Role of Sanskrit in Shaping Cultural Identity and Peaceful Coexistence in Southeast Asia

Abstract:

Language has an influence on our thoughts, behaviours, and sense of belonging. Around the world, languages have influenced the evolution of civilizations through everything from legislative decrees to prayers and hymns. Their ability to create common cultural frames and encourage peaceful cohabitation is what makes them so effective at bringing people together across racial and geographic divides. Incorporating secondary sources such as historical texts and peer-reviewed journal articles, this review takes a qualitative, interpretive approach. Using Southeast Asia as a case study, this essay explores how world languages, especially Sanskrit, contribute to the formation of cultural identities and the promotion of peace. A powerful example of language as a tool of soft power is the expansion of Sanskrit in this area, which was driven by trade, religion, and pure admiration rather than conquest.

Keywords:

Cultural Identity, Language and Society, Multilingualism, Peaceful Coexistence, Sanskritization, Southeast Asia

Citation: Venus Jain and Senu Mary Skariah (2025). Role of Sanskrit in Shaping Cultural Identity and Peaceful Coexistence in Southeast Asia. Horizon J. Hum. Soc. Sci. Res. 7 (2), 155–158. https://doi.org/10.37534/bp.jhssr.2025.v7.n2.id1313.p155