The Dvaravati Period - #Historic #Thailand

The #Dvaravati Period, spanning from the 6th to the 11th centuries AD, was a pivotal era in Thailand's #history marked by the flourishing of #Mon culture. It consisted of a network of city-states in central and northeastern Thailand that were united by shared cultural and religious attributes. With strong Indian influences, the period saw the burgeoning of #Buddhism, particularly the #Theravada tradition. Dvaravati art is celebrated for its fusion of Indian and indigenous styles, as seen in the gracefully rendered #Buddha statues. Unique to Dvaravati is the construction of #dharmachakras, symbolic wheel of law monuments, epitomizing the Buddhist cosmos. The Dvaravati city-states were located along river routes, fostering trade and urbanization. By the 11th century, the Dvaravati culture waned due to internal strife and external pressures, notably from the expanding Khmer Empire. Nevertheless, the Dvaravati Period's legacy in laying the #religious and #cultural bedrock of Thailand is invaluable. #history