The Journal of the Siam Society Vol. XXIX, Part 1-2, 1936 - Khamkoo

P'r. n] R. 0. WINBTEDT 161
parties of South Indian traders, priests and warriorr:;. 'fhey talked a
colloquial Prakrit, married into leading Indonesiu.n families and introduced
the Indian idea.s of kingshil). Both Brahmanism and Buddhism
were introduced, the btter under the form of Hinayana. TheRe Indhtn
emigrants did not content themselves with colonizing Mah1ya but., lmving
crossed the peninsula at the height of Bandon, spread to Southern
Siam, Cambodia and Annam where they founded the "\Yell known sta.tes
of Dvaravati, Funan and Charnpa. It is curious t.o note how little
in the way of sanctuaries or momm1entR these Indictn settlers ha\'e
left in British Ma.laya. It looks like this part of the peninsula was
only used ttl' t1 station en route to those countries where the Indian
geninR for statebuilding and art should, bter on, eelebrate their
greatest triumphs in the empireR of Cambodia and Jn.va at Angkor
and Borobndur. In Siamese Malaya, however, many remains t1l'e
left of the Hindu occupation and ancient Ligor and Chaiya were the
capitals of highly civilized petty States before Cambodia, or Java
reached the zenith of their power and artistic glory.
As the question of the Qailendra dynasties iR actual ju~:>t now, and
Dr. (~uaritch Wales' latest discoveries may cast un entirely new light
on the connection of the Srivijaya empire in Sumatra with the
peninsula, the writer shall not here pronounce any opinion on the
author's treatment of this period in Malaytt's history hut wait till
more clarity has been obtained with regard to these debatable
matters. It seems that at the time the Thai threw over the Cambodian
rule in Siam, Ligor, or Nakhon Srithammamt, was t1n independent
state. But already towards the end of the 13th century
the kings of' Sukhothai had conquered the entire peninsula right
down to Johore. The author'R description of the Malay empire of
Malacca, the M uhammeddan conquest and the subsequent disappea.rance
of Hindu religion and customs makes interesting reading
indeed. War and women play the most important role during those
times, which did not see much constructive stnteRmanship. Next
comes the Portuguese period with d'Albuquergue's conquest of
Malacca in 1511. 1'he Portuguese chapter in the history of Malaya
is revolting reading, about treachery, cruelty, bigotry and wholesale
massacres. Sir Hugh Clifford savs in his excellent book(l) on the exploration
of Further India that the Portuguese misdeeds in the Far
East caused the bare mention of their name to stink in the nostrils
-
(l) Sir Hugh Clifford-Explomtion of Further India,