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97-468: Malaysian Indians or Indo-Malaysians are Malaysian citizens of Indian or South Asian ancestry. Most are descendants of those who migrated from India to British Malaya from the mid-19th to the mid-20th centuries. Most Malaysian Indians are ethnic Tamils ; smaller groups include the Malayalees , Telugus and Punjabis . Malaysian Indians form the fifth-largest community of Overseas Indians in

194-598: A Cambridge expedition to locate Langkasuka and Tambralinga , the details of this expedition are described in The Naga King's Daughter . An archaeological investigation of the Yarang area began in 1989 by the Fine Arts Department of Thailand. The majority of the ruins were clustered in the vicinity of a hamlet called Ban Wat, and may have formed the nucleus of the city. Others were scattered further to

291-593: A Malaysian identity. The country is home to people of various national , ethnic and religious origins. As a result, many Malaysians do not equate their nationality with ethnicity , but with citizenship and allegiance to Malaysia. Majority of the population, however, belong to several clearly defined racial groups within the country with their own distinct cultures and traditions: Malays , Orang Asli (aboriginal population), Malaysian Chinese (primarily Han Chinese and Peranakans ), Malaysian Indians (primarily South Asian Tamils and Chitty ). The majority of

388-463: A city with double gates, towers and pavilions. Both men and women in Langkasuka wore sarongs with their torsos bare and their hair loose, although the king and senior officials covered their shoulders with cloth and wore gold earrings and belts of gold cord. Women of high status wrapped themselves in cloth and wore jeweled girdles. It gives further information on some of its kings and also relates

485-413: A man of virtue to whom the populace turned. When the king heard of this he imprisoned this man, but his chains snapped unaccountably. The king took him for a supernatural being and, not daring to injure him, exiled him from the country, whereupon he fled to India. The king of India gave him his eldest daughter in marriage. Not long afterwards, when the king of Lang-ya died, the chief ministers welcomed back

582-744: A map in the Ming dynasty military treatise Wubei Zhi locates it south of Songkla near the Pattani River . A 15th century Arab text similarly places the kingdom between Kelantan and Songkla. The only contradictory information comes from a later Malay text Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa which placed it on the west coast as the predecessor of modern Kedah, although its sovereign had some association with Pattani. Chinese, Arab and Indian sources all considered Kedah and Langkasuka to be separate geographical entities. The Javanese poem Nagarakretagama placed it north of Saiburi , however it appears to imply that it

679-680: A no-bin policy which indirectly implies that if a non-Malay applies for anything it will be rejected. According to the Ninth Malaysia Plan report of 2006, Malaysian Indians also controlled only 1.2 percent of the corporate wealth in Malaysia, down from the previous figure of 1.5 percent. Although the Malaysian Indians are estimated at 9% of the population, they own just 2% of the national wealth due to racially discriminatory policies of institutionalized discrimination, such as

776-459: A number of these voluntary kavadi-bearers. In other towns and estates, kavadis would be carried for other festivals like Chittirai Paruvam . Some of the more rigid practitioners would bear spikes, spears, and hooks pierced into their bodies. The Chittirai Paruvam festival and festivals to the Tamil deity Mariamman are usually accompanied by a fire-walking ceremony. Deepavali , popularly known as

873-421: A picturesque shrine right inside a cave that lies many feet above the ground, and can only be approached by a steep climb. This place, known as Batu Caves , is about eight miles from the city, and a chariot procession carrying the image of the deity to and from the place adds to the color and gaiety of the festival. Crowds from all over the country throng to the cave, including people of all classes and groups. It

970-407: A place named Lang-jia-shu (郎伽戍). A Song dynasty work Zhu fan zhi (published in 1225) gives a description of the country of Ling-ya-si-jia (凌牙斯加). It mentions that its people cut their hair and wrapped themselves in a piece of cloth, its products included elephant tusks, rhinoceros horns, types of wood and camphor, and their merchants traded in wine, rice, silk and porcelain. It also says that

1067-637: A quarter of the Singapore population. The unskilled labour mainly work in Indian restaurants. There are also foreign spouses from the Indian Subcontinent who are married to local Indians. 6.6% of the Malaysian population are Indians as of 2020. There is a close correspondence between the various ethnic and occupational divisions of the Malaysian community, and this is inevitably reflected in

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1164-584: A result, the population of Indians in 1957 had only increased to 820,000. While immigration was a major factor for the increase in population until Independence, the population growth began falling after that as the white collar classes in the civil service and plantations left when British institutions and companies left the country. Since then, lower birth rates and emigration to countries like Singapore , Australia , UK , etc. in search of better educational and economic opportunities meant that Indians continue to see their share of Malaysia's population decline just as

