THEORY OF THE VAISYAS
Vaisyas are the merchant caste of India. Some scholars believe that Indianisation in SEA had occurred peacefully, rather than forcefully. These vaisyas married local women and interacted with the indigenous people, sharing with them their goods and culture. Intermarriage ensured that Indian influence would be long lasting in the countries, and trade enabled the traders to travel to different places and therefore spread the Indian culture around.
Trade allowed the Vaisyas to spread Indian influence over a larger area. This is because the trade between India and SEA was a flourishing one, so the people of both India and SEA naturally interacted with and influenced one another. Hence, the widespread Indianisation of Southeast Asian countries from as distant as Vietnam to Indonesia can be explained through this theory.
Trade allowed the Vaisyas to spread Indian influence over a larger area. This is because the trade between India and SEA was a flourishing one, so the people of both India and SEA naturally interacted with and influenced one another. Hence, the widespread Indianisation of Southeast Asian countries from as distant as Vietnam to Indonesia can be explained through this theory.
WHY THIS THEORY MIGHT BE WRONG
Individual or small groups of merchants and traders possibly would have found it challenging to influence entire empires or large communities at once. The spread of Indianisation had to have had a bigger driving force and impact, rather than day-to-day exchange of ideas with the locals.
It is thus unlikely that this theory is true.
It is thus unlikely that this theory is true.