Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v2.c13.349

v2.c13.349

It is, of course, true that trade and commercial relations led to the establishment of political and cultural relations as well. But these were secondary results and not primary motives of intercourse. There is no reference in our literature to any deliberate policy of political expansion or religious propaganda across the sea, until we come to the Ceylonese Chronicle Mahāvaṃsa. As is well-known, it refers to the conquest of Ceylon by Vijaya at the time of Buddha, and the despatch of a Buddhist mission to Suvaṇṇabhūmi in the time of Aśoka. Whether the dates of either of these events can be accepted as true is a matter of dispute. But in any case, if true, they would constitute the only exceptions, and even then we should remember that the path had already been paved by the merchants.