1261-485: A significant elite and a large low income group within its fold. Malaysian Indians large percentage of professionals per capita by constituting 15.5% of Malaysia's professionals in 1999 has been reduced with substantial population close to 40% is now considered the B40 category. In the 1984 census, up to 38% of the nation's medical professional workforce consisted of Malaysian Indians, but this has been since been reduced. In 1970,

1358-455: A significant part of the professional classes in Malaysia; in a census taken in 1999, Malaysian Indians were 15.5% of Malaysia's professional workforce. These include doctors (28.4%), lawyers (26.8%), dentists (21%), veterinary surgeons (28.5%), engineers (6.4%), accountants (5.8%), surveyors (3.0%) and architects (1.5%). However, many Indians are also ranked amongst the most disadvantaged. In 1970, around 39% of Indians in Malaysia were ranked among

1455-401: A story on a succession: When the king goes forth he rides upon an elephant. He is accompanied by banners, fly-whisks, flags and drums and he is shaded with a white parasol. The soldiers of his guard are well-appointed. The inhabitants of the country say that their state was founded more than four hundred years ago. Subsequently the descendants became weaker, but in the king's household there was

1552-527: A total of 688,766 naturalised foreigners had been granted Malaysian citizenship while 10,828 individuals had their citizenships revoked. The community of Malaysians in Australian external territory of Christmas Island makes up the majority of the population, while Singapore has the largest minority community of Malaysians , with 952,261 people, followed by Australia , the United Kingdom and

1649-495: A village fifteen kilometers south of Pattani, which may be of the city described in Liangshu . The city was located inland 10 miles from the coast and connected to the rivers leading to the sea via canals. Silting of the waterways may have led to its decline. Several archaeological expeditions were conducted in the 1960s to locate Langkasuka following Paul Wheatley's suggestion of its likely location. In 1963, Stewart Wavell led

1746-452: Is a Hindi movie channel. The Malaysian Indian community is an important market for the Tamil film industry Kollywood . There are 2- Tamil radio stations of the state-owned Minnal FM and the privately owned THR Raaga . It is also customary for major Malaysian corporations to produce television commercials in conjunction with Deepavali . They generally pay tribute to the contributions of

1843-480: Is a current ally to the present Pakatan Harapan government. This is in addition to DAP and PKR which are multiracial parties with Indian representatives. However HINDRAF is dissolved as of 2019 by RoS and currently this ruling is being brought to court for hearing. Currently Malaysian Indians representation in Malaysian politics is inadequate given there are no full ministers in the current coalition government of Pakatan Harapan. The sole Indian minister V.Sivakumar

1940-452: Is a favourite breakfast dish in Tamil homes. Idiyappam is known as putu mayam in Malay and usually sold by mobile motorcycle vendors. Murukku is made to mark Deepavali . Meals of rice with various vegetable and meat dishes along with other condiments are served on banana leaves in restaurants for lunch and dinner, and also in Indian households during special occasions. Mutton ( goat meat )

2037-534: Is a member of the Barisan Nasional. The People's Justice Party (PKR) and Democratic Action Party (DAP) have a large Indian membership and have many Indian lawmakers. Both parties are members of the ruling Pakatan Harapan coalition. The Socialist Party of Malaysia (PSM), a minor opposition party, has a strong Indian presence. The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) was formed in 2007 to address alleged racial discrimination against Indian Malaysians. It

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2134-455: Is a traditional Indian wind instrument often played at Indian weddings in Malaysia. The contribution of the Indian community to Malaysian cuisine is enormous. Indian cuisine has had a strong influence on traditional Malay cuisine resulting in the popularity of curries in Malaysia. Indian restaurants are well received by Malaysians from all ethnic and religious backgrounds. They have become an important fixture in everyday Malaysian life and are

2231-475: Is above all a day of penance, on which many vows are fulfilled. A 42.7m high statue of Lord Murugan was built at Batu Caves and was unveiled in January 2006, having taken three years to construct. One of the most significant rites performed is the carrying of the kavadi , a large wooden decorated arch, as an act of penance. When deities are taken on procession from one shrine to another, they would be followed by

2328-614: Is also a small community of Australians of Indian descent on the Australian external territory of Christmas Island who live alongside other Australians of ethnic Malaysian Chinese, Malay and European descent. Among the notable people of Indian descent in Malaysia are K. Thamboosamy Pillay , a prominent figure of early Kuala Lumpur , and Karpal Singh , V. David and Samy Vellu , all prominent Malaysian Indian politicians . Institutionalized racism and discrimination in government policy such as NEP had adverse impact on Non Malays including minority Malaysian Indians in Malaysia. Despite

2425-521: Is dedicated to the God Murugan which occurs on the day in the Tamil month of Thai (January–February) when the asterism Poosam is on the ascendant. It is celebrated in grand style in the temples of, George Town , Ipoh and Kuala Lumpur for three days. In Kuala Lumpur, Thaipusam has become an almost national seat for Poosam celebrations. The venue of the Kuala Lumpur celebrations is

