Global Maritime Expansion of Before 1450: The Pacific Ocean

17 Abril 2018, 10:00 • Shiv Kumar Singh

• Over a period of several thousand years, peoples originally from the Malay Peninsula crossed the water to settle the islands of the East Indies, New Guinea, the Melanesian and Polynesian islands, the Marquesas, New Zealand, and other Pacific islands out to Hawaii.
• Polynesian expansion was the result of planned voyages undertaken with the intention of establishing colonies
• Polynesian mariners navigated by the stars and by their observations of ocean currents and evidence of land
• Malayo-Indonesians colonized the island of Madagascar in a series of voyages that continued through the fifteenth century
• Arab seafarers used the regular pattern of the monsoon winds to establish trade routes in the Indian Ocean
• These trade routes flourished when the rise of Islam created new markets and new networks of Muslim traders
• The Chinese Ming dynasty sponsored a series of voyages to the Indian Ocean between 1405 and 1433
• The Ming voyages were carried out on a grand scale, involving fleets of over sixty large “treasure ships” and hundreds of smaller support vessels
• The treasure ships carried out trade in luxury goods including silk and precious metals as well as stimulating diplomatic relations with various African and Asian states
• The voyages, which were not profitable and inspired opposition in court, were ended in 1433.
• During the relatively warm centuries of the early Middle Ages, the Vikings, navigating by the stars and the seas, explored and settled: Iceland, Greenland & Newfoundland
• When a colder climate returned after 1200, the northern settlements in Greenland and the settlement in Newfoundland were abandoned      

Conference on ‘Indian Ocean: Global Connections Conference’

12 Abril 2018, 10:00 • Shiv Kumar Singh

The students attended the conference on ‘Indian Ocean: Global Connections Conference’. The topic was directly related to their subject and it was organized by the department. At the conference, nine papers had presented by eminent scholars.

1. Sanjay Subrahmanyam, University of California, Los Angeles “Disputed Ocean: Six Perspectives on the Mares da Ásia, 1500-1800.”
2. Manuel Lobato, Centro de História da Universidade de Lisboa “Percepções europeias do mar de Savu: poderes, etnicidades e economia política”
3. Vítor Gaspar Rodrigues, Centro de História da Universidade de Lisboa “A „aprendizagem da Índia‟ pelos Portugueses nos primeiros anos de Quinhentos”
4. Pravesh Kumar Srivastava, Banaras Hindu University / ICCR Chair for Indian Studies/ University of Lisbon “Maritime heritage of Ancient India: An Archaeological & Literary Perspectives”
5.  Cristina Osswald, University of Oporto “Global Networks in Art and Culture between Ethiopia, India, and Mozambique (16th – 17th centuries).”
6. Amalendu Misra, Lancaster University / Centro de História da Universidade de Lisboa “Indian Ocean as the Great Strategic Unknown.”
7. Swaran Singh, Professor, School of International Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi “New Threats, New Actors transforming Indian Ocean Geopolitics”
8. Vijay Sakhuja, Former Director, National Maritime Foundation, India and Visiting Senior Fellow, RSIS, Singapore “Indian Ocean Trade and Politics: Continuity and Change”
9. Varun Sahni, Vice-Chancellor, Goa University, Goa, India “Geopolitics and Geo-economics in the Indian Ocean” 15.30-16.00 Future Roadmap / Closing Ceremony.

Quest for Effective Ocean Management in the South China Sea

10 Abril 2018, 10:00 • Shiv Kumar Singh

In managing the ocean, it is always challenging for states to find mechanisms to harmonise different interests and to exploit the resources in the most sustainable manner. The South China Sea, one of the largest semi-enclosed sea in the world is not only rich in marine environment but also contains complicated sovereignty and maritime disputes, making the quest for effective ocean management is even more imperative. In an effort to find the most feasible options for ocean management in the South China Sea, this paper will first examine the elements that call for better ocean management of the South China Sea. It then considers available options for managing the South China Sea from best practices of the region and the world. Each option will be analysed to assert its feasibility. The paper concludes by suggesting the most feasible option to better manage the South China Sea in its own context.

The Need for Ocean Management in the South China Sea

The need for better ocean management in the South China Sea comes from at least three sources because the South China Sea is (1) a sea of proven and potentially very rich resources; (2) a sea of complicated disputes; and (3) a sea of potential conflict.

Of the three aspects requiring better management in the South China Sea, resource management will require the development of all three levels. At the first level, there are indications that all parties are open for discussion on joint development/cooperation initiatives. However, discussions may be deadlocked on sovereignty issues, for example, if one party continues to insist that “sovereignty is indisputable” and makes any discussion impossible to conclude, thus preventing further management at the second and third levels. This, unfortunately, is what has happened since the last two decades, shelving any possibility for joint development/cooperation.
Dispute management shares similar difficulties with resources management. The parties in the South China Sea dispute have not yet formed any forum for discussion on sovereignty and maritime claims, let alone reaching consensus on joint actions to seek unified interpretation of the law governing the claims or submission to judicial bodies. Most recently, for example, the act of the Philippines in submitting certain aspects of the disputes in the South China Sea to an arbitration formed under Annex VII of UNCLOS faced strong criticism from other party.

Ist Internal Test Examination

5 Abril 2018, 10:00 • Shiv Kumar Singh

1.Give an account of Maritime heritage of Ancient India on the basis of Archaeological & Literary sources.

2.What do you mean by the International Law of the Ocean ‘UNCLOS’? Describe it.

3-What is the concept of Port City? Compare characteristics of port cities    between the Europe & Asia.

4. Write an essay on Indian Ocean Monsoon: The maritime rhythms in trade.                                                                                    
5. Throw light on effects of climate change on seasonal monsoon in the Indian Ocean and Pacific Asia.

VISIT to Macau Science and Culture Centre, Lisbon

22 Março 2018, 10:00 • Shiv Kumar Singh

I and my students went to the Macau Science and Culture Centre, Lisbon. The purpose of the visit was to introduce the library and museum of the centre. The library has a rich collection of books related to our present teaching subject entitled ‘Indian ocean and Pacific Asia’. It contains many volumes in a wide range of both languages, i.e. English and Portuguese regarding our subject. The use of modern and dynamic language, didactic and interactive language is supported with the latest Technologies so as to attract the attention of the young as well as a general public.
Introduction of Centre : The Centre was established through the initiative of governments of Portugal and Macau (under Decree-Law no. 85/95, 28 April 1995). It has been created to encourage the study of Macanese history, culture and society and to promote its dissemination. It especially aims to promote Portuguese-Chinese relations.

The Centre is composed of various departments covering:

1.     Research and Science

2.     Culture and Museology

3.     Information and Documentation

The Macau Scientific and Cultural Centre is open to researchers, especially those from Portugal and China. It aims to partner with universities, libraries, research centres and museums. An associated museum (Macau Museum in Lisbon) at the site is open to the general public, presenting the history of Macau on the ground floor and decorative arts of Macau on the upper floor.

 It also helped out students to enhance their knowledge about wide cultures of countries in the region of India and Pacific ocean. Therefore the trip was full of knowledge and learning.