Asia did not adopt the caste system, nor even the dietary habits of the Indians like curry powder or milk products. Politically, none of the supposed Southeast Asia 'colonies' showed any allegiance to India. Economically speaking, the states of Southeast Asia were not colonies as there was no scope of economic exploitation. India also did not enjoy monopoly in the field of foreign trade.
The absence of concrete evidence regarding Indian cultural expansion has resulted in the postulation of various theories regarding the motives and the process of the transfer of Indian cultural elements to Southeast Asia. In this article, the flow of Indian cultural elements is shown in the context of Southeast Asian initiative or 'indigenization'. The consensus is that the process of Indian cultural expansion in Southeast Asia was accomplished by peaceful means and it was non-political in character. There is first the kshatriya (warrior class) theory, which presupposes that Indian cultural expansion was due to the seminal influence of the Indian warriors and conquerors, who migrated in large numbers to Southeast Asia. The vaisya (merchant class) theory postulates that Indian cultural penetration began with traders, who intermarried with local women and impressed the indigenous population with their goods and culture. The third theory, commonly known as brahmana (priestly class) theory accorded primacy to local initiative: indigenous port patricians and rulers enlisted the service of brahmans to buttress their political authority through Hindu ceremonies and rituals. Rather than being the result of a single factor, most likely the whole process of Indian cultural expansion was the outcome of endeavors of warriors, traders and priests along with the indigenous initiative. Most probably all four groups of people were involved in the process.
One of the significant factors in the spread of Indian cultural influence in Southeast Asia is geographical proximity between two regions. The fabulous wealth of Southeast Asia was an attraction for the Indians. The type of names given to different regions of Southeast Asia is recognition of this desire for economic gain. The Ramayana, Pali Nidesa and other works refer to Suvarnabhumi (land of gold), Suvarnadvipa (island of gold), Narikeladvipa (island of coconuts), Karpuradvipa (island of camphor), and Yavodvipa (island of barley). In respect of kingdom of P'an-p'an, it has been said that the numerous brahmans of that kingdom came from India in search of wealth. Inscriptions attest to the arrival of Indian brahmans to Cambodia and settling there after marrying in royal families. The missionary activities of Buddhists also resulted in large number of Indians settling in the region.
Although the most intensive cultural contact between India and Southeast Asia came in later centuries, initial contact between the two regions dates to prehistoric times. There was racial and linguistic affinity between certain groups of people of eastern India with Southeast Asians. Archaeological excavations are also a testimony of the interaction between the two regions. In the Korat plateau of Thailand, glass and stone beads have been found, which was an indicator of trade contact with India. Ban Chiang in Thailand had yielded bimetallic spearheads belonging to first millennium BCE. The same types of artifacts have been reported from places like Mahurijhari in Madhya Pradesh, Gilmanuk in Bali, Prajekan in Java and Dongson in Vietnam. The Buni complex in Java had