We will refer to Ancient China as the time between the Neolithic period (ca. 6,000-ca. 1750 B.C.E.) and the Han dynasty (206 B.C.E.-220 C.E.), This is the formative stage of Chinese civilization. During this time, what we now call China...

A historical article in which a well known historian argues that given today's current political climate, what happened to the Japanese Americans in World War 2 could happen again.

This article focuses on South Asian immigrants from Pakistan, India, and Bangladesh in the late 20th century attempted to infuse home with their interactions in America, to negotiate their own positions in society. In their pursuit of...

Archaeology is the study of the material remains of humanity's past. Excavated materials, along with other historical objects and text records, form the primary source material on Ancient China. All the major dynasties, beginning with...

[Free Registration/Login Required] A glimpse into an embarrassing time in American history when Japanese American citizens became enemies in their own country. How were they treated? Where were they sent? How were their lives impacted?...

This newspaper article (July 5, 2007) explaining recent events in Punjab which helps to understand the culture in India. Registration is required.

Personal accounts by Francois Ponchard about the reign of Khmer Rounge genocide of his own people in Cambodia.

Buddhism is one of the world's great religions, and has deeply influenced the character and evolution of Asian civilization over the past 2,500 years. It is based on the teachings of a historical figure, Siddhartha Gautama, who lived...

The Han Dynasty is one of the great dynasties in Chinese history, encompassing nearly four hundred years of expansion and consolidation which coincided with the period of the Roman republic and empire in the West. The period is usually...

The Shang dynasty extends from roughly 1500 to 1050 B.C.E. According to various histories the Shang people originated along the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River. They defeated the Xia under the king Chengtang and established...

The Ming dynasty (1368-1644) arose following a series of natural disasters that hit China during the early and middle 1300s, adding to the misery of a people under the harsh rule of the Mongol Yuan dynasty (1279-1368). In 1368 rebel...

There is significant debate concerning the development of the Buddha image--where it first occurred, why, and when. Broadly speaking, the image of the Buddha emerged during the first few centuries C.E. in two major centers of Indian art...

The complex and powerful states, dynasties, and civilizations that emerged in East Asia were strongly influenced by the environments in which they prospered. This article discusses the geographic features of China, Korea, and Japan.

There is significant debate concerning the development of the Buddha image-where it first occurred, why, and when. This article traces the history of the Buddha image through two centers of artistic production: Gandhara and Mathura.

This is an image of the historical Buddha. View a picture of this statue and read the history in this essay.

Some of the earliest depictions of the Buddha reaching enlightenment appear as sculptural friezes on the exterior of sacred Buddhist monuments known as stupas. View pictures of these friezes and read the history of Prince Siddhartha in...

This is an image of the compassionate and merciful bodhisattva Avalokiteshvara. Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who are destined to become buddhas but postpone that final state in order to help humanity. The name Avalokiteshvara...

This figure represents a Shinto goddess; her name is not known. She is depicted as an aristocratic woman, dressed in a thick kimono-like garment. Shinto images like this one were not meant to be seen but were kept hidden in movable...

The art of medieval India, like the art of medieval Europe, was primarily in the service of religion. The supple and expressive quality of the dancing Shiva is one of the touchstones of South Asian, and indeed, world sculpture. View...

This thirteenth-century portrayal of the Night Attack on the Sanjo Palace appears on a handscroll, a common East Asian painting format in Japan called an emaki. View pictures and read about the intricate details that are portrayed in...

Dog chasing was one of three archery drills popular during the Edo period (1615-1868). Originally an exercise to improve martial skills, it became a formal sport with defined rules as early as the 14th century.

This statue depicts the bodhisattva Maitreya. Bodhisattvas are enlightened beings who postpone their own salvation in order to help all sentient beings. The bodhisattva is an ideal type, not a depiction of an historical person like the...

Hinduism is more than a religion. It is a culture, a way of life, and a code of behavior. This short article discusses the origins of Hinduism.

Cambodia contains within its modern borders innumerable archeological sites documenting more than 6,000 years of human habitation. Many of these sites, especially prehistoric cemeteries, remain undiscovered or improperly documented and...