Know Our Ancestors in Southeast Asia: From Empires to Identities

Know Our Ancestors in Southeast Asia: From Empires to Identities

Know Our Ancestors in Southeast Asia: From Empires to Identities

By Amarjeet Singh @ AJ Consulting • Updated: 3 November 2025

Southeast Asia is a civilisation of connections. For two millennia, this region has welcomed ideas and peoples from India, China, Arabia and later Europe—absorbing Hindu-Buddhist thought, embracing Islam, and adapting to the colonial economy. The result is today’s living mosaic: Malays, Indians (including Tamils and Sikhs), Chinese, Arabs, Portuguese-Eurasians, and Africans.

Contents
  1. Hindu–Buddhist Foundations (1st–13th c.)
  2. The Islamic Transformation (13th–17th c.)
  3. Colonial Arrivals & Economic Shifts
  4. Indian & Sikh Contributions
  5. Chinese Contributions
  6. Shared Heritage: Indonesia & Malaysia
  7. Mind-Opening Questions
  8. References

Hindu–Buddhist Foundations (1st–13th century CE)

Funan → Chenla (Mekong Basin)

Funan (1st–6th CE) traded with India and China before evolving into Chenla (6th–9th CE), a precursor to the Khmer Empire.

Langkasuka & Kedah Tua (Malay Peninsula)

Langkasuka (2nd–15th CE) and Old Kedah show deep Indian influence. Excavations at Sungai Batu reveal early iron smelting—among the region’s oldest industrial sites.

Srivijaya (Sumatra)

7th–13th CE Buddhist thalassocracy controlling sea lanes; inscriptions like Kedukan Bukit (682) anchor its history.

Sailendra/Medang & Khmer

Java’s Sailendra/Medang (8th–10th CE) built Borobudur; the Khmer Empire (802–1431) under Jayavarman II/Suryavarman II raised Angkor Wat.

Majapahit (Java)

(1290s–early 1500s) A Hindu–Buddhist powerhouse described in the Nāgarakṛtāgama (1365), reaching across the archipelago.

The Islamic Transformation (13th–17th century CE)

Islam arrived via trade networks and royal courts—not conquest—reshaping culture and law while preserving older arts.

  • Samudera–Pasai (13th c.): earliest Muslim sultanate; Arabic tombstone 1297 CE.
  • Malacca (c. 1400–1511): founded by Parameswara; Islam entrenched in court and commerce.
  • Demak (late 15th–16th c.) and the Wali Songo spread Islam through Java’s north coast.
  • Aceh Darussalam: apex under Iskandar Muda (1607–1636), a centre of scholarship and diplomacy.
  • Pattani & Brunei: enduring Malay Muslim polities.

Colonial Arrivals & Economic Shifts (16th–20th century)

Portuguese (1511) and Dutch (1641) tied the region to global spice routes. The British later industrialised Malaya—tin, rubber, rails and ports—triggering mass migration from India and China.

Dual-Economy Legacy:
  • Malays concentrated in rice agriculture and fisheries.
  • Chinese led tin mining and urban commerce.
  • Indians—especially Tamils—powered estates, roads and railways; Sikhs secured law and order.

Indian & Sikh Contributions

  • Tamils Labour backbone for rubber estates, roads and rail; later generations rose into teaching, engineering, law and public service.
  • Sikhs Recruited into police and mounted units; known for discipline and integrity; later entrepreneurs in transport, textiles and logistics.
  • Indian Professionals Gujaratis, Sindhis, Malayalees: traders, moneylenders and administrators who built credit networks and civic institutions.

Chinese Contributions

  • Tin & Trade: From Perak to Selangor, Chinese miners and entrepreneurs expanded tin output and urban economies.
  • SME Culture: Built small and medium industries—food processing, retail, manufacturing—forming a resilient middle class.
  • Civic Infrastructure: Clan houses, guilds, schools and newspapers preserved culture and promoted civic life.

Shared Heritage: Indonesia & Malaysia

Indonesia — Unity in Diversity

Muslim-majority yet proudly honours Hindu-Buddhist roots (Bali; Garuda; Bhinneka Tunggal Ika). Temples stand beside mosques; heritage and faith co-exist.

Malaysia — Balance & Belonging

Malaysia was forged from coexistence: mosques, temples, gurdwaras and churches in one landscape. Real strength comes from embracing that shared past, not narrowing it.

Mind-Opening Questions

Read, think, verify. Don’t fall for lies, myths or fanaticism.
  1. Who are we? A civilisation of many streams—Malay, Indian, Chinese, Arab, European and indigenous—meeting at the world’s crossroads.
  2. Why are we? Because movement, trade and ideas never stopped; our identity is the product of constant exchange.
  3. Who were our ancestors? Sailors, scholars, farmers, miners, estate workers, policemen, merchants and monarchs—from Srivijaya to Malacca, from Tamil estates to Sikh mounted police, from Chinese miners to Malay fishermen.
  4. What facts anchor our pride? Inscriptions (Kedukan Bukit, Nāgarakṛtāgama, Laguna Copperplate), archaeological sites (Bujang Valley), and documented migration & labour histories—not fantasy.
  5. How should we defend truth? Demand sources, dates and artefacts; separate legend from history; celebrate proven achievements.

References (evidence-based)

  • Pierre-Yves Manguin, Austronesian Shipping and Trade in Early Southeast Asia.
  • George Cœdès, The Indianized States of Southeast Asia.
  • Anthony Reid, Southeast Asia in the Age of Commerce.
  • O. W. Wolters, Early Indonesian Commerce.
  • National Archives of Malaysia – Bujang Valley & Sungai Batu reports.
  • Nāgarakṛtāgama (1365), Majapahit court poem.
  • Kedukan Bukit Inscription (682 CE), Srivijaya.
  • Laguna Copperplate Inscription (900 CE), Philippines.
  • Amarjit Kaur, Wage Labour and Migration: Indian Workers in Malaya.
  • Khoo Kay Kim, The Making of Modern Malaysia.

© 2025 Amarjeet Singh @ AJ Consulting. Share widely, but please credit the source.

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