Theories of Indianisation

The 3 theories of Indianisation are The Theory of the Brahmins, The Theory of the Vaisyas and The Theory of the Kshatriyas.

1. The Theory of the Brahmins 

• Brahmins were the only caste in the Indian caste system who were allowed to become priests
• In this theory, they were the ones responsible for the Indianisation in Southeast Asia 

The Brahmins apparently came to Southeast Asia in search of wealth, along with the explorers, traders and other religious leaders. This was because during that period, Southeast Asia was already known for its great wealth. Therefore, there was a great indian influence in Southeast Asia, as can be seen by the fact that there were many early states in Southeast Asia which had Indian priests as their rulers. They were credited for Indianisation mainly because as the number of Brahmins living in Southeast Asia grew, rulers in Southeast Asia relied on them more and they served as development planners in different fields, in law, government and art.

However, it was debunked because of the fact that Southeast Asia did not adopt the caste system, upon which the Brahmin theory was based on. If the caste system did not even exist, it was not possible for the Brahmins to have their status as a Brahmin in Southeast Asia, and thus they cannot be credited completely for the Indianisation.

2.. The Theory of the Vaisyas 

• In this theory, Indianisation is stated to have begun with traders or merchants who spread their culture, goods and religion via trade between India and Southeast Asia

This theory came about because there was a large amount of trade between India and Southeast Asia. Along with the trade would naturally come a lot of interaction between the traders and the locals, hence it was assumed that Indian influence was spread through this manner.

However, it was debunked because merchants of low origin and caste should and would not have the knowledge to pass on ideas of extremely complex expertise. A good example would be the concepts of kingship, denominations, philosophical teachings, cosmology and so on, which are all among the influences of Indianisation. They also did not have the legitimacy to install rulers in the different states in Southeast Asia.

3. The Theory of the Kshatriyas 

• In this theory, Indianisation is presumed to have begun due to the great influence of the Indian warriors and conquerors, who migrated to Southeast Asia and conquered the land through war 

This theory came about mainly because of the extremely prominent Indian influence in Southeast Asia. As it would be near impossible for a peaceful propagation (as suggested by the Vaisyas theory) to have such a great influence on Southeast Asia, it was assumed that the most powerful influence, which would be from military conquest and war, was what caused Indianisation. 

This theory was debunked because there was a lack of evidence provided for this hypothesis. If Southeast Asia was really colonized by the Indians, there would be very significant lasting changes in Southeast Asian culture, but as can be seen today, Southeast Asia has not adopted the Indian caste system, nor Indian dietary habits. Both politically and economically, there is no sign or evidence that Southeast Asian countries ever showed subordination to India, hence this theory of military conquests and colonisation is false. 

4. Current Theory 

Therefore, the debunking of the previous 3 theories leaves us with this last one, which is that Indianisation in Southeast Asia occurred gradually, due to cultural diffusion. The process of Indianisation was most likely the outcome of endeavors of all the 3 groups of people, the warriors, traders and priests. Although the traders had no expertise to pass on the complex ideas, however they were still important transmitters of the Indian culture. Through their interactions with the locals, their practices and religion would definitely have been spread to the Southeast Asian Region, but instead of the region absorbing everything whole-sale, the people adapted the culture, beliefs and practices according to their own needs, thus practicing syncretism. This can be seen by the fact that Southeast Asians do not practice the caste system, but Indian literature, such as Ramayana, is very popular even today and performed in all Wayang performances. Buddhism and Hinduism were also spread to Southeast Asia by the Indian traders, hence the theory of cultural diffusion and syncretism stands firm.