Ancient Indian Colonization in South-East Asia c10.31

c10.31

The Brāhmanical or Purāṇic religion is represented by the two important sects, Śaivism and Vaiṣṇavism. Images of their gods, so far found, are probably of later date than the early Buddha images. This is also true of India, for worship of images came to be generally accepted by the followers of Śaivism and Vaiṣṇavism at a later date than the Buddhists, and probably in imitation of them. As a matter of fact Brāhmanical images that can be definitely dated before the Gupta age are very rare in India. The absence of such images in Indian colonies does not, therefore, necessarily prove that the Brāhmanical religion was introduced at a later date, nor does it support the inference that the followers of Buddhism were pioneers of Indian colonisation in South-east Asia.