Indo-China: A region India needs to engage with strategically

The Indo-China region in Southeast Asia, consisting of presentday Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos, has had significant trade, cultural, and historical relations with its immediate neighbour, China.

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Similarity in ethnicity and religious faith has contributed to their closeness. The Vietnamese are believed to have migrated from Tibet, though their distinct Mongoloid features suggest a mixed heritage. Compared to Myanmar, Malaysia, and Singapore, Indian migration to this region has been less prominent than the Chinese migration. Nevertheless, there was a notable cultural and religious influence. Buddhism, founded in India, has been the primary faith, and Hindu cultural influence spread during the Gupta period (A.D. 320-550) had reached the Indo-China region as well.

Before Western colonizers began seeking trade and territories in Southeast Asia, the Indo-China states had strong administrations, codified regulations, a wellrecognized hierarchical social order, territorial divisions with defined bureaucratic systems, and fairly self-sufficient economies.

The French, who had a role in the late eighteenth century in the Nguyen Kingdom, had to wait until the second half of the nineteenth century for making their territorial conquests. Inspired by British success in South Asia and in "opening" China, they employed a similar tactic, citing alleged religious persecution as a pretext for opening Vietnam. In the 1840s, French ships blockaded and bombed the port of Tourane (Da Nang) to secure the release of Bishop Dominique Levant, condemned to death by the Vietnamese ruler. In a coalition of interests among the church, traders, and manufacturers seeking new markets, the French under Napoleon III acquired territories in South Vietnam, augmenting their power and prestige. The French aimed to develop Saigon as an alternative to Hong Kong for funnelling trade into interior China.