Dr. Deliana’s speech challenged conventional narratives by arguing that the Kalinga legacy did not end with the ancient kingdom’s collapse in 261 BCE but continued to thrive in Southeast Asia through the agency of Indo-Malay communities. “Most of the history we know about Kalinga stops at the ancient era,” she remarked. “But my research shows that from the 13th century onwards, the Indo-Malay people preserved the Kalinga heritage, particularly through their trade networks and socio-cultural exchanges.”

Drawing from her extensive research for her PhD, Dr. Deliana explored numerous classical texts written in Malay Arabic script, Japanese, and English, which mention references to “Kling“—a term linked to Kalinga—across Southeast Asia. She revealed how these identities were maintained and transformed, notably through maritime trade and the socio-political roles played by Kalinga-descended traders and communities in regions like Sumatra, Malaysia, and Singapore.

Dr. Deliana recounted how the memory of Kalinga was preserved in place names, such as Tanjung Kling, and in the naming of entire regions in classical Southeast Asian texts. Contrary to the racialized and derogatory connotations associated with the term “Kling” in contemporary discourse, she emphasized its historical significance as a marker of prestige and maritime influence.

“Before colonial disruptions, the trade between the Indian subcontinent and Southeast Asia was remarkably peaceful and deeply intertwined,” Dr. Deliana said. “The global order of the Indian Ocean during this time was pluralistic, multicentric, and grounded in mutual respect and interdependence.”