Kalinga & Southeast Asia: The Civilisational Linkages

Southeast Asia is the geographical south-eastern region of Asia, consisting of the areas situated south of mainland China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and north-west of mainland Australia which is part of Oceania. The region is culturally and ethnically diverse, with numerous languages spoken by diff erent ethnic groups. It features the countries like Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar (Burma), Singapore, Thailand, Timor Liste (East Timor), Philippines, and
Vietnam, which were signifi cantly infl uenced by Indian, Chinese, Muslim, and colonial cultures, as refl ected in the core components of the region’s cultural and political institutions. Incidentally, attempts may be taken to decipher the linkages.
In this context, ‘Look East’ and ‘Act East’ policies had become the watchword of Indian foreign policy when Indian policymakers desired close cooperation with neighbours and Southeast Asian countries. Though the relationship began during prehistoric times, it remains relevant even today. Southeast Asia’s indigenous particularities and distinctions make the regiona veritable ground for distinction and fascinated most Indians, as corroborated by references in Indian classical literature.