India and Tibet

Tibet was influenced by India from the seventh century. The famous Buddhist king Gampo founded the city of Lhasa and introduced Buddhism. The Tibetan alphabet was devised with the help of Indian scholars. Later, the Indian scholars helped for the establishment of Lamaism in Tibet. In the eleventh century the Pala dynasty of Bengal had close contacts with Tibet. When Bengal was attacked by the Muslim rulers, many Buddhist monks sought shelter in Tibet.

India and Sri Lanka

Despite having different political history, Sri Lanka experienced a great cultural influence from India. Buddhist missionaries had spread not only the religious faith but also cultural traditions. The art of stone carving went to Sri Lanka from India. In the fifth century, Buddha Ghosha visited Sri Lanka and consolidated there the Hinayana Buddhism. The famous paintings of Sigiriya were modeled on the Ajantha paintings.

Indian Culture in South East Asia

Indian culture had extended its mighty influence in the South East Asian region consisting of the Malay Archipelago and Indo- China. They are located across the Bay of Bengal. Being fertile and rich in minerals, these lands attracted the attention of the Indians. Moreover, the east coast of India is studded with numerous ports and Indians undertook frequent voyages to these lands. The ancient traditions refer to traders voyages to Suvarnabhumi, (the land of gold) a name generally given to all the countries of the East Asia. Indians began to colonize the East Asia in the Gupta period. It was further encouraged by the Pallavas. The Indian colonists established great kingdoms and some of them lasted for more than a thousand years. A number of dynasties with Indian names ruled in various parts. Till the arrival of Islam in the fifteenth century, Indian culture dominated this region.