International trade brought South Asian Hindu and Buddhist traditions to mainland Southeast Asia. This economic foundation allowed new political states to form in the Mekong Delta area, which were led by rulers who presented themselves as god-kings (devarajas). The Pre-Angkor kings claimed to be incarnations of Shiva or Vishnu and their names reflect this affiliation. Their authority is also based on South Asian chakravartin (universal king) concepts of rulership that came to Southeast Asia.
No comments:
Post a Comment