•Thus
•The cultural and geographic environment of Southeast Asia had a fundamental influence on the manner in which the polities of the region developed. Confederations of communities which saw themselves as equivalent were found in many parts of Southeast Asia
•Relations between leaders and followers mirrored the obligations of relatives.
•Like a parent, the overlord should give protection, assistance and occasionally a stern rebuke; in return, the vassal/child should return loyalty, respect and service.
•The ideal of personal and continuing reciprocity which grew out of concepts of kinship lay at the heart of the Southeast Asian polity, and it could well be argued that whatever 'structure' can be discerned in most early kingdoms was ultimately based on the bonds of family.