2522-489: Is highly favoured and served as either varuval (dry curry) or peratal (curry with a thick gravy). Fried bitter gourd, banana chips, papadam , rasam , yoghurt and pickles are the usual condiments. Desserts and sweets include payasam , halva , mysore pak , palgoa and ghee balls. Some Indian foods have been widely adopted and localised. This includes but not limited to Murukku , Adhirasam and Puttu . The Indian community which mostly consist of Tamils follow Hinduism as

2619-604: Is the case with the Chinese . Today, Malaysian Indians account for approximately 7 per cent of the total population of Malaysia (approx. 2 million) and 9 per cent in Singapore (450,000). From the 1990s to the present period, there has also been a much smaller wave of Indian nationals into Singapore and Malaysia to work in the construction and engineering industry, restaurants, the IT sector, teaching and finance with many taking up permanent residence in Singapore where they account for nearly

2716-561: Is the most practiced religion amongst the Tamils, including both the major Hindu and Tamil pantheon of deities. Tamils of both Indian and Sri Lankan backgrounds practice Hinduism. Vast majority of the Malayalees and Telugus in Malaysia also practice Hinduism. Sikhism is practiced mainly by Punjabis . Many Sindhis also worship in Sikh Gurdwaras in Malaysia. Christianity is practiced by a minority of Tamil people. In Malaysia, most of

2813-467: Is the official language, while English is considered the de facto language for business. The Bumiputeras speak various Austronesian and Austroasiatic languages as well as smaller language families such as Tai-Kadai and Creoles . Chinese Malaysians predominantly speak varieties of Chinese from the southern provinces of China. The more common varieties in the country are Cantonese , Mandarin , Hokkien , Hakka , Teochew , Hainanese, and Fuzhou. Tamil

2910-628: Is the predominant among Indian Malaysians, though languages like Telugu , Malayalam and Punjabi are also spoken. The Malaysian constitution guarantees freedom of religion while making Islam the state religion. According to the Population and Housing Census 2010 figures, ethnicity and religious beliefs correlate highly. Approximately 61.3% of the population practice Islam , 19.8% practice Buddhism , 9.2% Christianity , 6.3% Hinduism and 1.3% practice Confucianism , Taoism and other traditional Chinese religions . 0.7% declared no religion and

3007-437: Is used as the medium of instruction, Malay and English are taught as compulsory subjects. Tamil schools may range from single classroom where students of varying age and ability are taught by a single teacher, to large schools of a few hundreds students. In plantation estates the schools may be poorly staffed and equipped, and few of their students moved on to higher education. Those Indians who do well in schools are primarily from

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3104-624: The 2010 Malaysian Census , numbered at 17,523,508 or 61.85% of the country's 28,334,135 population. The Malaysian diaspora has a population of 1,730,152 in 2019, according to the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs . Malaysia does not keep track of emigration and counts of Malaysians abroad are thus only available courtesy of statistics kept by the destination countries. The diaspora includes both descendants of early emigrants from Malaysia, as well as more recent emigrants from Malaysia. Since independence,

3201-589: The Chettiar in money-lending or finance, while the Vellalar and Muslim Tamils may be in various kind of businesses. The Indian population in pre-independence Malaya and Singapore was predominantly adult males who were single or with family back in India and Sri Lanka . Hence the population fluctuated frequently with periods of immigration to Malaya and periods of exodus of people back to India. As early as 1901

3298-702: The Philippines and printed cloth from India and local sources. "Langkasuka" was mentioned in the Malay text Hikayat Merong Mahawangsa , and it was referred to as "Lengkasuka" in the Javanese poem Nagarakretagama . Tamil sources name "Ilangasoka" as one of Rajendra Chola 's conquests in his expedition against the Srivijaya empire. It was described as a kingdom that was "undaunted in fierce battles". Thai sources made no reference to Langkasuka, but Pattani

3395-519: The United Kingdom in 1957 grew gradually over the course of latter part of the 20th century since the formation of the Federation of Malaya in 1948 (excluding Crown Colony of Singapore , Crown Colony of North Borneo and Crown Colony of Sarawak ). World War II in particular gave rise to a desire amongst Malayans to have their country recognised as a fully-fledged sovereign state with a distinct citizenship. As of 2010, Malaysians make up 0.4% of

3492-601: The United States . Classification of 2010 Census ethnic group is as set by Inter-Agency Technical Committee (IATC) in Appendix 1. IATC is a committee formed to co-ordinate and monitor the implementation and use of standardised codes, classifications and definitions used by the Department of Statistics, Malaysia and other government agencies. For the purpose of tabulation and analysis, as well as taking into account

