Early Buddhist cultural links between eastern India and mainland Southeast Asia c 3rd Century BCE to c 12th Century CE

Abstract

Since antiquity, India has shared closed links with Southeast Asia. Even in modern times, Indian maritime policies have considerable formulation on its Act East policy to bridge all gaps between the two regions. The preceding discussion in the present work has demonstrated how both the regions i.e. Eastern India and Mainland Southeast Asia have evolved similar tradition over a period of time in which the Buddhism played a vital role. One can argue that when an idea transmits from one region to another, it finds easy acceptance among the recipient region if the former is considered to have originated in superior culture. Accepting the notion of great tradition as propagated by Redfield, one can further suggest that Indian traditions constitute great tradition and Buddhism, being originated in Eastern India, did not face any local hostility. Both monks and traders from Eastern India, thus, continued to influence Mainland Southeast Asia up to the twelfth century CE. The conventional theories of movement of Indian ideas into Mainland Southeast Asia through political movement, trading connection and involvement of priestly class could not help to understand the process of movement in historical way. There is need to correct the movement of cultural connection in linear way. Thus, one must take into account cultural approach while deciphering the cultural linkages between Eastern India and Mainland Southeast Asia. The natives of the Mainland Southeast Asia adopted Indian Buddhism on the one hand and simultaneously, they continued to bring their local cults and rituals into the ambit of local Buddhism. Similarly, various Indian social elements like dressings, food, cloths, behavior etc. were accepted but caste system remained alien to the natives. newline