Premium

Art and Culture with Devdutt | How Southeast Asia adapted Indian ideas to local needs

Several archaeological landscapes show that Southeast Asia was not a passive recipient of Indian civilisation but an active participant. The result was a series of hybrid cultures, where Indian gods, Buddhist ideas, and regional politics came together to create something entirely new.

Southeast Asia, India, civilisational link

In Vietnam, the Cham civilisation built temple complexes like My Son Sanctuary between the 4th and 13th centuries. (Image source: Wikimedia Commons)

Written by: Devdutt

6 min readNew DelhiJun 6, 2026 12:16 PM IST First published on: Jun 5, 2026 at 06:53 PM IST

Across Southeast Asia, from the Mekong Delta (in present-day Vietnam and Cambodia) to Java island of Indonesia, major archaeological sites reveal how Indian ideas travelled not through conquest but through trade, pilgrimage, and court patronage between 500 AD and 1500 AD. These sites show a layered interaction of Buddhism and Hinduism, reshaped by local ecology, politics, and economy.

Shaivism, trade, and statecraft in the Cham civilisation

In Vietnam, the Cham civilisation built temple complexes like My Son Sanctuary between the 4th and 13th centuries. These brick temples were dedicated primarily to Shiva. Sanskrit inscriptions and linga worship clearly show Hindu influence. Yet the architecture, with its distinct tower forms and decorative motifs, was regionally unique.

The Cham economy relied on maritime trade along the South China Sea, which connected its ports to Indian, Arab, and Chinese merchants. The adoption of Shaivism linked them symbolically to Indian cosmology, strengthening their political authority in a competitive trade environment.

Angkor Wat temple complex of Cambodia

In Cambodia, the monumental complex of Angkor Wat stands as the most famous example. Built in the 12th century by King Suryavarman II, it was originally dedicated to Vishnu, reflecting Hindu royal ideology.

Nearby, Angkor Thom and the Bayon temple later expressed Buddhist influence under Jayavarman VII, who adopted Mahayana Buddhism. The scale of Angkor revealed a hydraulic civilisation, where massive reservoirs (baray) supported wet rice agriculture.

Religion here legitimised kingship. The king was seen as devaraja, or god-king, echoing Indian ideas but adapted to local political needs. Over time, the shift from Hinduism to Buddhism indicated changing patterns of power and patronage, not a rupture. Inscriptions in Sanskrit and Khmer further showed how local scribes blended cosmologies with administrative realities.

Also Read | How Kalpasar project seeks to improve socio-economic conditions of Gujarat’s Saurashtra

Buddhism, kingship, and Thai identity

In Thailand, early sites like Dvaravati (6th–11th century) reflected a strong Buddhist presence, especially Theravada traditions, with distinctive Mon-style sculpture and dharmachakra symbols. Later, Khmer influence introduced Hindu imagery, as seen in places like Phimai. The site of Sukhothai Historical Park (13th–14th century) marked the rise of Thai identity with Theravada Buddhism as state ideology.

Unlike Angkor’s grand temple-mountain model, Sukhothai emphasised serene Buddha images and monastic institutions. Economically, this reflected agrarian consolidation rather than vast hydraulic systems associated with the Khmer Empire. Buddhism here supported a moral kingship model rather than divine kingship, where rulers were guardians of the dharma rather than gods.

Theravada, Mahayana, and Hindu traditions in Bagan

In Burma (Myanmar), the vast plain of Bagan (11th–13th century) contained thousands of temples and stupas. Bagan was primarily a Buddhist centre, especially Theravada, though earlier layers included Mahayana and Hindu elements. The kings of Bagan patronised monastic institutions, linking political power with merit-making.

The Irrawaddy river system supported agriculture and trade, enabling temple construction on a massive scale. Pali scriptures, imported from Sri Lanka, shaped religious learning. Unlike the war-driven narratives of the Mahabharata, Bagan’s landscape emphasised the accumulation of merit through donation.

Don't Miss | Art and Culture with Devdutt | How India and Persia shaped each other

Borobudur and Prambanan of Indonesia

In Java, Indonesia, two major sites stood out. Borobudur (8th–9th century) was a massive Buddhist monument built by the Sailendra dynasty. Its mandala structure represented the Buddhist cosmos, guiding pilgrims symbolically towards enlightenment through carved galleries while depicting the path of the Bodhisattva.

Nearby, Prambanan is a Hindu temple complex dedicated to Shiva, Vishnu, and Brahma, built by the Sanjaya dynasty. The coexistence of these two monuments indicated political competition, as well as religious plurality.

Java’s position along maritime trade routes between India and China made it a cultural crossroads. Indian epics like the Ramayana were adapted into local theatre, wayang puppetry, and relief sculptures, but always reinterpreted through Javanese aesthetics and values.

Localisation of Indian traditions

Across these regions, the spread of Buddhism and Hinduism was not imposed but negotiated. Indian merchants brought not only goods but also stories, scripts, and rituals. Local rulers adopted Sanskrit titles, built temples, and patronised monks to enhance legitimacy.

Yet these rulers didn’t just borrow these ideas, they reshaped them. For example, the devaraja cult in Cambodia had no exact parallel in India. The God-king was a charismatic ruler who, by the power of Tantrik rituals, was able to attract around him talent, opportunity, security, and prosperity.

Theravada Buddhism in Thailand and Burma developed distinct monastic networks with their own ordination lineages. Here, the kings were seen as defenders of the Dhamma and sometimes as Bodhisattvas. Cham temples in Vietnam adapted Indian forms to local materials and aesthetics. We find images of dancing Shiva and sleeping Vishnu.

Active participant, not passive recipient

Economically, all these sites were linked to trade networks across the Bay of Bengal and the South China Sea. Ports connected inland capitals, moving spices, textiles, and ceramics alongside religious texts. Agricultural surplus, especially rice cultivation, funded temple construction and sustained monastic communities. Religion became a language of power, linking local rulers to a wider cosmological order.

These archaeological landscapes showed that Southeast Asia was not a passive recipient of Indian civilisation. It was an active participant. Buddhism and Hinduism provided vocabulary, but the grammar was local. The result was a series of hybrid cultures, where Indian gods, Buddhist ideas, and regional politics came together to create something entirely new.

Post read questions

Indian cultural influence in Southeast Asia was transmitted not through conquest but through trade, pilgrimage, and court patronage between 500 AD and 1500 AD. Examine with suitable archaeological examples.

How do the archaeological remains of My Son and Angkor demonstrate the localisation of Indian religious traditions in Southeast Asia?

Examine the significance of temple architecture as a source for reconstructing political and religious history in Southeast Asia.

Southeast Asia was not a passive recipient of Indian civilisation but an active participant. Discuss with examples.

(Devdutt is a renowned mythologist who writes on art, culture and heritage.)

Share your thoughts and ideas on UPSC Special articles with ashiya.parveen@indianexpress.com.

Click Here to read the UPSC Essentials magazine for May 2026. Subscribe to our UPSC newsletter and stay updated with the news cues from the past week.

Stay updated with the latest UPSC articles by joining our Telegram channel – IndianExpress UPSC Hub, and follow us on Instagram and X.