THEORY OF THE KSHATRIYAS
The Kshatriyas are the second highest caste in India. They comprise the military and the ruling, and known as the “Warrior caste”. This theory postulates that the Indian culture was spread through these Indian warriors, the Kshatriyas, during mass migration, war, colonization, and conquest. They are believed to be the only way the entire region could be indoctrinated so effectively, as scholars believe that for Indianisation to have occurred as widely across SEA, substantial power and forceful methods most likely would have been required. The most effective method of achieving such widespread Indianisation would have been through military conquest
WHY THIS THEORY MIGHT BE WRONG
The kshatriyas were warriors, which meant that the only way they could spread culture was through colonization and military conquests. This way, their ‘superior’ culture would be forcefully imposed onto the Southeast Asian indigenous culture, which would mean a total adoption of Indian culture rather than the partial borrowing as evidenced. However, means of Indianisation in SEA was peaceful and gradual
Indian culture spread in Southeast Asia by means of cultural ‘borrowing’, which meant that Southeast Asians only selected aspects of Indian culture that were useful to the society and not cultural assimilation, whereby everything has been adopted from Indian culture. Southeast Asia would have had Indian colonial masters, which they did not. Southeast Asia would have been almost a reflection of India, but this was not true at all, because Southeast Asians still retained their identity by fusing indian culture with their local influences.
Therefore this kshatriyas theory is unlikely to be true.
Indian culture spread in Southeast Asia by means of cultural ‘borrowing’, which meant that Southeast Asians only selected aspects of Indian culture that were useful to the society and not cultural assimilation, whereby everything has been adopted from Indian culture. Southeast Asia would have had Indian colonial masters, which they did not. Southeast Asia would have been almost a reflection of India, but this was not true at all, because Southeast Asians still retained their identity by fusing indian culture with their local influences.
Therefore this kshatriyas theory is unlikely to be true.