THE BRAHMIN THEORY

The theory claims that the Brahmins, the priests, were mainly responsible for the spread of
Indian culture throughout Southeast Asia. The Brahmins were the highest level in the caste system,
deeply knowledgeable on the concepts of religious system and able to spread these concepts to the
countries and local communities in Souteast Asia.
Furthermore, as they were the highest caste, it is likely that the local rulers themselves would
have welcomed and respected their presence. The Brahmins interacted with the local rulers, becoming
counsellors in court and legitimising the local rulers by giving them a sort of genealogical list, supporting
them politically.
Theory debunked: The Brahmins were not allowed to cross the sea, because if they were doing
so, the strength of the Brahmins would have vanished or lost.

THE KSHATRIYA THEORY

The Kshatriya theory is the theory that the spread of Indian culture to Southeast Asia was
through the Kshatriyas, the warrior caste, armed colonisation. The theory came from the thought that a
strong spread of a foreign culture in Southeast Asia could not have been achieved through peaceful
means, and had required military force.
The spread of Indian culture in Southeast Asia had indeed been extremely strong, with many of
the major empires in the region which picked up the religions, practices and traditions. It is reasonable
to believe that it a large amount of power and force was required for such deep pervasion.
Theory debunked: If the Indian culture had been spread via military forces, there would be a
larger amount of the Indian culture in our practices and traditions today. Many people would have
Indian names, traditional customs, and Indian beliefs. However, this is not happened in Southeast Asia.
Even in countries with Hinduism and Buddhism as a main or major religion, the traditional practices and
religious customs have been adapted. For example, Hinduism in Bali has a unique form, animinal
sacrifices and acculturated to local belief of animism and dinamism which is not part of the traditional
Hindu culture in India.
Military colonisation would not have allowed the locals to have altered the traditional state of
the Indian cultures to this extent.Therefore, it can be said that Indianisation most probably was not
carried out by the Kshatriyas, debuking this theory.

THE VAISHYA THEORY

The Vaishya Theory is the theory that Indian culture was spread through Southeast Asia by the
Vaishya caste, the merchants. As can be seen in the debuking of the previous theory, the Kshatriya
Theory, the diversity of the current Southeast Asia and adaptation of tradition Indian culture indicates
that the propagation of the Indian culture was through peaceful rather than of force.
This theory claims that Indianisation was via the merchants and traders who married local
women and won over the locals with their wares and culture. There was absorption of some Indian
culutres by the locals. Trade was also an important factor in the region. The merchants would travel all
aroung Southeast Asia, selling their goods, allowing them to come into contact with many of the
countries including Nusantara Archipelago.
Theory debunked: The Vaishya were the second-lowest class in the Indian caste system,
considered the commoners of the community. They are deemed not to be knowledgeable enough to be
able to spread such ideas and concepts to the locals. Furthermore, as they were of such a low caste
level, it would have been near impossible for them to have influenced the community, including the
local rulers.

THE “ARUS BALIK” THEORY or BUMIPUTRA THEORY

This theory hypothesizes that the Indonesian themselves who went and study the Hindu-
Buddhis religion in India. Then they returned spreading the Indian culture to the Indonesian archipelago
which acculturated with the local wisdom. It occurred because of interaction between traders from the
people in Nusantara and India which was centered in the Strait of Malacca. Indonesian people at that
time were able to sail to the Bay of Bengal, going to India and adopting Indian ideas. The key element of
the transmission of Indian culture to Southeast Asia –especially Indonesia– were came from the region
itself, and not from India people.

UNIQUE FACT:
Before Hindu-Buddhis culture came to Indonesia, the ancestors in Indonesia has known several kind of
intelligence, namely: batik, wayang, gamelan, tembang, sail, etc. All of them were only in Indonesia and
unseen in Hindu-Buddish culture in India. 