And tamarind (Arabic/Persian "tamar-e-hind") whose medicinal value was not known to the ancient Greeks. This plant aka Indian Date, was introduced to Europe by traders and to Western pharmacopoeias by scholars like Portuguese physician Garcia d’Orta. [Dr. Vijay Bedekar, "Indian Contribution to World Civilization," Institute for Oriental Study, Thane, December 24, 2005]

Of equally lasting impact are structures like Indonesia’s Borobudur (Earth’s largest Buddhist monument) and the massive temple complex at Angkor in Cambodia that have enriched the world of art and architecture. So much so, that world culture, as championed by UNESCO, incorporate tangible heritages like the Angkor Monuments and the Gandhara Buddhist Monuments (Pakistan).

These edifices were greatly originated by Asian adherence to religion. Buddhism, for instance, spread and developed two basic types of structure: the Vihara and the Stupa. The former is "an abode" with a two-fold function. "It was intended to house Buddha images and art and also to serve as a dwelling place for monks. King Bimbisara donated the first Vihara, Veluvana at Rajagaha to the Buddha himself and his disciples." [Dr. Rewata Dhamma, "The Contribution of Buddhism to the World of Art and Architecture," Buddhist Seminar, Sarnath, Varanasi, India, November 1998]

The latter Buddhist structure "is itself an object of worship as it was intended to serve as a relic chamber for the Buddha’s remains. The earliest examples of the Buddhist stupa were raised in India, as for example the dome shaped stupa at Sanchi, the ancient Dhamekh Stupa at Sarnath and those built inside the caves at Ellora and Ajanta. In time, the basic Indian stupa-design evolved into the Dagoba in Sri Lanka, the Chorten in Tibet and the Pagodas of China, Korea and Japan. One of the finest examples of all is the splendid Shwedagon Pagoda in Yangon." [Dr. Rewata Dhamma, 1998]

Counted among the mementos inspired by Siddhartha Gautama (the First Buddha) are the Burmese national treasure of the Maha Myat Muni Buddha in Mandalay and the Temple of the Sacred Tooth in Kandy, Sri Lanka.

Islam, a major global religion, popularized its own houses of worship, specifically the mosque, which is described as follows: "The mosque of the Prophet at Madina had served many different functions. It was where he built his residence which comprised of several rooms aligned in a single row for his wives. The mosque was used as the meeting place for the Muslims and for the congregational prayers. The mosque was also used as an education center, a courthouse, a military camp, a hospital, a shelter for the homeless and a place of celebration. Jews and Christians frequent the mosque in their dealings and debates with the Prophet. The mosque then was truly the centre of the Muslim life." [Dr. Mohamad Tajuddin Mohamad Rasdi, "Muslim Architecture in Peninsular Malaysia: Classification of Styles and Probable Socio-Political Influence of Mosques"]

Given the long histories and the multitudes of ethnicities in Asia, the constructions of the religions were bound to have mixed ancestries. The Taj Mahal in India, one of the Ancient World’s Seven Wonders, is a mosque-mausoleum designed by Persian Master Architects, Ustad Eisa Shirazi and his son Mohammad Shirazi. [Village Voice, February 2002]

These objects of glamour were also made possible by the passions of leaders like Shah Jahan and the Beloved (Queen Arjumand Banu or Mumtaz Mahal), Indonesian King Sailendra who sponsored Borobodur, Cambo-dia’s King Jayavarman VII and his capital at Angkor, and Burmese King Anawrahta (founder of Pagan).

No wonder then that global fashion has accepted the Nehru tunic, the Indian turban, and the Sukarno cap.

Asian leaders have run ventures at par with Gaius Julius Cesar and his antecedents and successors in Europe, but they are not as famous. There was King Asoka of the great Mauryan Empire in South Asia. Babur, one of the Timurid princes, established the "powerful Mogul empire which produced such famous rulers as Akbar, Jahangir, Shah Jahan, and which lasted, despite the gradual rise of British power in India, until 1857 when it was officially abolished." ["Islam: A Global Civilization," Islamic Affairs Department, Embassy of Saudi Arabia, Washington, D.C.]

Myriad are the Asian keepsakes for Europe and a good number are not well-known like the Buddhist temple in Saint-Petersburg that was built as a result of the visit of Thai King Rama V (Chulalongkorn) to Russia in 1897 (which incidentally was the first year of the Filipino War of Independence) and whose first worship service in 1913 was in honor of the 300-year anniversary of the Romanov Dynasty. [Natalia Kirillova, "History of Statue of Buddha Maitreya in Buddhist Temple in Saint-Petersburg"]

The Persian method of governing its empire, which covered numerous rivers (Indus, Danube, Nile) and territories (Azerbaijan, Egypt, Ethiopia, India, Libya, Macedonia, Palestine), was copied by the Greeks and Romans. [Philip Groisser, World History, 1970, p. 17]

In addition to the aforementioned management legacy, Asia has given the world intangible heritages like the Hudhud Chants of the Ifugao (Philippines) and the Wayang Puppet Theatre (Indonesia).

Such souvenirs include martial arts (kung fu, judo, aikido, Thai boxing, karate, ninjitsu) that have been popularized by strings of Hollywood hits. Obscure schools and forms are being re-discovered and revitalized like India’s kalarippayat, which was developed by Cheras warriors of the kingdom in Kerala who worshipped Shiva and Shakti (the Hindu god and goddess of power).

Omar Khayyam’s Persian solar calendar, the Vedic Samhits of the Indo-Aryan peoples of 1200 B.C., and the Avestan language developed by the Zoroastrian priests should be of great interest to modern scientists and information technology professionals.

This sampler is assistance to the hundreds of public school teachers of three DepEd regions who are taking a crash course in social studies at the University of the Philippines Manila.