4 points out the monsoon rhythm prevailing across the Bay of Bengal that posed no major climatic obstacles
to the early mariners, testifying to the geographical predisposition of the Indo-Pacific region.
It is no exaggeration that as Mother of Law and Philosophy, she (India) gave to three- quarters of Asia a god,
a religion, a doctrine, an art (Levi 1964, p.xvi). While contrasting the Indian method of good neighbourly relations with the Chinese expansionist policy, Le May noted that India exercised an extraordinary fascination over the indigenous peoples of all (the)
territories, owing to the attractions offered by Buddhism and Hinduism ( Le May 1964). The sagacity of India’s time-tested policy of maintaining cordial and friendly relations on a footing of equality, rather the very process signifies a peaceful outlook and a cooperative approach, was a unique process known as acculturation that made the racially different Southeast Asian people to absorb the Indian cultural elements and adapted them to their own requirements (Munirathnam Reddy 1999). Thus, by
virtue of her deep historical, cultural and maritime bonds with several countries in the Asia-Pacific, India is no stranger to Southeast Asian states and to the regions beyond it (Maitra 2005). It is quite logical for Southeast Asians to consider India a holy land rather than a motherland, a region of pilgrimage rather than an area of jurisdiction (Prakash 1964). The Southeast Asian leaders had nothing but an admiration for their ancient cultural connection with India and exemplified their Indian–origin culture as a means of evoking the national consciousness among the people during their struggle for freedom.
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