To India culture generally means religion. Hence the cultural influence of India over South East Asia merely means socio-religious influence with emphasis on religion. Buddhist relics are found in very large numbers all over South East Asia and even distant islands like Bali.
In Java and Borneo were find many images of the Buddha in various typical Indian poses. We learn from traditional accounts that one of the grandsons of Asoka went into South East Asia via Burma and the Mekong valley as far as Yunan in China.
The well authenticated work Biography of Famous Monks says that a certain Gunavarman of Kashmir went into Java as a Buddhist monk propagating the Buddhist faith in Malaysia. There is little doubt that Buddhism was preached and accepted in Malaysia very early.
It had become in a sense effective by the 7th century AD when Saivism and Vaishnavism made their invasion of this land.
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It is difficult to say as to which of these two varieties of Hindu religions the greater vogue in South East Asia had.
The image and temple of Agastya found scattered all over Malaysia give the indication both as to the time and the nature of the Hindu preceptors and propagators in South East Asia. Both Buddhism and Saivism were preached apparently at the same time, though in the midst of the onrush of the former the later had to stand by for a long time.
It is from the 7th century AD that the decline of Buddhism begins as is seen from the evidence of Hiuen Tsang.
The 4th century A.D. shows the high watermark of the progress of Buddhism, since we have it from I-Tsing that in the region of South East East Asia it fared better than even on the Indian mainland and South Asia offered the best place for a study of the Buddhist lore.