When the Europeans colonised South East Asia they were just another in a long line of conquerors as the region had been fought over for many hundreds of years.

By the end of the 2nd century Indian traders and missionaries carried both Buddhism and Hinduism throughout South East Asia. In subsequent centuries several great empires and kingdoms rose and fell leaving their own special mark on the landscape. The kingdom of Champa, in what is now Vietnam, fought off Chinese influence until the 15th century. Champa also warred with the Khmer Kingdoms (Cambodia), which rose to prominence as Angkor in the 9th century. Despite Angkor’s advanced civilization, it fell to the Thai kingdom of Ayutthaya in the 15th century. Meanwhile, the powerful Buddhist kingdom of Pagan rose in what is now Myanmar (Burma) before falling to Mongol invasions in the 13th century.

These Indochinese kingdoms left behind rich cultural legacies. Great temples and shrines were built, and architecture, art, music, and dancing were developed to a high level. A celebrated example of Khmer architecture is the ruins of the Angkor Wat, a great temple at Angkor, in north western Cambodia.
Most of South East Asia fell under foreign rule from the 16th to the 20th centuries. Spain and later the United States controlled the Philippines; Britain held Myanmar, Singapore, and northern Borneo; the Dutch ruled Indonesia; and the French controlled Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Thailand remained independent and served as a buffer state between French and British interests in the area. Most of the other South East Asian nations became independent after World War II (1939-1945).

With the Vietnam War (1959-1975), South East Asia became the setting for the most protracted and bloodiest conflict of the Cold War, the ideological struggle between the USSR and its communist allies and the United States and its allies. About 3.2 million Vietnamese and 1.5 million to 2 million Lao and Cambodians were killed in the war.

The Association of South East Asian Nations (ASEAN), founded during the Vietnam War now includes all of the South East Asian nations except East Timor. The organization promotes stability and economic growth in the region.