The Spread of Indian Culture in Other Asian Countries - 1 - Free MCQ Practice

The spread of Indian culture and civilization to other parts of Asia was significant as it led to the spread of various aspects of Indian culture, such as languages, religions, art, architecture, philosophy, beliefs, customs, and manners. Indian political adventurers even established Hindu kingdoms in some parts of South East Asia, which were free from the control of the mother country but were brought under her cultural influence.

Central Asia was a great center of Indian culture in the early centuries of the Christian era. Khotan and Kashkar remained the most important centers of Indian culture, with several Sanskrit texts and Buddhist monasteries being found in these places.

Fahien and Hiuen Tsang were famous Chinese pilgrims who visited India to learn about Indian culture and Buddhism. They traveled to various parts of India, visiting Buddhist monasteries and learning from Indian scholars.

Tibet was influenced by Indian culture from the seventh century. The famous Buddhist king Gampo founded the city of Lhasa and introduced Buddhism to Tibet. The Tibetan alphabet was devised with the help of Indian scholars, and later, Indian scholars helped with the establishment of Lamaism in Tibet.

The art of stone carving went to Sri Lanka from India, and it greatly influenced Sri Lankan art. The famous paintings of Sigiriya were modeled on the Ajantha paintings.

Indian culture had a mighty influence on the South East Asian region, consisting of the Malay Archipelago and Indo-China, located across the Bay of Bengal. Being fertile and rich in minerals, these lands attracted the attention of the Indians.

The Angkorwat Temple, a famous temple built under Indian cultural influence, is located in Cambodia. It was built by Suryavarman II in his capital city Angkor, and it is constructed in the Dravidian style with sculptures depicting episodes from the Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

The most important Hindu kingdom in the Malay Archipelago was Sri Vijaya, located in the big island of Sumatra. It was a great center of trade and culture in the seventh century and later developed into a powerful maritime and commercial power known as the Sailendra empire.

Borobudur, built during A.D. 750-850 under the patronage of the Sailendras, is considered the greatest monument of Indo-Java art. It is situated on the top of a hill and consists of nine successive terraces, crowned by a bell-shaped stupa at the center of the topmost terrace. The open galleries in the terraces contain 2,000 bas-reliefs illustrating various incidents in the life of the Buddha.

Hinduism is still prevalent in Bali, where it arrived as early as the sixth century. The people of Bali continue to be Hindus, and even today, the caste system is found in Bali.