Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v2.c11.s3.10

v2.c11.s3.10

It would be wrong, however, to imagine that the degree of importance, which should be attached to the different regions, is in any way proportionate to the extant evidences regarding them. The absence of evidence available to us may be quite accidental. The archaeological evidence is mostly perishable, save in the case of massive monuments such as we find in Java. As to the Chinese evidence, the Chroniclers could only record events when there was any intercourse with one of these states. A state would come in and go out of their history according as it sent any embassy to China (or vice versa) or ceased to do so. The absence of evidence, therefore, should not lead us to infer the political insignificance of a state, far less its non-existence.