Yep, you read that right. Cambodia’s first king (Kaundinya) was an Indian merchant!
But Kaundinya is more than just a man. He symbolizes over 1000 years of Indian influence in the region, a connection that would change the face of Southeast Asia forever.
In this video, I’ll introduce you to the Kaundinya-Soma love story, but I’ll also introduce you to many other Indians and Southeast Asians whose experiences reveal a lot about the Indianization process.
In fact, we’ll even explore a “reverse” story: that of Nandi Varman II, a SE Asian prince who claims the Pallava Dynasty throne and becomes the greatest of the Pallava kings.
Enjoy!
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Further reading:
“Ocean of Churn,” by Sanjeev Sanyal
“The Indianized States of Southeast Asia,” by George Coedes
