The Prevalence of Indian Influences in Pre-Modern Southeast Asia

This essay examines the dominance of Indian cultural influences in pre-modern Southeast Asia, contrasting them with Chinese influences. It explores the impact on art, architecture, religion, and political culture, supported by historical evidence and examples like the temples of Angkor Wat and Borobudur. The essay discusses the role of trade relationships, knowledge exchange, and the spread of Buddhism in fostering Indian cultural dominance. It highlights the limited Chinese influence due to communication barriers and focuses on the deep penetration of Indian cultural and architectural practices. The essay concludes that Indian cultural and political factors significantly shaped Southeast Asia, particularly in religious beliefs, architectural forms, and literary works. The essay references several scholarly sources to support its arguments.

Running head: HISTORY OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA
HISTORY OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author Note

1HISTORY OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA
The following essay deals with the prevalence of the Indian influences on the premodern
states of South-east Asia. The essay opens with the discussion on the Indian influences on the
South-east Asian states in terms of the art, architecture, political cultures and the religions. The
essay further proceeds to discuss the influences that were implemented by China in the fields
related to the art, architecture, political cultures and the religions that were practiced within the
countries of the South-east Asia. The essay finally nears that end with the discussion on the
reasons behind the greater amount of the Chinese influences on the art, architecture, political
cultures and religions maintained in the South-east Asia.
The various historical documents that state that the region of the South-east Asia reflects
that the region had been under the influence of the Indian cultures since around 200 BC1. The
majority of the states that have been present in the South-east Asia are known to have been
dealing with the religions that were presented within the country. The countries of the South-east
Asian region tend to deal with the religious beliefs that were spread by the followers of
Buddhism2. The major countries in the given area were known to have been involved in that
trade relationships that were maintained within the countries of the region as well as the Indian
subcontinent.
The majority of the countries that have been present in the area tend to be influenced due
to the high amount of the trade relations that was maintained within the countries. The people
who have been living within the countries of South-east Asia tend to implement the various
factors that were observed to be similar to those that were implemented within the Indian
subcontinent. This is due to the fact that the concerned countries have been maintaining a close
1 Murphey, Rhoads. A history of Asia. Routledge, 2016.
2 McCloud, Donald G. Southeast Asia: Tradition and modernity in the contemporary world. Routledge,
2018.

2HISTORY OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA
relationship with the Indian subcontinent through the exchange of the trade materials as well as
the exchange of the knowledge. This helped in the spread of the Indian influences all over the
South-east Asia thereby leading to the spread of the cultures and the architectural forms that
were generally used within the Indian subcontinent.
The Southeast Asian countries were also influenced by the cultural factors that were
presented within Chinese territories. The people residing in the South-east Asia are at times
considered to be the descendants of the Chinese. The Chinese people had been known to be
influencing the area through their innovative measures and activities. The majority of the
influences within the country refers to the innovation of the materials like the animal harnesses
and the manufacture of iron within the country3. The major influences of the Chinese culture
were also spread through the implementation of the trade relations within the given organization.
The majority of the trade relations with China were stunted due to the lack of the proper
communication routes that could be established with the country of China4. The only trade route
that had helped in the establishment of the trade relations with China were the routes that
involved the sea. The lack of the proper communication posed issues in the spread of the rich
cultural and political heritages that had been established within the territorial boundaries of
China.
However, the South-eastern region of the Asian continent is observed to be more
influenced by the cultural and religious factors that were practiced within the given territorial
boundaries of the Indian sub-continent. The countries of the South-east Asian region tend to deal
with the religious beliefs that were spread by the followers of Buddhism. The major countries in
3 Kunstadter, Peter. Southeast Asian tribes, minorities, and nations. Vol. 1. Princeton University Press,
2017. 4 Mörseburg, Alexander, Luca Pagani, Francois-Xavier Ricaut, Bryndis Yngvadottir, Eadaoin Harney,
Cristina Castillo, Tom Hoogervorst et al. "Multi-layered population structure in Island Southeast Asians." European
Journal of Human Genetics 24, no. 11 (2016): 1605.

