Ethnolinguistic Dynamics along the Maritime Silk Roads

Chingduang Yurayong1,2,3*, Pui Yiu Szeto4, PHAN Trang3, and U-tain Wongsathit5

The coastline from East Asia through Southeast Asia to South Asia has long been ethnically and linguistically diverse, shaped by continuous waves of migration from prehistory to the present. Beyond transparent connectivity in material culture rooted in the trade of precious products, evidence from intangible culture points to similar long-term ecological dynamics. In particular, an interplay between demography and language through multiple layers of cultural adaptation and language shift provides an additional perspective for researching identities of people along these ancient trade networks at a more abstract level, complementing concrete evidence from archaeological findings. In this study, we compare the distribution of ethnic groups and languages along the coastal regions of present-day China, Vietnam, Cambodia, Thailand, Malaysia, Myanmar, Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and Iran. We use inscriptional data dating from 300 BCE, toponymic data, and typological features together with reconstruction methods from historical linguistics. This approach identifies geographical clusters corresponding to politico-cultural spheres along different sections of the Ancient Maritime Silk Roads, such as the Nan Yue region. Based on the results, we delineate micro-areas of interaction between travelling traders and local populations and define subsequent patterns of population movement and language change, as well as their link to historical seaports and urban areas. In line with the panel’s theme, we highlight the role of Southeast Asia in these trade networks not merely as a recipient of Chinese and Indian influences, but also as a space of innovation in both technology and intangible cultural components, reflected in the region’s ethnolinguistic diversity.