Aligning with the National Library Board (NLB)�s mission to promote a knowledgeable and engaged society, this exhibition aims at acknowledging the historical past of the Indians with a Singaporean identity rooted in our multicultural heritage. This initiative is the 3rd in a series of exhibitions after the Zheng He and Maritime Asia exhibition and Aksara: The Passage of Malay Scripts exhibition. Entitled, KaalaChakra, it will focus on the cultural and religious influences as well as early trade related incursions from India to Southeast Asia and vice versa from pre-historic times.





The exhibition covers commercial activities, the administrative and legal framework, the system of writing, a great part of the vocabulary in the local languages, early libraries, certain artistic formulas, the virtually unchanged cosmogonic myths, the lunar-solar calendar, and the great epic themes of the Ramayana, Mahabaratha & Puranas. More importantly, it traces the influence of the Sanskrit and Tamil languages in this region and the spread of Hinduism and Buddhism. The Tamil king Rajendra Chola�s naval expeditions in Southeast Asia is also a feature of the KaalaChakra exhibition which is on Level 10 of the National Library from 17 November 2007 for a period of 6 months.





'KaalaChakra' is jointly organised with several international stakeholders such as museums, libraries and universities who have provided exhibits like artifacts, archaeological and inscriptional evidences, classical literatures and rare reference materials in various Southeast Asian languages. The Exhibition was supported by a 3-day Conference from 21 to 23 November 2007. The EIISEA conference was jointly organized by NLB, ISEAS, ISAS and ARI, and was attended by local and international historians and researchers. Cultural programmes and literary activities on Indian themes are also in store for participation by community organizations and the general public.





Medieval commercial activities in Early Southeast Asia


About 500 BC, prior to embarking on overseas relationships, trade was intensively carried out among ancient settlements. During the 1st century BC to 5th century A.D., early trade relations between the indigenous people and Indians intensified. During this period, maritime voyages and trade were the most influential factors in strengthening the cultural, political and economic relationships of the Indians with Southeast Asia. Buddhist priests and teachers, who brought with them the civilizing influence of Indian cultural and spiritual life, accompanied traders, explorers and craftsmen. They implanted them in these new lands by introducing the art of writing and the classical Sanskrit language and literature, including their own vernacular languages, to enrich the vocabularies of Southeast Asia.





Administrative and legal framework in Early Southeast Asia


Archaeological evidences indicate that Indian cultural influence was rapidly increasing during the 5th to 7th centuries AD. Indian ideas influenced systems of political administration, culminating in a king who was governed by Indian codes of royal conduct. During the 7th to 13th centuries AD, the Southeast Asian people effectively absorbed Indian civilization. This important cultural foundation enriched the development of social organizations and reformation to hierarchical societies in Southeast Asia.





Archaeological and inscriptional evidences testify to the close relationship between the South Indian kings and the Southeast Asian kings. The KaalaChakra exhibition will showcase some of the various ports-of-call during the medieval period and highlight the political influences which contributed to state formations in Southeast Asia.





Scripts of Early Southeast Asia


The Indian script was the basis for most of the writing systems of Southeast Asia, including Mon, Burmese, Thai, Khmer, Cham, Javanese, and Balinese. Alphabets of Southeast Asia originated in South India, with the influence of the script of the Pallavas predominating.





Archaeological and inscriptional evidences of Early Southeast Asia


Stone inscriptions written in Tamil and found in Southeast Asia, mainly in Indonesia, Thailand and China reveal the organized activities of Tamil merchant guilds, which were mainly non-political. Evidence of this kind gives a picture of the spread of Indian trade throughout Southeast Asia and the establishment of Tamil settlements in several areas.





A small piece of pottery dated 2nd century AD, with early Tamil letters, which was found in Phu Khao Thong in Thailand, will be displayed in the exhibition. Replica of the �Perum Pathan Kal� with Tamil Brahmi Inscription, (3rd or 4th century AD, found in Krabi, Thailand) which obviously hints of the migration and settlement of a Tamil goldsmith in southern Thailand, will also be showcased in the exhibition. The 1088 AD Lobo Tuwa Tamil inscription found on the west coast of Sumatra tells the story of the musk trade in Southeast Asia. Similarly, the Desa Neusu (13 AD) Tamil inscription in the Banda Aceh Museum provides an interesting insight into the important period in the economic history of the region. These inscriptions and other artifacts from many parts of Southeast Asia will be of special interest to researchers, historians and most importantly to the public of multicultural Singapore.





Members of the public are invited to view the KaalaChakra Exhibition at Level 10 of the National Library, Victoria Street. The exhibition is open daily from 10.00 am to 9.00 pm except on public holidays. Admission is free. For conducted tours, please contact Ms Azlin Aziz at 6333 7995 or you may email her at Azlin_Aziz@nlb.gov.sg





Acknowledgements





Indonesia


Museum Nasional Indonesia


National Library of Indonesia


Provincial Museum of Banda Aceh





India


Dr Y Subbarayalu


Dr K Rajan





Malaysia


Department of Museums Malaysia


Dato� Professor Emeritus Zuraina Majid, Commissioner of Heritage





Singapore


Asian Research Institute (ARI)


Institute of South Asian Studies (ISAS)


Institute of Southeast Asian Studies (ISEAS)


Ambassador K Kesavapany


Doctor and Mrs James Khoo


NUS Museum, Center for the Arts


Panel of Experts





Thailand


Ms Tassanee Bhikul, former Director, Nakhon Si Thammarat National Museum, Thailand


Capt. Boonyarit Chaisuwan, 5th Regional Office of Fine Arts Department, Phuket, Thailand


Mr Pornchai Watthanawikkij, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand


Khlong Thom Temple Museum, Krabi, Thailand


Suthi Rattana Foundation, Nakhon Si Thammarat, Thailand


Wat Phra Mahathat Temple Museum, Nakhon Si Thammrat, Thailand