Inscriptions of Asian-Pacific Region as a Valuable Historical Source

Panel Convenor(s)

• AS

  Alexander Stolyarov

  Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia

Panel Chair(s)

• AS

  Alexander Stolyarov

  Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia

Panel Discussant(s)

• AS

  Alexander Stolyarov

  Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia

Presenter(s)

• AS

  Alexander Stolyarov

  Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
• IK

  Ilia Kolnin

  Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia
• IZ

  Ivan Zaitsev

  Institute of World Economy and International Relations under Russian Academy of Sciences, Russia

Inscriptions are the most valuable source – both material and written one – for studying the political, socio-economic, and cultural history and culture of many Asian countries. This especially applies to ancient and medieval periods when there is an acute lack of other written sources.
 
The most specific feature of inscriptions is that all of them without exclusion are initiated by some ritual. In most cases the ritual is a religious one, however sometimes it may be a secular one. The last case may happen in Chinese, Japanese, and in cultures related with them.
 
Many inscriptions contain the date, which is helpful for determining the date of this or that event described in the inscription.
 
One more specific feature of inscriptions is their mass character. Taken as a set or subset, they can be considered as a sequence of events that helps to reconstruct the historical situation in the past, and to understand its meaning.

 
The problems of the political, socio-economic, and cultural history of a few countries in the Asia-Pacific region such as India, Indonesia, and China, during the ancient period, and the Middle Ages are planned to be discussed at the panel.
Institutional panel by: Institute of Oriental Studies of the Russian Academy of Sciences

Presentations:

• 09:00 – 10:45 (GMT+7)

  On the Formalizing the Entry of the Specification Form of Indian Land Grants
  

  Presenter: Alexander Stolyarov – Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
• 09:00 – 10:45 (GMT+7)

  Sam Poo Kong temple and Zheng He expeditions: did Wang Jinghong really die in Semarang?
  

  Presenter: Ilia Kolnin – Institute of Oriental Studies, Russian Academy of Sciences
• 09:00 – 10:45 (GMT+7)

  Panegyrical Hymn to Buddha and a record of generous king donation: a study of the longest Pali-donative inscription of the early Pagan
  

  Presenter: Ivan Zaitsev – Institute of World Economy and International Relations under Russian Academy of Sciences