3HISTORY OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA
the given area were known to have been involved in that trade relationships that were maintained
within the countries of the region as well as the Indian subcontinent5. The majority of the
countries that have been present in the area tend to be influenced due to the high amount of the
trade relations that was maintained within the countries. The majority of the influences that were
established within the South-east Asian countries were undertaken from the various cultural and
architectural practices that were maintained within the Indian subcontinent. These were generally
observed to have been demonstrated through the development of the architectural structures that
were present in the South-east Asian countries.
The temples that are found to be present within the areas of Angkor Vat, Borobudur,
Pagan and Prambanan bear major similarities to the deep and penetrative nature of the art
practiced within the Indian subcontinent. The carvings within the given temples tend to resonate
the cultural factors that are native to the Indian subcontinent6. The architectural and the other
forms of art as implemented within the temple carvings as well as the constructional features that
are found in the constructions of the country are observed to bear the similarities to the
conditions that were developed within the Indian subcontinent7. The literary works of the Indian
subcontinent were also found to be dealing with the development of the literature that is
generally found within the countries of the South-eastern Asian region.
The influence is further observed in the various dance forms that evolved within the
South-east Asian countries. The influence of the Indian culture was found to be predominant
within the South-east Asian countries due to the high amount of the trade relations that were
maintained within the countries of the South-east Asia and the Indian subcontinent. The high
5 Charlton, Sue Ellen M. Comparing Asian Politics: India, China, and Japan. Routledge, 2018.
6 Dayley, Robert. Southeast Asia in the new international era. Routledge, 2018.
7 Miksic, John Norman, and Goh Geok Yian. Ancient Southeast Asia. Taylor & Francis, 2016.

4HISTORY OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA
amount of the trade relations within the country were observed due to the amount of the riches
that were presented within the country. These included the high availability of the precious
metals and the stones and thereafter extended to include the majority of the spices that were
found within the southern areas in the Indian subcontinent. These served the purpose of the
attractors to the concerned countries in the South-eastern regions of Asia8. The high amount of
the exports to the area led to the increase in the spread of the culture within the South-eastern
regions of the Asian subcontinent.
Thus, from the above discussion it might safely be concluded that South-eastern region of
the Asian continent was majorly influenced by the cultural and the political factors that were
found in the Indian subcontinent. The majority of the states that have been present in the South-
east Asia are known to have been dealing with the religions that were presented within the
country. The people who have been living within the countries of South-east Asia tend to
implement the various factors that were observed to be similar to those that were implemented
within the Indian subcontinent. This is due to the fact that the concerned countries have been
maintaining a close relationship with the Indian subcontinent through the exchange of the trade
materials as well as the exchange of the knowledge. However, the lack of the proper trade
relations and the communication that was presented within the Chinese territories tended to lead
to the lowering of the Chinese cultural influences within the area.
8 SarDesai, Damodar Ramaji. Southeast Asia: past and present. Routledge, 2018.

5HISTORY OF SOUTH-EAST ASIA
References
Charlton, Sue Ellen M. Comparing Asian Politics: India, China, and Japan. Routledge, 2018.
Dayley, Robert. Southeast Asia in the new international era. Routledge, 2018.
Kunstadter, Peter. Southeast Asian tribes, minorities, and nations. Vol. 1. Princeton University
Press, 2017.
McCloud, Donald G. Southeast Asia: Tradition and modernity in the contemporary world.
Routledge, 2018.
Miksic, John Norman, and Goh Geok Yian. Ancient Southeast Asia. Taylor & Francis, 2016.
Mörseburg, Alexander, Luca Pagani, Francois-Xavier Ricaut, Bryndis Yngvadottir, Eadaoin
Harney, Cristina Castillo, Tom Hoogervorst et al. "Multi-layered population structure in Island
Southeast Asians." European Journal of Human Genetics 24, no. 11 (2016): 1605.
Murphey, Rhoads. A history of Asia. Routledge, 2016.
SarDesai, Damodar Ramaji. Southeast Asia: past and present. Routledge, 2018.