the great Indian Ocean maritime trade. Â  Java is midway between the silks, tea, and porcelains of China, to the east, and the spices, gold, and jewels of India, to the west. Â  In addition, of course, the Indonesian islands themselves were famous for their exotic spices, sought after all around the Indian Ocean basin and beyond. Archaeological evidence suggests, however, that the people of Shailendra did not rely entirely upon the sea for their living. Â  The rich, volcanic soil of Java also yielded bountiful harvests of rice, which could have been consumed by the farmers themselves or traded to passing merchant ships for a tidy profit. Â   Where did the Shailendra people come from? Â  In the past, historians and archaeologists have suggested various points of origin for them based on their artistic style, material culture, and languages. Â  Some said they came from Cambodia, others India, still others that they were one and the same with the Srivijaya of Sumatra. Â  It seems most likely, however, that they were native to Java, and were influenced by far-flung Asian cultures through the sea-borne trade. Â  The Shailendra seem to have emerged around the year 778 CE. Interestingly, at that time there was already another great kingdom in Central Java. Â  The Sanjaya dynasty was Hindu rather than Buddhist, but the two seem to have gotten along well for decades. Â  Both also had ties with the Champa Kingdom of the Southeast Asian mainland, the Chola Kingdom of southern India, and with Srivijaya, on the nearby island of Sumatra. The ruling family of Shailendra does seem to have intermarried with the rulers of Srivijaya, in fact. Â  For example, the Shailendra ruler Samaragrawira made a marriage alliance with the daughter of a Maharaja of Srivijaya, a woman called Dewi Tara. Â  This would have cemented trade and political ties with her father, the Maharaja Dharmasetu. For around 100 years, the two great trading kingdoms in Java seem to have peacefully coexisted. Â  However, by the year 852, the Sanjaya seem to have pushed the Sailendra out of Central Java. Â  Some inscriptions suggest that the Sanjaya ruler Rakai Pikatan (r. 838 - 850) overthrew the Shailendra king Balaputra, who fled to the Srivijaya court in Sumatra. Â  According to legend, Balaputra then took power in Srivijaya. Â  The last known inscription mentioning any member of the Shailendra dynasty is from the year 1025, when the great Chola emperor Rajendra Chola I launched a devastating invasion of Srivijaya, and took the last Shailendra king back to India as a hostage. It is terribly frustrating that we do not have more information about this fascinating kingdom and its people. Â  After all, the Shailendra were quite obviously literate - they left inscriptions in three different languages, Old Malay, Old Javanese, and Sanskrit. Â  However, these carved stone inscriptions are fairly fragmentary, and dont provide a very complete picture of even the kings of Shailendra, let alone the daily lives of ordinary people. Thankfully, though, they did leave us the magnificent Borobudur Temple as a lasting monument to their presence in Central Java.

French Exercise - Si Clause Threads, Second Conditional

French Exercise - Si Clause Threads, Second Conditional This practice exercise can be done as a class or in small groups. It requires familiarity with the second conditional (si clauses), including imperfect and conditional conjugations. What to Do Print out a table for each group (see below).Write the first part of a conditional sentence beginning with si (see suggestions below) in the first table cell. Since this is the second conditional, the si clause needs to be in the imperfect. Invent a result clause, using the conditional, for the second cell.For example: Next, transform the result clause into a si clause and write it in the first column of the second row. (Remember that the verb which was in the conditional now needs to be in the imperfect.) Then invent a corresponding result clause to continue the thread. If clause Result clause Si je gagnais au loto, jachterais une nouvelle voiture. Si je gagnais au loto, jachterais une nouvelle voiture. Si jachetais une nouvelle voiture, je la mnerais lcole. Transform the second result clause into a si clause, and so on, until you have completed the thread. Si je gagnais au loto, jachterais une nouvelle voiture. Si jachetais une nouvelle voiture, je la mnerais lcole. Si je la menais lcole, les autres tudiants madmireraient. Si les autres tudiants madmiraient, ils minviteraient djeuner. To make sure students understand the exercise, start by demonstrating on the board: write a si clause and call on students as you go through the entire thread collectively. Then divide the class into groups of 2 to 4 students and provide each group with an if clause, or have them come up with their own. After each group has completed their thread, either have students read them out loud, or - if there are likely to be a lot of mistakes, as in the case of weaker students - collect the papers and read the threads out loud yourself, either correcting them as you read, or writing the sentences on the board and going over them together. Variations To challenge students creativity, have each group start with the same si clause, and then compare how each one turned out at the end.Assign a different si clause to each group, and after they have each completed one row of the table, have them trade with another group. Each group will then complete the clause in the other groups tables, and then exchange once again with a third group.You can also use this exercise to practice the first conditional and the third conditional. Starter Clauses You and your students can of course invent your own if clauses,* but here are some ideas to get started: Si jallais la luneSi javais un souhaitSi je navais quune semaine vivreSi jà ©tais le prà ©sidentSi jà ©tais richeSi jà ©tais toiSi je faisais mes devoirs tous les joursSi je me cassais la jambeSi je me mariaisSi je pouvais faire la connaissance de nimporte qui dans le mondeSi je pouvais remonter dans le tempsSi je pouvais visiter nimporte quel paysSi je trouvais un portefeuille dans la rueSi je voyais un OVNI (objet volant non identifià ©)Sil y avait des formes de vie intelligente sur dautres planà ¨tesSi les chiens pouvaient parlerSi mon meilleur ami me mentaitSi notre professeur à ©tait en retardSi nous à ©tudiions ensembleSi nous savions le secret du bonheur *If you come up with a great starter clause, please share your ideas. Tables This exercise needs tables with two columns and four rows. Printable pages of tables are available in  Microsoft Word format; you can save and edit this if, for example, you want to type the starter if clause into the first cell of each table. Print enough copies so that you can cut them up and provide at least one table for each group of students. Si Clauses LessonFirst conditional practiceThird conditional practice