Art and archaeology of the Indian ocean world

This short course showcases the art, archaeology and diverse cultures of the Indian Ocean World, a region that stretches from the east coast of Africa to the South China Sea.

The Indian Ocean has long been an interconnected world. Arabs, Persians, Malays, Tamils and Gujaratis to name just a few were all sailing its maritime routes from as early as the mid first millennium CE. Sophisticated networks of port cities developed along them, facilitating trade and travel over vast distances. This led to a greater interaction of people, goods, and information, and had a profound impact on the unique social, cultural, and religious forms of the Indian Ocean World. 

By the twelfth century, Chinese ships also started plying these routes and from 1498 onwards European ships entered the fray. This latter incursion marked a violent shift in the balance of power in the Indian Ocean World, one that foreshadowed the waves of European colonialism in the centuries to come.

Through eight lectures, this short course explores a number of case studies spanning various regions and periods of the Indian Ocean World. We look at Islamic Manuscripts and Material Culture from Coastal East Africa. We uncover ivories from Early Modern Sri Lanka and Hindu and Buddhist arts from the Maldives. We will hear about recent groundbreaking archaeological discoveries in today’s Peninsular Malaysia and explore the development of early societies and ports along the Straits of Malacca. 

Turning eastwards we look at how Muslim communities in coastal China expressed themselves in art and architecture. Moving forward in time our attention turns to Spanish colonial involvement in the region via the Manila Galleon trade which linked China to Mexico via the Philippines and the Pacific Ocean.

Q&A sessions will provide a unique opportunity to discuss the art and archaeology of the Indian Ocean World with leading scholars, archaeologists and curators in the field.

This online short course is offered by the SOAS-Alphawood Postgraduate Diploma in Asian Art and convened by Dr Mizuho Ikeda (Research Associate, Centre of Southeast Asian Studies, SOAS) and Dr Stephen Murphy (Pratapaditya Pal Senior Lecturer in Curating and Museology of Asian Art, SOAS).