Ancient Indian Colonies in the Far East (Vol. I: Champa; Vol. II: Suvarnadvipa) v2.c13.61

v2.c13.61

Ferrand has traced the early history of these peoples still further back, mainly on the authority of an account preserved by Ibn Saïd (13th cent.). He thinks that they originally lived in upper Asia as neighbours of the Chinese, and being driven by the latter, about 1000 B. C., came down to Indo-China along the valleys of the Irawadi, Salwin, Mekong and Menam rivers. Nearly five hundred years later they migrated again from this region to Malay Peninsula and various islands of the Indian Archipelago.¹ Of late, another theory has been advanced by Van Stein Callenfels. He infers from the remains of their metallic objects that the original home of the Austro-nesians lies in the region of the Altai mountains.²