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1st century AD, sea.
A huge ship, loaded with cargo, came from afar. Since then, an invisible bridge has been built between India and Southeast Asia.
In the following centuries, the seeds of Indianization took root in Southeast Asia and slowly grew into towering trees. Under the shade of the trees, two different civilizations collide here......
The Problem Arises: Mysterious "Indianization"
Indochina and the Malay Archipelago are the two core elements that make up Southeast Asia. The solid land and the vast sea have made Southeast Asia together. And from the moment this land was born, it has an indissoluble bond with China.
In ancient times, the powerful Central Plains Dynasty was often the suzerainty of the countries of the Indochina Peninsula. This is not only a nominal submission, but also a natural proximity to geographical location, and it is also the most logical choice for business and trade.
It stands to reason that China should be the absolute protagonist in the ancient history of Southeast Asia, but in 1909, a French scholar found something unusual.
He wrote a book called The History of Champa, in which the scholar mentioned that there was another force in ancient Southeast Asia that could not be ignored, India.
Thus, for the first time, the somewhat novel term "Indianization" was associated with Southeast Asia.
It didn't take long for more and more scholars to notice the problem. The true meaning of Indianization has also gradually become clear in the heated discussions.
In fact, the so-called Indianization refers to the emergence of a group of dynasties similar to India in Southeast Asia. These dynasties were influenced by India in the political, economic, and cultural spheres.
For example, Sanskrit was widely spoken in Southeast Asian countries, and Sanskrit was the symbol of India. Not only that, but Indian Buddhism has also become a common faith in these Southeast Asian countries.
It is recorded in the Book of Liang that in the second half of the 4th century AD, a large number of Indianized dynasties sprung up in various parts of Southeast Asia.
From Funan, to Myanmar, to Java and Siam, there is a strong Indian element everywhere. Some even joke that Southeast Asia is the largest kingdom of India.
At this point, the nature of Indianization has changed significantly. This is no longer just a simple learning, but a massive cultural expansion. The leader of this expansion is India in South Asia.
However, this peculiar phenomenon has made many scholars feel sincerely confused.
Geographically, China is closer to Southeast Asia and has an advanced and complete cultural system. Why was it India, not China, that could influence Southeast Asia at that time?
When did the relationship between Southeast Asia and India begin?
Tracing the Roots: Southeast Asia's Engagement with India
In fact, Southeast Asia and India have been in contact much earlier than we thought.
Although China is closer to Southeast Asia, India is not far from Southeast Asia in the South Asian subcontinent, and there are no insurmountable geographical barriers between the two regions. Therefore, in ancient times, it was not difficult to travel from India to Southeast Asia.
The geographical convenience has laid the groundwork for the in-depth contact between the two regions.
In the ancient Indian epic "Ramayana", there are Southeast Asian countries.
The fourth part of the Ramayana is called The Monkey Country, and this one tells the story of Rama's adventures. In order to find Siddha, he trekked through mountains and rivers to the Golden Island and the Golden State Golden Land.
Actually, these two places are the same area, except that in the epic, one is written in Sanskrit and the other in Pali.
According to scholars' research, this area should be Myanmar, the Malay Peninsula and Sumatra, that is, the western part of Southeast Asia. In addition to the Ramayana, similar expressions are also found in the Buddhist classics such as the Bunsen Sutra, the Great History, and the Island History.
It can be seen that in the first few hundred years BC, Indians traveled to Southeast Asia.
However, there is no doubt that these events were completely accidental and did not form a system. At that time, Indian culture did not have a substantial impact on Southeast Asia.
It was not until the 1st-2nd centuries AD that the situation changed completely, as maritime trade appeared.
At that time, Southeast Asia was still in the Stone Age, but India already had a mature dynasty. In contrast, it is much more developed than Southeast Asia, which is the fundamental reason why Southeast Asia will accept the transformation of Indian culture.
In other words, in the face of a civilization many times stronger than itself, Southeast Asia has no choice but to passively accept the shock.
Although both are cultural powers, Indian culture is far more expansive than Chinese civilization in comparison.
First, in the long process of historical evolution, China has remained a land-based country for most of the time. In order to maintain stability, many dynasties even implemented a strict policy of sea bans.
Of course, this does not mean that China did not have the ability to sail far away, on the contrary, ancient China was skilled in shipbuilding and was able to face the storms and waves at sea.
However, influenced by Confucian culture, China's successive dynasties seem to have shown little interest in expanding overseas. Even when envoys hoisted their sails and sailed from place to place, it was often only a political symbolism to show the strength of the dynasty.
Second, India's cultural expansion has a strong religious color.
