The Effect Of Ancient Mon Culture On The Formation Of Thai Culture

The Mons,a cross-border ethnic group between Thailand and Myanmar,are an important branch of the Mon-Khmer peoples.They boast a long history and splendid culture and have played an important role in the development of the surrounding ethnic groups such as the Thai and the Burmese.Such significant role in the development of the Thai and the Burmese,however,it is underexplored despite various studies on Thai culture and Myanmar culture due to the inadequate inclusion of the Mons.Thus a case study based on literature research and comparative analysis is conducted to explore the early history of the Mons and take the Dvaravati as an example,sorting out its cultural characteristics and its relationship with Thai culture.This study is laid out in four chapters:Chapter one is an overview of the historical and cultural background of Dvaravati,including the origin,variation and distribution of the Mons,the origin of their ethnic name,the situation of the Dvaravati,the historical development of the Mons in Thailand and the distribution of Dvaravati culture.Chapter two covers the language of Dvaravati and analyses its influence on Thai culture.It starts with sorting out the inscriptions and documents which related to Dvaravati,introduces the spread of Brahmi characters in Southeast Asia,and then explores the origin and evolution of Dvaravati language and characters as well as their role in the development of Thai language and characters.Chapter three includes the politics and economy of Dvaravati and analyses its influence on Thai culture.It starts from the social economy and political culture of Dvaravati and then explores its influence on the social economic model and regime organization of the Thai.Chapter four focuses on the religious art of Dvaravati and analyses its influence on Thai culture.It starts with the pluralistic religious beliefs and unique religious statue art of Dvaravati,and then analyses the relationships between the Dvaravati and the Thai from the perspectives of beliefs and art.By analysis,it is discovered that at the center of Mon culture as in the Dvaravati is Mon language,Theravada Buddhism,the art of religious architecture and statues plus the Mandalas-style regime organization.By comparison,it is found that Thai culture is deeply influenced by Mon culture in the aspects of language and characters,political organization,socio-economic mechanism and religious art.Those findings can make better known the early history and culture of Thailand,contributing to the exploration of the development of cross-border ethnic groups as well as area and country studies.