•1. Much of the region has been occupied by peoples who are basically tribal. This is“nota political organization but rather a socia-cultural-ethnic unity” .
•2. The character of leadership in most Southeast Asian societies. The leaders have exceptional ability, extraordinary 'fortune' or 'luck' will be able to control the vagaries of fate.
•3. The reflection of Southeast Asia's geography. The extensive river basins of the mainland and Java may seem conducive to human settlement, but villages were often separated by wide stretches of forest and by hilly ranges, so that few people travelled regularly outside their own district. This social world was even more limited as one moved away from more populated areas. All served to encourage the growth of communities which were physically distanced from each other.