3589-436: The world's total population , having relied upon immigration for population growth and social development. Approximately 30% of current Malaysians are first- or second-generation immigrants, and 20 percent of Malaysian residents in the 2000s were not born in Malaysian soil. It is estimated, by 2031, nearly one-half of Malaysians above the age of 15 will be foreign born or have one foreign born parent. Bumiputera , according to

3686-548: The 'Festival of Lights', is another major Hindu festival which is celebrated by all Hindu communities. Tamils celebrate Pongal which is a harvest festival usually held from 13–16 January. A similar festival known as Makar Sankranti is celebrated by most other Indian communities while the Punjabis call their harvest festival Lohri . The Malayalees celebrate Vishu , the Malayalee New Year which usually falls in

3783-606: The 11th century conquering that country on behalf of one of its rulers who sought his protection and to have established him on the throne. The Cholas had a powerful merchant and naval fleet in the Indian Ocean and the Bay of Bengal . Three kinds of craft are distinguished by the author of the Periplus – light coasting boats for local traffic, larger vessels of a more complicated structure and greater carrying capacity, and lastly

3880-544: The 12th century, Langkasuka was a tributary to Srivijaya. The kingdom declined and how it ended is unclear with several theories being put up. The late 13th-century Pasai Annals , mentioned that Langkasuka was destroyed in 1370. Some believed that Langkasuka remained under the control and influence of the Srivijaya Empire until the 14th century when it was conquered by the Majapahit Empire . Langkasuka

3977-504: The 19th century, Malay terminology pertaining to book-keeping and accountancy was still largely Tamil. (கடை) (கப்பல்) (வகை) (தொப்பி) Indians have contributed significantly to the building of Malaysia since the 19th century. The Indian workforce was instrumental in the clearing of land for infrastructure, established rubber plantations, built the roads, set up transmission lines as well as managed early Malayan railways, ports and airports. Indian doctors, chemists and veterinarians formed

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4074-399: The 6th century it experienced a resurgence and began to send emissaries to China. King Bhagadatta first established relations with China in 515 AD, with further emissaries sent in 523, 531 and 568. By the 8th century it had probably come under the control of the rising Srivijaya empire. In 1025 it was attacked by the armies of King Rajendra Chola I in his campaign against Srivijaya . In

4171-578: The 7th century an Indonesian kingdom was named Kalingga after the aforementioned Kalinga in India. Chinese sources mention this kingdom ( Holing ) as a center for Buddhist scholars around 604 before it was overshadowed by the Sanjaya or Mataram Kingdom . The most famous Kalingga ruler is Ratu Sima. There is evidence of the existence of Indianised kingdoms such as Gangga Negara , Old Kedah , Srivijaya since approximately 1700 years ago. Early contact between

4268-478: The British to serve in the police and armed forces, and while in modern times these areas are now dominated by Malays, the descendants of Sikhs and other Punjabi are now found in every sphere of the economy, in particular as professionals, and in the mercantile and money-lending business. Institutionalized racism in economic policy by the government is a key economic challenge for Indians. Many state governments have

4365-661: The Indian Christians are either Catholic , Pentecostal , Anglican , Methodist , or Lutheran . The majority of the Malayalee Christians are either Catholic or Syrian Christians . Trade contact with the Tamils predate the Islamic period (c. 570-632 AD), or the birth of Islam. Indonesians and Malays learned of Islam initially through Gujarati merchants and further developed on by the Arab traders. Most of

4462-474: The Indian Muslim community has been absorbed into the larger Malay community due to their common religious background, with a substantially high level of assimilation and intermarriage between the communities. In Malaysia, Tamil Muslims are often referred to as 'Mamaks' while Malayalee Muslims are known as 'Kakas' or 'Malabaris'. One of the biggest Hindu festivals in Malaysia is Thaipusam . Thaipusam

4559-445: The Indian community to the nation and are well received by Indians of all faiths. The heart-warming Deepavali commercials by the state petroleum company Petronas are especially popular. Indian Malaysians have also contributed to the mainstream Malaysian entertainment industry. The Jayhawkers from Seremban led by one Joe Chelliah was the first non-Malay pop band with only Indian musicians that recorded popular commercial albums in Malay in

4656-535: The Indian community's geographical distribution in Malaya. The South Indian Tamils were the majority throughout the country, on the rubber estates and railways, though a significant proportion found employment on the docks in Penang and Singapore . Selangor is the state with the most number of Indians in terms of absolute number whereas Negeri Sembilan is the state with the highest proportion of Malaysian Indians making up

4753-624: The Indian population in the Straits Settlements and the Federated Malay States was approximately 120,000. By 1931 there were 640,000 Indians in Malaya and Singapore and they even outnumbered the native Malays in the state of Selangor that year. However, during World War II many Indian men and women left for Burma as part of the Indian National Army with thousands thought to have perished. As