However, most of the religions in this world that can survive and flourish have a strong desire to spread, and regard increasing the number of followers and expanding their territory as their first priority. Stimulated by religion, India is more keen to move into Southeast Asia, taking economic and trade opportunities to carry out "cultural colonization".
However, ancient China naturally had limited interest in religion. Even Taoism in China focuses more on seeking the Tao inward and self-cultivation than preaching to the outside world.
It can be seen that China has not participated in this cultural "conquering the city" from the very beginning. Therefore, India seized the opportunity and took Southeast Asia.
Within India, a huge feudal state was born, and their need for luxury goods greatly stimulated the prosperity of maritime trade. Southeast Asia is not only a maritime corridor connecting all parties, but also the origin of gold and spices, and it is natural that it has been pushed onto the stage of history and has an inseparable entanglement with India.
Thus, in the following millennium, the Indianization of Southeast Asia began in this way.
Slow Evolution: Indian Influence
Indianization cannot be achieved overnight, but is a slow process that is divided into multiple stages.
In the beginning, no matter how hard Indian culture tried, it could not get rid of the identity of outsiders, and could only make a small splash on the basis of the native culture of Southeast Asia.
At that time, the Indianized countries of Southeast Asia were also more like playing at home.
Under the leadership of an Indian, local tribes gathered to build offerings to gods associated with India to symbolize the unity of the country. The Indianization of this period, which fused the kingship of India with the worship of the spirits of Southeast Asia, was full of ancient and rustic charm.
There are no elaborate temples, no magnificent palaces, and no amazing stelaes, which are typical symbols of Indianization until the Gupta Empire.
For no other reason, the Gupta Empire is one of the most glorious episodes in India's history. The highly developed politics and economy of the dynasty promoted the vigorous growth of culture, and this vigorous vitality was also transmitted to Southeast Asia.
In addition, Southeast Asia has also developed to a certain extent, out of the dark period of chaos, ushered in the dawn, and is thirsting for stronger spiritual power. What was once a barren cultural soil has been renovated enough to break ground for Indian culture.
As a result, the two hit it off and together created a special Indianized scene.
At that time, Brahmanism was revived and converted to Hinduism, and Mahayana Buddhism was widely spread. The arts, law and politics of India are developing at an astonishing rate in Southeast Asia. The people of Southeast Asia, who are on the rise, have also changed their passive attitude and begun to take the initiative to approach Indian culture.
In their eyes, India is a symbol of strength, and they also yearn for the power that makes the country great. Because of this, it has become a trend to accept Indian culture and emulate it.
Locals are unwavering in their belief that Indianization is the first step towards prosperity in Southeast Asia.
At the same time, a large number of Southeast Asian merchants also sailed to India on merchant ships. Even, they began to settle near the big ports of India, having their own strongholds.
These businessmen, who have lived in India for a long time, often end up returning to Southeast Asia. After returning home, they became invisibly disseminators of Indian culture.
The bits and pieces of life in India were brought back to their hometowns as they were, and those customs and beliefs were finally localized.
The Indianization of Southeast Asia can also be glimpsed in the architectural style.
Borobudur, built in the 8th century, and the Angkor complex, built in the 12th century, are both treasures of ancient Southeast Asian culture and art.
And these two types of buildings have the shadow of Indian culture behind them. Amazingly, they even far surpass similar buildings in India, and have made a qualitative breakthrough in conception and technique.
This case once again shows that Southeast Asia has gradually exerted its own subjective initiative in the process of Indianization.
The end of Indianization is also inseparable from India's own decline.
The process of Indianization of Southeast Asia came to an end around the 15th century. At the beginning of the 14th century, Sanskrit culture gradually declined, and its influence was much less than before. At the same time, Islam and other religious sects have gradually risen in Southeast Asia, changing the imagination of Indian Buddhism as the dominant one.
In the 15th century, the fall of the Majapahit Kingdom in Indonesia brought to an end to the massive Indianization of Southeast Asia.
However, although history has become a thing of the past, India's cultural genes are still deeply engraved in the bones of Southeast Asia.
India and China, both ancient civilizations and big Asian powers, are now strong competitors in the ranks of developing countries.
Perhaps, the friction and conflict between Southeast Asia and China in modern times are also inextricably linked to the Indianization of the past.
In the future, there is still a big question mark over where the ship of civilization in Southeast Asia will sail.
Bibliography:
1. Zhao Ziyong.A Brief Discussion on the Problem of Indianization in Ancient Southeast Asia[J].Journal of South China Normal University(Social Sciences),1994,(No.3).
2. Zheng Xuemeng. Impressions, Chinese History, Sui and Tang Volumes, National Unity and Governance[M]. Beijing:People's Education Press, 2021.07.