Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v2.c13.53

v2.c13.53

Mr. Roland B. Dixon has summed up as follows the racial history of the Malay Peninsula.² “The oldest stratum of population was the Negrito Palae-Alpine which survives to-day in comparative purity only among the Andamancse. With this was later blended a taller Negroid people, of mixed Proto-Australoid and Proto-Negroid types, to form the Semang. This Negroid population is still represented among some of the hill-folk in Burma, such as the Chin, is more strongly present in Assam and dominant in the greater part of India. Subsequently to the formation of Semang a strong immigration came into the Peninsula from the north, of the normal Palae-Alpine type, of which perhaps some of the Karen may be regarded as the last survivors. From the fusion of these with the older Semang was derived the Sakai and some, perhaps, of the Jakun; the later and less modified portions of this wave forming the older Malay groups of to-day. Finally in recent times came the Menangkabau Malays from Sumatra who have overlain the earlier group throughout the south.” The statement in the last sentence that the Malays came from Sumatra, is, perhaps, no longer valid, as we shall see later.