Civilizations in Embrace

Focusing on the diffusion of Indian religious and political ideas to Southeast Asia prior to Islam and European colonialism, the study explores how Hindu and Buddhist concepts shaped local kingship and statecraft. It highlights that this exchange was not driven by imperialism or colonization, contrasting with conventional views on cultural encounters. The book examines various scholarly explanations for this phenomenon, analyzing the motivations behind the spread of these ideas and their significant political and institutional impacts in Southeast Asia.