Indian Antiquary Vol 45

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarkar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 41

MARCH, 1916)
OUTLINES OF INDO-CHINESE HISTORY
OUTLINES OF INDO-CHINESE HISTORY
BY SIR R. C. TEMPLE
Introductory Remarks. THE following pages are reprinted here from a contribution by the present writer to
Hutchinson's History of the Nations (1914-1916), pp. 1810-1830, with the kind permission of the publisher and editor, because it is believed that no general view of the history of Indo-China exists elsewhere, and that such a view will be useful to the readers of this Journal. The influence of Indian thought, religious and philosophica), has been so great on the nations further to the eastwards, and has existed for so long a time, that a general knowledge of them must always be of interest to the student of things Indian. It is to be regretted that it is not possible to include in this article a similar account of the Malays to the south of Indo-China, where Indian influence has been equally pervading for as long a period. Such an account has been prepared, but one hesitate to publish it, as though accurate knowledge on the subject is being steadily accumulated, it is not in such a condition yet as to make a general survey based on what has hitherto been acquired other than perchance misleading.
1.---THE INDO-CHINESE RACES. THERE are at the present day three seperate nations occupying the land commonly called Indo-China, or Further India (L'extreme Orient), either of which terms is fully applicablo to the country. These nations are the Burmese, under British domination, on the west, the Siamese, who are independent, in the centre, and the Annamese, under French protection, on the east. The territories they occupy lie east of India and south of China. But closely connected with the Burmese are the Tibetans in the Himalayan regions across the whole northern border of India. For the present purpose, therefore, they are classed with the Indo-Chinese to the east of India, making a fourth nation in that category. In addition, right across the centre of Indo-China, west to east, are to be found yet another race—the Mons-now being submerged by the others; but until quite recently they controlled great independent historical kingdoms, under the difforing national names of Talaings in Pegu (Burma), Khmers in Cambodia (Siam), and Chams in Champa (Southern Annam and Cochin-China).
The whole of these peoples have three salient characteristics in common. They are Chinese by descent and habit, but Indián (Hindu and Buddhist) by culture, and have all & striking civilization of great antiquity. Though, owing to geographical situation in a remote corner of South-eastern Asia, they were practically unknown to Europe until modern times, they have long occupied & place midway between Indian and Chinese civilizations; and as a meeting-point of ancient antagonistic religious and ästhetic ideals and of those mentalities which produce definite styles of art, architecture and literature, all in Indo-China old and extensive, they form the subject of instructive ethnological and historical studies of great interest. The Tibetans have for some centuries established a wide religious ascendancy over all the Mid-Asiatic populations, from Mongolia to Japan.
Looking back into the ages, one finds the true aborigines of the lands east of India to be Negritos, small black pigmies with woolly hair, of whom traces still abound in the population. To these gucceeded tribes still primitive in nature but of a fairer (Caucasio complexion, from the west or perhaps the south, who, in their turn, have been overwhelmed and assimilated by immigrants of yellow Mongolian race from the highlands of