Ancient Indian Colonization in South-East Asia c8.71

c8.71

Such settlements must have been widely spread all over the region by the beginning of the Christian era, and we have already described the process by which they grew into small kingdoms. Although details are lacking in many cases, it follows from what has been stated above that within two to three hundred years nearly the whole of Indo-China and Indonesia, comprising Burma, Siam, Malay Peninsula, Cambodia and Annam in the mainland and the islands of Sumatra, Java, Bali, Borneo, Celebes and perhaps many others were dotted over with such kingdoms and settlements of a less organised character. Some of these kingdoms like those of Fu-nan and Champā grew very powerful and carried diplomatic relations with China—a fortunate circumstance which has preserved to a large extent their history from oblivion. The fall of Fu-nan, early in the 7th century A.D., marks the close of the first epoch of Hindu Colonization. The second epoch witnessed the rise and fall of mighty Hindu empires in this far off region outside India, which will be described in the next lecture.