On the full moon of the Hindu month of Kartika, families in Odisha get up early to go to the river or lake. They float clay chiraths in miniature boats made of paper or banana bark. Although many faiths are now incorporated, generations of traders from Kalinga (Odisha) celebrated their yearly voyages from Mahanadi across the Hindu Ocean to faraway regions such as Java, Bali, Sumatra, Borneo, Suvarnabhumi (Myanmar and Malaya) and Sinhala (Sri Lanka). Their journeys were directed to the eastern lands of Akhand Bharat. The zenith of the Hindu empires in these areas during the first century AD was similar to Greece and Rome’s supremacy in the Mediterranean region. However, like the Greeks and Romans, these regions were influenced by Hindu values, not by invasion, oppression, or conquest. Instead, it was spread through economic-political-commercial contacts, emulation, and cultural assimilation. Although Hindutva values influenced China through Buddhist Dharma, other East Asian and Southeast Asian nations were influenced by a blend of Hindu and Buddhist Dharma traditions. Today, South East Asian countries such as Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, and Indonesia are divided into several religions, yet they remain fundamentally influenced by the essence of Sanatana Dharma.
The peaceful spread of Sanatan Dharma
How and why Hindu culture reached East Asia is a matter of debate. Three alternative perspectives prevail: it was brought by Hindu traders to provide a foundation for their commercial and economic interests, it was the consequence of Indian warriors and adventurers crossing the oceans, and Hindu pujaris promoted Buddhist, Shaivite, and Vaishnava beliefs. However, while all three factors played a role historically, there is no evidence that Hindu warriors used violence in the South East in the same way that the Roman-Greeks and modern Euro-Christian-Islamic conquests did, except the naval battle of Srivijaya (Indonesia-Malay Peninsula) fought by Chola king Rajendran I in 1025.
Furthermore, the growth of Hindu culture evolved peacefully in these lands. There were no forced conversions, bloodshed, colonisation, or subjugation, no large-scale Hindu immigration to these areas, and no ambition to rule the locals directly or indirectly from Bharat. Instead, these nations established a structured and stable order in Southeast Asia’s cultural, political, and economic domains via interaction with Hindus. As a result, ancient scholars viewed the Akhand Bharat and Southeast Asia as a mandala (circle) or a single geographical region. It did not correspond to today’s notion of a nation-state defined solely by boundaries. Rather, it was a nation unified by Sanatana Dharma under many centres of power, with a loose political structure and minimal violence, divided by ocean borders.
Hindu Dharmic influences in South East Asia
Myanmar served as the entrance to Hindu influence in East Asia. The account of establishing the famous ‘Shwedagon’ Buddha monastery, which remains today, demonstrates how harmless the cultural interaction between the regions was. According to the story, Tapusa and Bhallika, two merchant brothers from ‘Ukala’ (now Yangon), came to Bharat and accepted Buddha’s discipleship. They found the eight strands of hair the Buddha had given them in the ‘Shvedagon’. This gave rise to the Shwedagon Buddhist monastery that we see today. According to Pali documents, the brothers were originally from Utkala (Odisha). They eventually settled in Myanmar. The two place names are quite similar here as well. Therefore, it was normal to give Hindu names to places, things and positions in Southeast Asia due to the influence of Sanata Dharma.
Srivijaya state, based in Palembang in Sumatra (Indonesia) from the 7th to the 13th centuries, served as a commerce route in South East Asia and an important Buddhist teaching site. Yixing, a Chinese monk who travelled to Bharat in the seventh century to study at Nalanda University and gather Buddhist books, spent many years in Srivijaya interpreting and writing on the Sino-Indian exchange of Buddhist ideas. In his writings, he claims the presence of over a thousand Buddhist monks in Srivijaya who could teach the Buddhist Dharma as easily and comfortably as Bharat. The Hindu influence that was so strong in Srivijaya eventually expanded to West Malaysia and Southern Thailand via the Straits of Malacca. This Hindu influence could be observed in today’s many Srivijaya-style temples. Hindu engagement with modern-day Thailand began in the fourth century B.C. However, it is argued that traders crossed the Hindu Ocean to Thailand around the sixth century B.C.
Furthermore, the Sanskrit language contributed to the names of certain historic Thai places, including Sukhothai, Ayutthaya, Haripunjaya, Lopburi, Dvaravati, and Sajjanalaya. The Hindu influence may be seen in the names of numerous Thai rulers, including Indraditya, Rama, Ananda, Chakrapat, and Thrailok. Numerous terms are borrowed from Sanskrit, including Shakuntala and Savitri. Thai literature includes stories based on Hindu texts. The Thai version of the Ramayana, known as ‘Ramakian’, served as the foundation for several Thai paintings, dances, and theatre plays.
