The Indianization of the region was a peaceful process of acceptance by the resident tribes in the region. Small settlements were founded by Indian traders, inter-marriage between Indians and natives helped the absorption process and gradually Indian methods of [L3 201 / religion], [L3 202 / lifestyle], administration and law, [L3 203 / writing], [L3 204 / building and art styles] were adopted by the Cambodian society. [L3 205 / Indian literary traditions] - especially the [G 20 / Mahabharata] - were also incorporated into Cambodian culture and often [P 065 / portrayed in art].
Indianization of the region, particularly the adoption of Indian ideas of kingship and lifestyle, were essential in transforming native tribalism into independently advanced kingdoms. These early kingdoms were themselves the basis for the great empire of the Khmers of which Angkor was the capital city.
This process of Indianization took place in two phases. The first coincides with the legend of Kambuja, around the first century AD. The second period came after the appearance of the foreigner, Chandan, to the throne of Funan in AD357. He was probably an Indian [G 08 / brahmin], and reforms in the law and administration based on Indian types seem to have taken place in the later fourth and fifth centuries. Kaundinya Jayavarman, who succeeded Chandan as king of Funan in AD478, initiated reforms in the law and administration of his kingdom based on similar practices in India. Significant Indian influence was evident in the records of the reigns of the kings of Funan in the sixth century.
