PlsLorlans have long debaLed Lhe lssue of !"#$%"$&%'$(" vs. $"#$)*"$&%'$(" aLLempLlng Lo deLermlne Lhe exLenL of lndlan lnfluence on SouLheasL Aslan pollLles.
lndlanlzaLlon ln our conLexL, !"#$%"$&%'$(" refers Lo Lhe common use of 1) lndlan rellglous symbols 2) courL ldeology (l.e. Lheory of klngshlp) 3) Lhe presence of 8rahmlns, wheLher lndlan or naLlve, as an lnLellecLual and prlesLly occupaLlon. Brahmans introduced Indian court customs and rituals and ensured their proper observance. They emphasized the divine nature of monarchy through a variety of rituals, thus enhancing the power and prestige of monarchs in the eyes of their subjects. Brahmans promoted state organization on an Indian model and introduced law codes based on the Laws of Manu and other Indian Dharma- and Nitishastras Brahmins helped to introduce Indian-based alphabets for local scripts, the Ramayana, Mahabharata, and a variety of works on mathematics, astrology, medicine, and the arts. lndlanlzaLlon: 1wo Wheels of uharma A wise man, soothsayer, Brahmin, rishi (translations vary) named Asita or Kaladevin (depending on the text) make the prediction that the infant Siddhattha would become either a world-ruling monarch (cakkavattin) or a Buddha. Buddha lokkuttara transworldly teacher of gods and men Cakkavattin lokiya rules over the four quarters (of the mandala of the world) 1wo Wheels. Nandiyamiga Jataka (385) duties of a monarch almsgiving (daana) morality (siila) liberality (pariccaaga) uprightness (ajjava) gentleness (maddava) austerity (tapo) non-anger (akkodha) non-hurtfulness (avihim.saa) forbearance (khanti) 10) meekness (avirodhana) 1wo Wheels. Asoka (c. 304-232 BCE; reigned 268-232 BCE) Classical model of a Dhammaraja; his legend is significant for Southeast Asian and Sri Lankan polities, though he was virtually forgotten in India until the 19 th century. uvaravaLl ln Lhe mlsLs of hlsLory Speclflc klngdoms uvaravaLl First mentioned in a Tang dynasty chronicle More likely a collection of kingdoms rather than a single kingdom (see centers on map) Flourished between 6 th and 11 th centuries Spoke a language related to Khmer called Mon Predominantly Buddhist though Hindu deities worshipped as well uharmacakra: Wheel of uharma The Dharmacakra, Wheel of Dharma, is the most widespread symbol of the Dvaravati kingdom(s). Initially referring to the first teaching of the Buddha, it came to symbolize as well the sovereignty of a Buddhist monarch, the Dharmaraja, and the reciprocity of the two wheels of Dharma, the worldly under the rule of a king and the supra-worldly under the rule of a Buddha. uvaravaLl perlod sLupas ln orlgln Wat Kukut, Lamphun Phra Pathom Chedi uvaravaLl seaLed 8uddhas National Museum, Bangkok Wat Na Phra Men, Ayutthaya rachlnburl varlaLlons of 8odhgaya Under the Bodhi tree Under Mucalindas protection Local lnLerpreLaLlon of 8uddhlsL legends, lndlgenous and lndlan Bhanaspati Buddha Twin miracle at Sravasti Srl vl[aya 7 Lh - 13 c.CL ?l[lng's1ravels Much of our current knowledge of Sri Vijaya comes from the account of Yijings travels to India and back in the 7 th c. An artist's impression of Yi Jing !" (635 713), Tang dynasty Buddhist monk. Chalya AvaloklLesvara In the 8 th c. CE, the kingdom extended northward to the Kra Isthmus just north of present-day Chaiya. An inscription (775 CE records the marriage between the royal house of Chaiya and the royal house of Sailendra in Java. Both areas abound in Mahayana Buddhist sculpture. This upper torso of Avalokitesvara was found in Chaiya by Prince Damrong in 1905. an-Aslan 8odhlsaLLva Avalokitesvara is the Bodhisattva of Compassion, and forms exist wherever Mahayana Buddhism has spread. In China, the male image transformed into the female form Guanyin and returned to modern Thailand in that guise. 8uddha of Crahl, Chalya Grahi is the ancient name for the present site of Chaiya. This statue, dating from 1291, combines strong Khmer features with Sri Vijayan characteristics, especially in the modeling of the face and body. The blending of features, like in the previous images of Avalokitesvara, indicates the continuous meeting and inter- action of various cultures and kingdoms in the regions history. WaL 8oromaLhaL, Chalya This stupa, frequently restored, dates from the 7 th
c. CE. The term Boromathat is a Thai pronunciation of the Sanskrit parama (highest) and dhatu (element), in this context referring to a relic of the Buddha. Such stupas were erected in cities of political importance.