In the 7th century CE, the first settlers from India arrived in the archipelago that is now Indonesia. These settlers were Hindus and, over time, their descendants mixed with the indigenous population, creating a unique Malay ethnicity.
Islam arrived in Indonesia in the 13th century CE, and soon became the dominant religion. The Muslim traders who brought the religion to the island nation mixed with the indigenous population, creating a new, distinct Indonesian ethnicity.
In the 16th century CE, the …