A comprehensive analysis of cultural expansion from India to Southeast Asia under the Chola dynasty
Author(s): Aarti Kumari Raj
Abstract: The Chola dynasty (c. 9th to 13th century CE), one of the most powerful and influential empires of South India, played a pivotal role in shaping the cultural landscape of Southeast Asia through its maritime expeditions, religious missions, and sustained commercial and diplomatic engagements. This research article presents a comprehensive and multidimensional analysis of how the Cholas extended Indian cultural elements across the Bay of Bengal into Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Sumatra, Java, Bali, the Malay Peninsula, and parts of Cambodia and Thailand. Central to this cultural expansion was the Chola Navy, which enabled direct political influence and fostered long-term cultural interactions with the Srivijaya Empire and other regional powers.
The study examines the deliberate use of soft power strategies, including temple construction, religious propagation (particularly Shaivism and Vaishnavism), and language diffusion—especially Tamil and Sanskrit—through inscriptions, literature, and administrative practices. The architectural grandeur of South Indian temples, bronze sculpture traditions, and iconographic styles were transplanted and adapted in Southeast Asian contexts, leaving indelible impressions on local art and religious practices. Furthermore, the paper highlights how the Chola kings positioned themselves as world rulers (chakravartins) and patrons of dharma, legitimizing their influence both within India and beyond through land grants to temples, endowments to Brahmins, and diplomatic missions.
Using interdisciplinary sources such as archaeological reports, epigraphic evidence, maritime history, and literary texts like the Periya Puranam and Tiruvalangadu Plates, this paper traces the channels of cultural diffusion and mutual exchange. The analysis demonstrates that the Chola period was not merely a phase of conquest but a vibrant epoch of cultural globalization wherein Indian ideas of kingship, cosmology, aesthetics, and religious life were embedded in the social fabric of Southeast Asian polities. Ultimately, the study contributes to a nuanced understanding of early Indian Ocean interactions and the role of South Indian dynasties in the wider process of Asian cultural integration.
DOI: 10.22271/27069109.2025.v7.i4a.392Pages: 39-42 | Views: 99 | Downloads: 50Download Full Article: Click Here
How to cite this article:
Aarti Kumari Raj.
A comprehensive analysis of cultural expansion from India to Southeast Asia under the Chola dynasty. Int J Hist 2025;7(4):39-42. DOI:
10.22271/27069109.2025.v7.i4a.392
