When the Arabs came to SE Asia they were immediately welcomed, their language, culture and religion were adopted and quickly became the culture of the region especially among the royalties and rulers. Being relatively primitive, the natives of the region did not have much to offer or stand against the superiority of the Arab civilisation and way of life. Arab's superiority in everything soon became part of the culture of the natives of SE Asia.
Then came the Europeans, the Portugese, the Spanish, the Dutch and the English. The assimilation of the European culture was intense and made possible in a very short period of time, often by force and also by association. They were the conquerors and the local elites have no choice but to live with the European cultures to survive. And being the new superior culture, they dominated the way of life of the natives in SE Asia. And they also came with their religion in Christianity.
The dominance of Arabic culture and religion was supplanted and the new European culture took over to replace them as the culture of the elite. Though some of the European cultures faded over time due to their short term influence and shallow penetration into the common people, the English language and Christianity became the way of life of the new elite. No one protested to being influenced and have to accept the new culture. The superiority of the European culture and way of life, rich and powerful, the rulers, were imitated by the local elites and the rich. Then monkey see and monkey do, the general public also started to mimic the European way of life and culture.
Education also played a very big role in colonised countries when the lingua franca and language of administration was English and with English schools set up everywhere. By the time the British left, English and English way of life and Christianity were the choice things to do. There were very few resistance to their adoption. The rich locals all wanted to be like the British, imitating everything they do, some changing their names to be like them till today.
The ancient cultures of Arabia, India and China too gave way among their own natives. In Singapore in particular, native Chinese find it difficult to learn and speak Chinese and some even rejected everything Chinese, wanting to be bananas and if possible becoming westerners.
For more than 5 centuries, the western cultures have been supreme, dominant and seen as more superior than the regional cultures. There is no need to force the more backward local natives to embrace western cultures. Western cultures are irresistible and attractive. The British did not need to force or coerce the locals to adopt British language and way of life. Living the English way of life is voluntary and in the case of Hong Kong they would even want to be subjects of the British Empire even today. Such is the power of a superior culture versus less advanced local cultures and way of life.
It is unimaginable for the local natives to force the British to be more like them, adapt their tribal way of life and culture and religion. No inferior culture would be attractive enough for westerners to want to embrace them, except for some western weirdos that some may find local native cultures and religions attractive. In general no. Even the ancient Indian and Chinese cultures that were in decline in the last few centuries have to give way to the European cultures. When these two civilisations were in their abyss, their people willingly absorbed other cultures to survive, and European was the culture and way of life to go after.
The world is changing and the rise of India and China has refocused the natives on their respective civilisations, to revisit their ancient cultures and become proud of them again. As the two countries develop and becoming more prosperous and powerful in the world, their cultures too would rise in status and no longer be seen as inferior cultures. They would return to their roots and the formal glories of their civilisations.
There is no need to force anyone to embrace the Indian or Chinese culture when they are seen as superior again. Europeans are also starting to learn Indian and Chinese cultures, language and way of life. No compulsion, no force is required. No Chinese or Indians would be there daily to want to force the lesser cultures or inferior cultures to adopt their cultures. There is no need to do so.
When a culture is seen as superior and useful, people would gravitate towards them, to want to embrace them. Only inferior cultures, inferior natives would want to force people from more superior cultures to be like them. Is it possible, like humans beans wanting to become apes when the apes forced human beans to be like them? It is possible if the apes rule the world of human beans, and over a considerable time their way of life would be the way of life of human beans.
The attractiveness of cultures rises and wanes with time. And over time, superior cultures and civilisations would take their proper place to be the leading light of the time. No amount of force could turn the tide and for people of superior cultures to embrace the cultures of inferior races and make it their way of life. A good example is the peranakan culture, fading rapidly and would soon be history though some remnants of the culture are gloating about how great is this culture.
We are in exciting times when the forces of civilisations are changing and competing again for supremacy, and only the best will triumph by virtue of the fact that it is the best. A new world is in the making and emerging. The western civilisation is facing competition and is resisting change to protect their supremacy and turf. The revival of Indian and Chinese civilisations is like coming full circle. The new superior culture is likely to be a hybrid of the different cultures and not the dominance of one culture. It would be the superior culture of the best of the human beans. The people of the world have their choice and would make their choice, voluntarily.
PS. Inferior culture or culture that is seen as backward, regressive, primitive, would never succeed in coercing people to accept and live by their culture.
