Question: What empire brought the practices of the most common religion in Southeast Asia?

Knowledge 1: Religion in Asia
Country Population Christian Islam Irreligion Hindu Buddhist Folk religion Other religion Jewish Pop.% Pop.% Pop.% Pop.% Pop.% Pop.% Pop.% Pop.% Brunei 400,000 37,600 9.40 300,400 75.10 1,600 0.40 1,200 0.30 34,400 8.60 24,800 6.20 400 0.10 0 0.00 Burma 47,960,000 3,740,880 7.80 1,918,400 4.00 239,800 0.50 815,320 1.70 38,415,960 80.10 2,781,680 5.80 95,920 0.20 0 0.00 Cambodia 14,140,000 56,560 0.40 282,800 2.00 28,280 0.20 0 0.00 13,701,660 96.90 84,840 0.60 0 0.00 0 0.00 Indonesia 239,870,000 23,747,130 9.90 209,166,640 87.20 240,000 0.10 4,077,790 1.70 1,679,090 0.70 719,610 0.30 239,870 0.10 0 0.00 Laos 6,200,000 93,000 1.50 0 0.00 55,800 0.90 0 0.00 4,092,000 66.00 1,903,400 30.70 43,400 0.70 0 0.00 Malaysia 28,400,000 2,669,600 9.40 18,090,800 63.70 198,800 0.70 1,704,000 6.00 5,026,800 17.70 653,200 2.30 56,800 0.20 0 0.00 Philippines 105,000,000 89,000,000 85.00 5,127,000 5.50 7,350,000 7.00 10,000 0.00 1,758,000 1.50 1,398,900 1.50 93,260 0.10 28,473 0.03 Singapore 5,090,000 926,380 18.20 727,870 14.30 834,760 16.40 264,680 5.20 1,725,510 33.90 117,070 2.30 493,730 9.70 0 0.00 Thailand 69,120,000 622,080 0.90 3,801,600 5.50 207,360 0.30 69,120 0.10 64,419,840 93.20 60,000 0.09 0 0.00 0 0.00 Timor - Leste 1,120,000 1,115,520 99.60 1,120 0.10 0 0.00 0 0.00 0 0.00 1,120 0.10 0 0.00 0 0.00 Vietnam 94,700,000 7,765,400 8.20 175,700 0.20 28,031,200 29.60 151,200 0.16 15,530,800 16.40 42,899,100 45.30 351,400 0.40 0 0.00 Total 593,410,000 116,571,210 21.33 245,594,630 40.38 31,903,260 4.70 6,932,110 1.17 143,582,660 24.20 47,540,670 8.01 1,374,780 0.23 28,437 0.00 [SEP] Knowledge 2: Southeast Asia
It has been pointed out that Khmer and Indonesian classical arts were concerned with depicting the life of the gods, but to the Southeast Asian mind the life of the gods was the life of the peoples themselves—joyous, earthy, yet divine. The Tai, coming late into Southeast Asia, brought with them some Chinese artistic traditions, but they soon shed them in favour of the Khmer and Mon traditions, and the only indications of their earlier contact with Chinese arts were in the style of their temples, especially the tapering roof, and in their lacquerware.
Knowledge 1: Southeast Asia
Islam is the most widely practised religion in Southeast Asia, numbering approximately 240 million adherents which translate to about 40% of the entire population, with majorities in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia and in Southern Philippines with Indonesia as the largest and most populated Muslim country around the world. Countries in Southeast Asia practice many different religions. Buddhism is predominant in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Vietnam and Singapore. Ancestor worship and Confucianism are also widely practised in Vietnam and Singapore. Christianity is predominant in the Philippines, eastern Indonesia, East Malaysia and East Timor. The Philippines has the largest Roman Catholic population in Asia. East Timor is also predominantly Roman Catholic due to a history of Portuguese rule. [SEP] Knowledge 2: History of India
Medieval Cholas rose to prominence during the middle of the 9th century C.E. and established the greatest empire South India had seen. They successfully united the South India under their rule and through their naval strength extended their influence in the Southeast Asian countries such as Srivijaya. Under Rajaraja Chola I and his successors Rajendra Chola I, Rajadhiraja Chola, Virarajendra Chola and Kulothunga Chola I the dynasty became a military, economic and cultural power in South Asia and South-East Asia. Rajendra Chola I's navies went even further, occupying the sea coasts from Burma to Vietnam, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Lakshadweep (Laccadive) islands, Sumatra, and the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia and the Pegu islands. The power of the new empire was proclaimed to the eastern world by the expedition to the Ganges which Rajendra Chola I undertook and by the occupation of cities of the maritime empire of Srivijaya in Southeast Asia, as well as by the repeated embassies to China. They dominated the political affairs of Sri Lanka for over two centuries through repeated invasions and occupation. They also had continuing trade contacts with the Arabs in the west and with the Chinese empire in the east. Rajaraja Chola I and his equally distinguished son Rajendra Chola I gave political unity to the whole of Southern India and established the Chola Empire as a respected sea power. Under the Cholas, the South India reached new heights of excellence in art, religion and literature. In all of these spheres, the Chola period marked the culmination of movements that had begun in an earlier age under the Pallavas. Monumental architecture in the form of majestic temples and sculpture in stone and bronze reached a finesse never before achieved in India.
Knowledge 1: Southeast Asia
Islam is the most widely practised religion in Southeast Asia, numbering approximately 240 million adherents which translate to about 40% of the entire population, with majorities in Indonesia, Brunei, Malaysia and in Southern Philippines with Indonesia as the largest and most populated Muslim country around the world. Countries in Southeast Asia practice many different religions. Buddhism is predominant in Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Burma, Vietnam and Singapore. Ancestor worship and Confucianism are also widely practised in Vietnam and Singapore. Christianity is predominant in the Philippines, eastern Indonesia, East Malaysia and East Timor. The Philippines has the largest Roman Catholic population in Asia. East Timor is also predominantly Roman Catholic due to a history of Portuguese rule. [SEP] Knowledge 2: Tajikistan
The Kushan Empire, a collection of Yuezhi tribes, took control of the region in the first century CE and ruled until the 4th century CE during which time Buddhism, Nestorian Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Manichaeism were all practiced in the region. Later the Hephthalite Empire, a collection of nomadic tribes, moved into the region and Arabs brought Islam in the early eighth century. Central Asia continued in its role as a commercial crossroads, linking China, the steppes to the north, and the Islamic heartland.

Answer: Hephthalite Empire,