Like leaders elsewhere in the year 1000, Southeast Asian leaders converted to a universal religion to enhance their power. Both Buddhism and Hinduism gained many princely adherents. Especially appealing was the Buddhist ideal of the chakravartin donor-king. Popular among the grasslands peoples of North Asia such as the Kitan, it proved to be just as powerful in Southeast Asia. The chakravartin ideal wasn’t limited to Buddhism; Hindus also believed that talented leaders were able to rule over large realms only because of divine support.
