The geographical bioregion of Indomalaya corresponds to the cultural entity of the Indosphere, which divides itself ethnically roughly between Bharat (India) and Dvipantara (Southeast Asia).
Before the 1500s and colonization by Western powers and Abrahamic religions, the whole region was all once an integrated Sanskrit Cosmopolis of connected mandalas, or a galactic polity which shared a common culture and lifestyle based on the Sanskrit shastra.
All over Southeast Asia, people are now rediscovering their common culture, which is a harmonious blending of Sanskriti and Austronesian traditions.
We are part of this movement which aims to rediscover the authentic root knowledge from all over the Indosphere.
The contemporary nations of Brunei, Cambodia, Indonesia, Laos, Malaysia, Myanmar, Singapore, Thailand, East Timor, the Philippines and Viẹtnam are part of a bioregion profoundly impacted by India, with its indigenous particularities and nuances.
The Ramayana, the Niddesa and other classical texts include descriptions such as “land of gold” (suvarnadvipa), “island of gold” (suvarnabhumi), “island of coconuts” (narikeladvipa), “island of camphor” (karpuradvipa) and “island of barley” (yavadvipa), where Brahmins migrated to in search of wealth.
A circular, interlinked civilization
It is not as if Southeast Asia was some sort of Indian colony, but it was rather always a two-ways relationship between Dvipantara and Bharat, or even a circular relationship among all the kingdoms of Southeast Asia.
The whole South Asian continent was a continuum of civilization. This is mentioned in the Matsya Purana, where for the first time is mentioned the cultural unity of Jambudvipa and Dvipantara.
So there was no “Indianization” per se, but more of a cultural continuum over two millennia where local cultures and religious traditions were standardized and somewhat uplifted within the fold of Hinduism.
