Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v2.c13.102

v2.c13.102

While the Mālava and Malaya can thus be traced as tribal or geographical names all over India, upto its north-western, eastern and southern extremities, the spread of this name across the sea is no less conspicuous. On the east, the famous Malays of Malayasia, the place names Malay and Malacca in the Peninsula, Malayu in Sumatra,² Mālā or Mālava for Laos and perhaps even Molucca islands in the eastern extremity of the archipelago, and on the west Maldives (Māladvīpa), and Malay the ancient name of Madagascar³ testify to the spread of the name in Indo-China and along the whole range of the southern ocean.