4850-448: The NEP needs to be reformed as it is outdated, and replace it with a system that can help close the gap of poverty regardless of race and religion. Malaysians Malaysians ( Malay : Orang Malaysia ; Jawi : أورڠ مليسيا ‎) are citizens who are identified with the country of Malaysia . Although citizens make up the majority of Malaysians, non-citizen residents may also claim

4947-487: The NEP. The Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) is the oldest and largest Indian political party in Malaysia. It is a senior member of the Barisan Nasional coalition. The Indian Progressive Front (IPF), another Indian-based party, is affiliated with Barisan Nasional but is not a formal member. The People's Progressive Party (PPP) is technically a multiracial party but its membership is overwhelmingly Indian. It

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5044-637: The Portuguese government encouraged their explorers to bring their married Indian women who were converted already to Roman Catholic Christianity, under a policy set by Afonso de Albuquerque , then Viceroy of India . These people were Goan Catholics ( Konkani Catholics) and Bombay East Indians (Catholics of Marathi descent ). Kuparis who were of mixed Samvedic Brahmin, Goan and Portuguese descent also arrived. Their children already intermarried with Malay population, losing their ethnic identities. British acquisition of Penang , Melaka , and Singapore -

5141-499: The Sanskrit language. The Cherok Tokun Ancient Inscriptions were first documented by Colonel James Low , a British army officer, in 1845. In his log, Low recorded his disappointment of not finding a more spectacular ruin, expecting to find an ancient temple ruin. He documented what he made out to be "a group of seven inscriptions". The inscriptions were believed to be in pre-Pallava script and written in Sanskrit. They were attributed to

5238-520: The Straits Settlements from 1786 to 1824 started a steady inflow of Indian labour. This consisted of traders, policemen, plantation labourers and colonial soldiers (see sepoys ). Apart from this there was also substantial migration of Indians to work in the British colonial government, due to their general good command of the English language. The establishment of the plantations and the need for mass labour led to an influx of Indian migrants working under

5335-855: The Tamil New Year and Vasakhi , the Sikh New Year which are based on the solar calendar . Makar Sankranti is an important festival for Telugu community also celebrated as Pongal by Tamils. The festivals celebrated by Malaysian Indians who profess the Christian faith are Easter , Christmas and All Souls' Day (mainly celebrated by Catholics). Indian Muslims observe Ramadan , the Muslim month of fasting; and celebrate Hari Raya Aidilfitri and Hari Raya Aidiladha . Indian influences could be seen on modern Malaysia as well as on traditional Malay culture. The diffusion of Indian culture includes

5432-542: The Tamil classical dance of India, is an important feature of Tamil culture and is hence popular in Malaysia. Ramli Ibrahim and Mavin Khoo are two non-Indian Malaysians who are Indian classical dance performers. The Temple of Fine Arts in Brickfields, Kuala Lumpur is an academy that provides training in traditional Indian dance and music. The urumee drums are often played at religious and cultural events. The nadaswaram

5529-492: The Theravada sect, which had been introduced by missionaries sent by the emperor Ashoka in the 3rd century BC. Another theory of the introduction of Buddhism after Indian arrived in the peninsula is that after Kalinga conquered lower Burma in the 8th century their influence gradually spread down the peninsula. The ancient Indian Kalinga was located in southeastern India occupying modern day Orissa and northern Andhra Pradesh. In

5626-539: The ancient Kingdom of Kadaaram, which flourished in northern Malaysia in the 5th to 6th centuries. However, according to J Laidlay, who translated the text in 1848, the inscription was in fact written in Pali - another ancient language of the Indian subcontinent. An element needed to carry out commercial transactions is a common language understood by all parties involved in early trade. Historians such as J.V. Sebastian, K.T. Thirunavukkarasu, and A.W. Hamilton record that Tamil

5723-646: The big ocean-going vessels that made the voyages to Malaya, Sumatra , and the Ganges . In Malacca Sultanate , the Chitty people, played a huge role in Malacca's administration of the local ports such as Raja Mudaliar , Syahbandar (Chief of Port) of Malacca and Bendahara Tun Mutahir , a famous Bendahara of the Malaccan Sultanate . Following the Portuguese colonisation of Malacca ( Malaysia ) in 1511,

5820-621: The bulk of medical personnel in Malaysia - their contributions still persist to present day. Indian civil servants formed the core of the civil service both pre- and post-independence. Indian teachers who were particularly fluent in the English language formed the backbone of Malaysian education, particularly in missionary schools. Indians also pioneered private education in Malaysia. A number of Malaysian Indian immigrants are found in Australia, and they tended to be highly qualified and speak English fluently and were therefore highly employable. There

5917-495: The census including ethnic group and citizenship was based on respondent's answer and did not refer to any official document. Information on citizenship should be used with caution as it is subject to content and coverage errors especially for non-citizens as in censuses in most countries. Malaysia contains speakers of 137 living languages, 41 of which are found in Peninsula Malaysia. Malaysian , or Standard Malay,

