Articles regarding the role of Arabs and Persians in spreading the Islamic faith and culture to Southeast Asia have been widely and deeply discussed by scholars. Even so, the role or contribution of the Turkic people in India is often forgotten or neglected. This relationship is clearly stated in one of the earliest archaeological evidences found in Southeast Asia, namely the Champa Pillar (1035 CE) but is ignored as there are various intrepretations from scholars who doubt the authencity of the inscription. Therefore, this study will re)evaluate the importance of the Champa Pillar in discussing Islam in Southeast Asia through literaray studies and critical analysis, particularly from a historical and cultural artistic perspective. Findings from this study indicates that the Turkic people from the Ghaznavid Dynasty (977-1186CE) in India and the Rasulid Dynasty (1229-1454CE) in Yemen had also played a role in the formation and influence of Islamic art culture in Southeast Asia, which is believed to have started around the 11th century CE. The relationship between the Turkic people and Southeast Asia had occurred much earlier than the Ottoman Dynasty in the 16th and 19th centuries CE. This is proven through written documents and stone inscriptions as well as traces of artistic remains on tombstones, palaces, mosques and madrasahs. Thus, the definition of “India” in historical context should be examined and re-evaluated as it often used solely to refer to a geographical location. This makes the role of the Arabs, Persians and Turkic people and their culture, which are the ruling class in India, to be neglected in the discussion of Islam in Southeast Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]