Funan is the name given by Chinese chroniclers to the first major Indianized kingdom in Southeast Asia, located in the Mekong Delta. It was a maritime power that served as a crucial stop on the sea route between India and China. Funan was heavily influenced by Indian culture; its rulers adopted Sanskrit as the court language and practiced Hinduism and Buddhism. They built complex canal systems for both irrigation and transportation, which allowed them to dominate the local rice trade. Excavations at the port city of Oc Eo have revealed Roman coins, Persian jewelry, and Indian artifacts, proving Funan's role in a truly global trade network during the first few centuries of the Common Era. Funan eventually gave way to the Chenla Kingdom, which would later evolve into the famous Khmer Empire of Angkor.