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6014-511: The commercial and educated group of urban Indians, who were often Tamils, Telugus, Malayali, Punjabis , and Bengalis . The Gujaratis , Sindhis and Marwaris arrived as "passenger Indians" much like in other British colonies. These urban Indians may be Hindus, Christians, Sikhs or Muslims. The Sikhs mainly worked in the police force, while other northern Indians were involved in business. The Malayalees , Ceylonese and Christian Tamils may be involved in government and private white-collar work ,

6111-699: The country paid tribute to a country named Sanfoqi , which is usually interpreted to be Srivijaya . Langkasuka was known as "Long-ya-xi-jiao" (龍牙犀角) in Daoyi Zhilüe from the Yuan dynasty (1279–1368); and "Lang-xi-jia" (狼西加) during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), as marked in Admiral Zheng He 's Mao Kun map . Daoyi Zhilüe mentions that the natives of Langkasuka made salt from seawater and ferment rice wine, and produced hornbill casques , lakawood , honey and gharuwood. The people wore cotton from

6208-475: The diverse ethnic group in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah, Federal Territory of Labuan and Sarawak, major ethnic groups according to region as follows: Malay Malay Kadazan-Dusun Bajau Murut Malay Iban Bidayuh Orang Ulu Melanau Other Bumiputera Other Malays / Anak Dagang Indonesian Non-Bumiputera Chinese Indian Others Information collected in

6305-674: The early Indian colonizers of the Malayic Isthmus named the kingdom Langkasuka in his honour. Chinese historical sources provided some information on the kingdom and recorded a king Bhagadatta who sent envoys to the Chinese court. The earliest and most detailed description of the kingdom comes from the Chinese Liang dynasty (502–557) record Liangshu , which refers to the kingdom of "Lang-ya-xiu" ( Chinese : 狼牙脩 , Middle Chinese : lɑŋ ŋˠa sɨu ). The record mentions that

6402-553: The estates are the Malayalis who hold assistant and managerial positions. Few of these estates however are Indian-owned. Indians are also prominent in the transport and communication sector, either as labourers or as administrative and technical staff. Many Indians are also involved in business and trade, the majority of the privately owned businesses belong to the Chettiars . The Sikhs and other Punjabis were initially recruited by

6499-485: The exile and made him king. This king then ruled for more than 20 years. He was succeeded by his son, King Bhagadatta , who sent the first ambassadorial mission to China in 515. Further emissaries were sent in 523, 531, and 568. The transcription of the kingdom's name in Chinese records changed over time. In the late seventh century, the Buddhist monk Yi Jing mentioned encountering three Chinese monks who lived in

6596-456: The fact that the average income of Malaysian Indians exceeds that of their Malay counterparts, there exists substantial portion of the community who are poor, with 40% of Malaysian Indians claimed to be at the bottom rung of the income ladder. Despite the obvious need of the poor, Malaysian Indians are not eligible for any of Malaysia's affirmative-action programmes, which are reserved for Malays and select indigenous people. Ramon Navaratnam argued

6693-668: The following: A good number of Tamil inscriptions as well as Hindu and Buddhist icons emanating from South India have been found in Southeast Asia (and even in parts of south China ). On the Malay Peninsula, inscriptions have been found at Takuapa , not far from the Vishnuite statues of Khao Phra Narai in Southern Thailand . It is a short inscription indicating that an artificial lake named Avani-naranam

6790-426: The forests with his queen and an infant heir. Raja Ganga left traces of hideout on a nearby hill in form of artefacts on stones. All these inscriptions, both Tamil and Sanskrit ones, relate to the activities of the people and rulers of the Tamil country of South India. The Tamil inscriptions are at least four centuries posterior to the Sanskrit inscriptions, from which the early Tamils themselves were patronizers of

6887-454: The income ladder in 2015. Many of the early South Indian immigrants such as the Tamils and Telugus worked in the agriculture sector, in particular as workers in plantations. In 1930, 60% of all Indians were in this sector, and by 1970, 45% of Indians were still involved in agriculture in Malaysia. Sri Lanka Tamils mainly occupied the subordinate administrative and technical positions in estates, positions they still dominate to this day. Also in

6984-475: The indenture Kangani system in the 19th and early 20th century. Some, after the Kangani system ended in the early 20th century, also paid for their own passage to Malaya. These migrant workers were primarily Tamils (around 80%), with some Telugus , Malayalis as well as Bengalis from eastern India and Punjabis from western India. The Tamil migrants were primarily from Tamil Nadu. These workers were distinct from

7081-448: The kingdom was founded over 400 years earlier, which made its founding likely some time in the late 1st or early 2nd century. According to Liangshu , "Lang-ya-xiu" or Langkasuka was 30 days' journey from east to west, and 20 from north to south, 24,000 li in distance from Guangzhou . It mentions that Aloeswood ( Aquilaria ) and camphor were abundant in the kingdom, and its capital was described as being surrounded by walls to form

