Ancient Bharat

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Expansion of Bharat

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Greater Bharat

Samngam Age

Republic in ancient Bharat

It has been proved from time to time that the Indians of the past were not stay -at home people but went out of their country for exploration , trade and conquest. The question arises now , what forces prompted the Indians move outside India . Trade definitely played an important role . They went to the far east for trade purpose. Some had the spirit of adventure . The trade and any commercial activities led to the establishment of political and cultural relations . The foreign traders in India spread Indian culture , tradition in their lands . Some of them were so much fascinated by India, that permanently settled here.

It is now certain that before the first two centuries of the Christians era, Indian culture was spread to Champa ( Annam) , Java , Sumatra , Borneo Bali , Kambhuja, Siam , Malaya , Sailendra, Empire , Ceylon , Burma , China ,and Tibet.

According to Elliot , the Hindu Dyansty of Champa was founded between 150 to 200 A.D. References depicting the influence of Indian culture Champa are many, Brahmanical Hinduism and Buddhism both prevailed there . The Indian colonies established in Champa always tried to gather and strongly build up a society of orthodox Hindu type.

The famous Chinese traveller Fahien had visited Java somewhere around 420 A.D while he was on way to China . He observed that there was no Buddhism but only Brahmanical religion there . The beginning of Hindu colonisation in Java carries many views . Some trace it back to Mahabharata while some link it to Kalinga form where "Twenty thousand families were sent to Java ". Itsing visited Sumatra twice and called Sumatra as a center of Buddhist learning. Vijaya extended his supremacy over Malayan Peninsula . It is proved that the Hindu kingdom of Sumatra was Sri-Vijaya.

Bali or Balidvipa colony in this respect is worth mentioning .As it is the only Hindu colony in the far east still retaining the old culture and civilization .The people are proud of their connection with the Hindus and call their deities-Vishnu , Siva , Indra , Nandin , Krishna as Devas . The Caste -system laid down by Manu Smriti prevailed here. Hindus also colonised in Kambuja or Comodia . The very first colony of the Hindus in Combodia was known by the Chinese name Funan. Many towns in Combodia were having Indian names e.g . Tamarapura , Vikramputra , Dhruvapura , Adhyapura etc . Hindu deities were worshipped even here , The Kambuja art also has Indian origin .

Regarding the period of Indian expansion outside , 4 different lines point out the 1st two centuries of Christian Era as the time limit before which these colonies were accomplished facts .This is as mentioned by V.D. Mahajan . The four lines are :

1)Ptolemy , while writing in the middle of the second century has used a large number of geographical Sanskrit names in India - China .

2)When the Chams or the people of Annam appear in history towards the close of II century , they were already under a Hindu or Hinduised dyanasty.

3)The Chinese had an interaction with the Hindu Kingdom of Fon-Han in the 1st half of 3rd century . At that time the throne was occupied by an usurper and two kings had already ruled before him , for a period of 93 years .

4)An ambassador of a small Hindu kingdom ( Tenasserim) who visited the Chinese court in 515 A.D is reported to have said that their kingdom was founded more than 400 years ago.