Ancient Indian Colonization in South-East Asia c10.24

c10.24

Another Hindu colony which was deeply influenced by Sanskrit literature was Java. It has not preserved many Sanskrit inscriptions or Sanskrit texts, but the rich old-Javan etc. In many cases, the Javanese verses are close translations of well-known Sanskrit couplets. There are also folk-tales based on *Hitopadeśa* and *Pañcatantra*, and medical books, erotic treatises and miscellaneous texts on calendar, music and animals. The vast Indo-Javanese literature is a standing testimony to the great influence of Sanskrit literature on that of Java and Bali, and there is perhaps no parallel in the history of literature of such an influence on one literature over another.