Culture of Asia

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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
"Asian arts" redirects here. For more on Asian visual arts, see History of Asian art.
For the journal, see Asian Culture (journal).
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 Map of Asia

The Taj Mahal in Agra, India (left), Malaysian dancers in traditional clothing (right).

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The culture of Asia encompasses the collective and diverse customs and traditions of
art, architecture, music, literature, lifestyle, philosophy, food, politics and religion that
have been practiced and maintained by the numerous ethnic groups of the continent
of Asia since prehistory. Identification of a specific culture of Asia or universal elements
among the colossal diversity that has emanated from multiple cultural spheres and three
of the four ancient River valley civilizations is complicated. However, the continent is
commonly divided into six geographic sub-regions, that are characterized by
perceivable commonalities, like culture, religion, language and relative ethnic
homogeneity. These regions are Central Asia, East Asia, North Asia, South
Asia, Southeast Asia and West Asia.[1]

As the largest, most populous continent and rich in resources, Asia is home to several
of the world's oldest civilizations, that produced the majority of the great religious
systems, the oldest known recorded myths and codices on ethics and morality.[2][3]

However, Asia's enormous size separates the various civilizations by great distances
and hostile environments, such as deserts and mountain ranges. Yet by challenging
and overcoming these distances, trade and commerce gradually developed a truly
universal, Pan-Asian character. Inter-regional trade was the driving and cohesive force,
by which cultural elements and ideas spread to the various sub-regions, via the vast
road network and the many sea routes.[4]

History
[edit]
Main article: History of Asia
See also: Demographics of Asia

This section needs

Multiple cultural regions

West Asia (or Southwest Asia as Ian Morrison puts it, or sometimes referred to as
the Middle East) has their cultural roots in the pioneering civilizations of the Fertile
Crescent and Mesopotamia, spawning the Persian, Arab, Ottoman empires, as well as
the Abrahamic religions of Judaism and later Islam.[5] According to Morrison, in his
book Why the West Rules--For Now, these original civilizations of the Hilly Flanks are
so far (by archaeological evidence) the oldest (first evidence of farming c9000 BC).
The Hilly flanks is also the birthplace of his definition of the west (which groups the
Middle East with Europe). According to his definition this would make Asia the origin of
western culture.[6] Not everybody agrees with him though.

South Asia, India and the Indosphere emanate from the Indus Valley civilisation.[7]
The East Asian cultural sphere developed from the Yellow River civilization.[8] Southeast
Asia's migration waves of more varied ethnic groups are relatively recent. Commercial
interaction with South Asia eventually lead to the adoption of culture from India and
China (including Hinduism, Buddhism, Confucianism, Daoism). The region later
absorbed influences from Islam as well, and the Malays are currently the largest Islamic
population in the world.[9][10] North Asia's (otherwise known as Siberia) 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 (e.g. Mongolian Buddhism). For these reasons it is becoming more
unconventional to separate it from the rest of East Asian cultures.[11]

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 cultural spheres are not mutually disjoint and can even overlap, representing the
innate diversity and syncretism of human cultures and historical influences.