Champa was the leading political force in what is now South-Central Vietnam. Champa’s wealth stemmed from its placement between the maritime channels stretching from China to Bharat. Although Hindu deities such as Vishnu and Brahma were worshipped in Champa, its monarchs were Shiva devotees. In Champa, Lord Shiva was regarded as a protector rather than a destroyer. The temples, today known as ‘Cham Towers,’ were constructed utilising Hindu, Javanese, and Khmer techniques and represent the creative achievements of ancient Champa. According to historical sources, Buddhism developed in Vietnam in the third century BC. Following the third Buddhist conference conducted at Pataliputra under the patronage of Ashoka, a group of nine Buddhist Dharma preachers was sent to the region, while another group proceeded across the Hindu Ocean to Gia Chau (now Bac Ninh Province) in northern Vietnam.
The Hindu dharmic influences in East Asia
Hindu culture has significantly influenced Japanese art, literature, music, and spirituality. The Japanese named the goddess Saraswati, revered in Bharat as the goddess of learning, music, and wisdom, ‘Benzaiten’. They revere Maa Lakshmi as ‘Kichijoten’, Bhagwan Indra as ‘Taishakuten’, Lord Brahma as ‘Benten’, Bhagwan Ganesha as ‘Kangiten’, and Garuda as ‘Karura’. The Japanese were able to connect all of these values with Buddha Dharma. Hindutva’s presence in Japan has helped to shape the country’s culture. It underscores Japan’s cultural unity and harmony despite its diversity. It also gave insight into the Japanese people’s worldviews, values, and humanity. It is similar to the 2,000-year closeness between Bharat and Korea. The finest example is that hundreds of South Koreans visit Ayodhya each year, thinking it to be the birthplace of their legendary queen, Hyo Hwang-ok (Suri Ratna). Hyo appears in the Korean classic ‘Sanguk Yusa’, authored by Buddhist monks from the three kingdoms of Baekje, Silla, and Goguryeo. Hyo was a princess from the kingdom of Ayutya who arrived in Korea at the age of sixteen in 48 AD, marrying King Suro and becoming Gyeongwan Gaya’s first queen. Every year, the descendants of this place visit Ayodhya.
As previously stated, Sanskrit was this region’s first form of writing. Later, regional languages adopted similar alphabets, and the alphabets used today in Burmese, Thai, Lao, and Cambodian are developed from Hindu language prototypes. The first ancient inscriptions discovered in these regions were in Sanskrit. The geographical proximity and richness must have drawn traders from Bharat to this region. This is mentioned countless times in Hindu literature. Names such as Suvarnadweep, Karpuradweep, Barli Dweep, and Narikeladweep appear in writings such as the Ramayana and Pali Nidesa, indicating these territories’ agricultural and trade connections and prosperity. Thus, introducing Hindutva in its Buddhist-Shaiva-Vaishnava form significantly impacted East Asian nations’ spiritual and political systems. However, unlike Semitic religions, it did not weaken or alienate existing indigenous beliefs and cultures. Instead, local traditions and Hindu culture merged. Therefore, the East Asians had no problem adding a local flavour to their assimilated Hindutva values. This may be found in their traditions and architecture. Examples include the Angkor Wat temple in Cambodia and the Borobudur temple in Indonesia, both built according to Hindu architectural traditions. However, the two most famous Mandirs worldwide have characteristics of South East Asian regional architecture.
The decline of Hindu Influence
The Hindu influence in the region declined during the Middle Ages. Islam came to these regions around the 13th century. Gujarati traders’ spice and pepper trade resulted in the establishment of new Islamic colonies throughout Southeast Asia. Several Hindu monarchs converted to Islam. Many married their daughters to Muslim traders from Bharat. However, since these Muslims came from Sanatana Bharat, they were not as orthodox as those in Arabia. As a result, converts in East Asia upheld Hindu customs unwaveringly. Hindu influence can still be seen and experienced in East Asia’s customs, culture, and architectural styles. The impact of the region’s Hindu culture can be observed in temples in modern-day Cambodia and Muslim wedding rites in Malaysia, preserving certain Hindu-Buddhist beliefs. The emblem of Indra’s thunderbolt is preserved on the rings of Malay sultans. These emperors’ palaces were built following Hindu astrological advice. During the inauguration, Hindu deities are honoured and worshipped with the Arabian God, Allah. Later in the twentieth century, communism extended to several regional nations, including China and North Korea. This threw further dark shadows on these great civilisations. However, the then-democratic states could save several nations from communism. Hence, Bharat still retains a fruitful tie with these countries today.
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