Indianization From the Indian Point of View, Article Review Example

This paper is a review of the article, “Indianization from the Indian point of view: Trade and Cultural Contacts with South East Asia in the Early First Millennium C.E.” by Monica Smith. The article gives in-depth information about the contacts that the countries in the South East Asian region had with the Indian sub-continent and the resultant intermingling of the cultures of the two regions. The main contention of the author is that the contacts were sporadic till the Fourth Century C.E and it was only after the development of the maritime trade between the two regions that the contact was established and flourished to a large extent.

As is the case when two cultures meet, there is no linearity in the way the cultures of the two regions interacted. Hence, we see a smattering of the influences of Hinduism, Buddhism and other Vedic practices on the peoples of South East Asia. Coinciding with the rise in trade of manufactured goods was the gradual spread of Buddhism in the South East Asian region. It is an irony of history that while the Buddha preached his gospels in India, over the period of several centuries, Buddhism established itself in South East Asian countries when contrasted with India, where only vestiges of Buddhist are the Stupas and other relics that bespeak of a glorious past that does not exist now.

The article goes to great lengths in examining the archeological and historical evidence for the way in which the Indian sub-continent influenced the art forms and the cultural mores of the countries of South East Asia. The archeological evidence supports the historical influence and the author makes a case for the deepening influences with the advent of political groups in India. The point here is that there were substantial stakes for the interests in both regions to propagate and encourage the cultural interactions between the two regions. In conclusion, the article is an important addition to the existing literature about the two regions.