Traces of Buddhism in Sumatra: an archaeological perspective
Sumatra was influenced by Indian culture from the 6th century AD onwards. The kingdom of Srivijaya became an important centre of Buddhism. There are various archaeological traces of the development of Buddhism in Sumatra from the 7th to the 14th century AD, such as inscriptions, religious buildings and bronze and stone sculptures. Many of these artefacts have a Tantric character, which corresponds to parallel developments in East Java. Tantric Buddhism reached Sumatra already during the 7th century AD.