Keling

Keling, also spelt Kling, (pronounced [kliŋ]) is a word used to describe the person of Indian origin that resides in Southeast Asian Archipelago, especially in Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia.

The term describes an immigrant resident from India, specifically from the Southeast of Indian subcontinent. Although the early definition was neutral and linked to the people of historic Kalinga kingdom of Southern India, the development in later history suggested that the term has evolved and perceived as a derogatory term to refer the people of Indian descent, especially in Malaysia.

The earliest known reference to the word "keling" occurs in a legend mentioned in Sejarah Melayu (Malay Annals). The legend mentions Raja Shulan as the king of Keling and as a descendant of Iskandar Zulkarnain (a figure modeled on Alexander the Great). Shulan and his descendant Raja Chulan set out to conquer China. In response, the Chinese dispatch a dilapidated ship with old men. The Chinese men meet Raja Chulan at Temasek, and tell him that they had set out on the voyage when they were young, but China is so far that they had become old by the time they reached Temasek. Upon learning this, Raja Chulan abandons his plan to invade China. Scholars like John N. Miksic identify the legendary Raja Chulan with the Chola king of India. This gives rise to the theory that word 'keling' is the local name for a territory in medieval India, Kalinga kingdom in East India. However, in South-East Asia, the term has historically been used to describe the people of South East Indian origin, not only the inhabitants of Kalinga.

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