Shailendra empire of Southeast Asia: (i) The most important empire which come to be founded in Southeast Asia in the 8th century AD was the Shailendra empire. It comprised Java, Sumatra, Malay Peninsula and other parts of the Southeast Asian region.

(ii) They were a leading naval power and on account of their geographical position controlled the trade between China and India as well as other countries in the west. The Shailendra kings were followers of Buddhism and had close contact with the Indian rulers. One of the kings of this empire, built a monastery at Nalanda in the ninth century, and at his request the Pala king Devapala of Bengal granted five villages for its upkeep.

(iii) In the eleventh century another king was permitted by the Chola king Rajaraja I to build a Buddhist monastery at Nagapattam on the Tamil coast.

(iv) The Shailendras also built a beautiful temple dedicated to Buddha at Borobudur in Java. It is situated on the top of a hillock and consists of nine gradually receding terraces.

(v) Besides Buddhism, the worship of Hindu gods such as Vishnu and Shiva was also quite popular in southeast Asia.

(vi) The temples dedicated to them have been found at various places. They show distinct traces of Indian influence and inspiration. One of the most famous temples, dedicated to Vishnu, is Angkor vat temple built in the 12th century by Surya Varman II, the king of Kambuja (Cambodia). It is surrounded by a moat, filled with water. It has a huge gopuram (gateway) and number of galleries, the walls of which are decorated with sculptures drawn from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana.