THE EXPANSION OF INDIAN CULTURE INTO SOUTH-EAST ASIA

Abstract

Several historians have written on the Indian contacts with South-east Asia from the first century of the Christian era onwards, that resulted in the expansion of Indian culture into the region. It is then that the term “Indianization”, first used by George Coedes, a French archaeologist, came into being and was generally used to denote India’s cultural influence upon Southeast Asia. India developed significant relations with the whole of South-east Asia, which did not remain confined to trade. She made her influence felt in every field –in the realm of society, culture, polity, religion, architecture, etc. In the present article, an attempt is being made to study India’s contribution to the cultural heritage of Southeast Asia. The paper has been divided into two sections. The first section deals with the reasons and nature of the interaction between India and South-east Asia, while the second section is about its results.