Maritime Southeast Asia

Often serving as an important node through which West Asian and South Asian maritime trade with China were maintained, maritime Southeast Asia remained exposed to various extra-local influences that accompan­ied maritime trade with and through this area. Yet, as the research articles in the book indicate, it was not just an appendage to the two great agrarian and maritime civilizations of Asia: India and China. It imbibed extra-local influences and transformed them to suit local needs.