7178-520: The kingdoms of Tamilakkam and the Malay peninsula had been very close during the reigns of the Pallava dynasty (from the 4th to the 9th century CE) and Chola dynasty (from the 9th to the 13th century CE). The trade relations the Tamil merchants had with the ports of Malaya led to the emergence of Indianised kingdoms like Kadaram ( Old Kedah ) and Langkasugam . Furthermore, Chola king Rajendra Chola I sent an expedition to Kadaram ( Srivijaya ) during

7275-481: The main faith. Hinduism and Buddhism were brought to the Malay Peninsula from India around the 2nd century AD. The Indian-influenced kingdoms of Kadaram ( Old Kedah ), and Ilangosagam ( Langkasuka ) practised Hinduism and Buddhism during the rule of the Malay- Srivijaya and Tamil- Chola kingdoms. The early few Indians arrived and assimilated quickly into the local population through intermarriage. Hinduism

7372-483: The mid 1960s itself. More recent notable Indian Malaysian artists with multiracial appeal are Reshmonu , Jaclyn Victor , and Alleycats . Indian Malaysians have also made significant contributions to the Malaysian English theatre scene. Tamil hip hop was started in Malaysia by pioneers like rappers Chakra Sonic , Yogi B and several others, which had since then made its way to Kollywood. Bharata Natyam ,

7469-607: The month of April or the month of Medam in the Malayalam calendar . Onam is the most popular festival celebrated by the Malayalee community and is usually observed in the month of August or September. They usually prepare Sadhya , a lunch feast consisting 16 to 24 vegetarian dishes (without onions and garlics). The Telugus celebrate Ugadi , the Telugu New Year which is based on the lunar calendar ; unlike Puthandu ,

7566-400: The non-Malay and non-aboriginal population in modern Malaysia is made up of immigrants and their descendants. Following the initial period of Portuguese, Dutch and then significantly longer British colonisation, different waves (or peaks) of immigration and settlement of non- indigenous peoples took place over the course of nearly five centuries and continue today. Malayan independence from

7663-485: The per-capita income of Malaysian Indians was 76% higher than that of the Malay majority. Despite attempts by the Malaysian government to redistribute wealth since the 1970s through institutionalized racial policy, by 2005 Malaysian Indians still earned a 27% higher per capita income than that of the dominant Malay community. Ancient India exerted a profound influence over Southeast Asia through trade, religious missions, wars and other forms of contact. Pre-colonial Malaysia

7760-406: The poorest of the country. Incidence of poverty (those in the lowest 40% of the national income distribution) in Malaysia was 27.3% Indians. Official figures suggest that the percentage of Indians living below the official poverty line has decreased from 39.2% in 1970 to 1.9% in 2002, but the figures have been criticised as inaccurate. It has been claimed around 40% of Indians are at the bottom rung of

7857-508: The population. There are significant differences between Malaysian Indians who are part of the Malaysian working class in plantations and urban middle class or upper middle class professionals. Many Indians are workers in plantations and attend Tamil language schools. Tamil language primary schools are funded by the Federal Government , but Tamil schools on private lands are not eligible for full government grant. Although Tamil

7954-658: The pro-Barisan Nasional Malaysian Indian United Party (MIUP), Malaysia Makkal Sakti Party (MMSP) and the latest Malaysian Indian Justice Party (MIJP). There was also the Democratic Malaysian Indian Party (DMIP) which has been dissolved. In the Malaysian general election held in 2018, sixteen Indians were elected to the Dewan Rakyat . This is the highest number of Malaysian Indians elected to parliament in Malaysian history. HINDRAF

8051-626: The recipes are closely guarded secrets. Unlike Indian cuisine in the United Kingdom and other Western countries which tend to focus on North Indian cuisine , Indian cuisine in Malaysia is largely based on South Indian cuisine as the Malaysian Indian diaspora is overwhelmingly Tamil, although some northern dishes such as tandoori chicken and naan bread are common. Southern breakfast delicacies such as idli , vadai and dosa (spelled in Malaysia as 'thosai') are common. The appam

8148-607: The remaining 1.4% practised other religions or did not provide any information. Langkasuka According to the legend given in the Kedah Annals , the kingdom was founded and named by Merong Mahawangsa . Another proposal suggests that the name may have been derived from langkha and Ashoka , the Mauryan Hindu warrior king who eventually became a pacifist after embracing the ideals espoused in Buddhism, and that

8245-636: The southern tip of South East Asia the peninsula with maritime trade, the Sailendra kings of Java were able to take control of the Peninsular and part of southern Siam . The kings welcomed Buddhist missionaries from India, accepting their teaching of the Mahayana sect, which spread through their territories. However, central and northeastern Thailand continued to adhere to the Hinayana teachings of

8342-624: The trade relationship between the Tamil country and Malaya. In ancient Kedah there is an inscription found by Dr. Quaritch Wales . It is an inscribed stone bar, rectangular in shape, bears the ye-dharmma formula in South Indian characters of the 4th century AD, thus proclaiming the Buddhist character of the shrine near the find-spot (site I) of which only the basement survives. The inscriptions are on three faces in Pallava Grantha script . The Ruler Raja Ganga fled from his empire into

8439-519: The urban middle classes. There are also significant challenges in higher education opportunity for Indians due to an education system that favors the Bumiputera Malays. Racial discrimination in government school have been reported, with Indian students suffering the most due to their ethnicity, color of the skin, or beliefs. There are considerable differences socially and economically between different groups of Indians in Malaysia. They form

8536-475: The venue of choice for watching live televised football matches. Mamak restaurants and stalls refer to eateries owned and staffed by Indian Muslims . The word 'Mamak' is sometimes erroneously used to describe any Indian restaurant. Roti canai , nasi kandar , maggi goreng and pasembur (Mamak rojak) are Indian dishes unique to Malaysia. Nasi kandar is sold exclusively in Indian Muslim restaurants and

8633-467: The world. In Malaysia, they represent the third-largest group, constituting 7% of the Malaysian population, after the Bumiputera (combined grouping of ethnic Malays and other indigenous groups ) and the Chinese . They are usually referred to simply as "Indians" in English, Orang India in Malay, " Yin du ren " in Chinese. Malaysia's Indian population is notable for its class stratification, with

8730-755: Was banned after it staged a large anti-government rally in Kuala Lumpur in 2007. Hindraf's political wing is the Human Rights Party (HRP). The Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (KIMMA) is a party that represents the interests of the Indian Muslim community. There is the Punjabi Party of Malaysia (PPM) which represents Malaysia's Punjabi community. The Malaysian Ceylonese Congress (MCC) represents Malaysia's Sri Lankan Tamil community who are technically not Indian but often regarded as such by most Malaysians. Other Indian fringe parties include

8827-480: Was dropped as part of a cabinet reshuffle. Media and the performing arts Satellite television provider Astro provides several Tamil satellite television channels . Astro Vaanavil and state-owned RTM TV2 broadcast locally produced Tamil shows. India-based channels available in Malaysia are Sun TV , Jaya TV , Chutti TV . Thanga Thirai and Velli Thirai are Tamil movie channels while Astro B4U

8924-530: Was dug by nangur-Udaiyan which is the name of an individual who possessed a military fief at Nangur, being famous for his abilities as a warrior, and that the lake was placed under the protection of the members of the Manikkiramam (which according to K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, was a merchant guild) living in the military camp. An inscription dated 779 AD has been found in Ligor , Malay Peninsula. This refers to

9021-462: Was identified as one of the twelve Naksat cities under the influence of Nakhon Si Thammarat in Thai chronicles. A brief outline of the history of Langkasuka can be determined from the limited historical records available. The kingdom is thought to have been founded some time early in the 2nd century AD. It then underwent a period of decline due to the expansion of Funan in the early 3rd century. In

9118-665: Was originally located on the west coast but was transferred later to the east. In 1961, taking account of the various sources, the geographer and historian Paul Wheatley concluded that Langkasuka should be located near the modern town of Pattani. French archaeologist and historian Michel Jacq-Hergoualc'h concurred, and proposed the former estuary of the Pattani River near Yarang as the likely location of Langkasuka. He also suggested that whole area between Pattani , Saiburi and Yala may have been part of Langkasuka. Modern archaeological explorations have uncovered ruins near Yarang,

9215-512: Was part of 'Indianised Kingdoms' such as Srivijaya , Kadaram and the Majapahit , which formed part of a cultural region known as Greater India . There is a possibility that the first wave of migration from India towards Southeast Asia happened during Asoka's invasion towards Kalinga and Samudragupta 's expedition towards the South. The Arab and Indian traders had travelled this region including

9312-467: Was probably conquered by Pattani as it ceased to exist by the 15th-century. Several historians contest this and believe that Langkasuka survived up to the 1470s. The areas of the kingdom that were not under the direct rule of Pattani is thought to have embraced Islam along with Kedah in 1474. Chinese and Arab sources placed the ancient kingdom on the east coast of the Malay Peninsula. The New Book of Tang mentions that Langkasuka bordered Pan Pan , and

9409-576: Was the common language of commerce in Malaysia and Indonesia during historical times. The maritime Tamil significance in Sumatran and Malay Peninsula trading continued for centuries and borrowings into Malay from Tamil increased between the 15th and 19th centuries due to their commercial activities. In the 17th century, the Dutch East India Company was obliged to use Tamil as part of its correspondence. In Malacca and other seaports up to

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