Erica Ellis HIS 100 Primary Source Essay #2 Religion and philosophy spread through Asia and Europe

in the early ages. The movements of these ideas through trade routes and economy as well as its adaptations to the cultures it came to can be seen in the ideas of Confucianism, Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. The leaders of the world adopted these policies to meet their own benefits. The political systems reflected the beliefs of the religions and philosophies that were picked up by those leaders. Christianity was brought to China through sages seeking refuge from persecution in Europe. (The Jesus Sutras in China) Emperor Taizong allowed these sages into China and he liked their ideals, which led to the spread of Christianity through China. The Emperor proclaimed in 638 C.E. that There is no single name for the Way, that the ideas of Christianity can be adopted in any land, and they were. (The Jesus Sutras in China) A story very similar to the original story of Jesus and the Virgin Mary was created for the Chinese culture using the characters Mo Yen as the Virgin Mary, Jesus Messiah as Jesus and the father, Cool Wind, who would represent God. (The Jesus Sutras in China) The Chinese ideals also caught attention elsewhere it the world as Confucianism moved to Japan. Confucianism is not a religion, it is a philosophy. The Confucian set of ideas included such that the family was the fundamental unit and that that structure permeates through

society up to the way the state itself it organized. These ideas caught the attention of Japanese Prince Shotoku, who adopted them is his Seventeen-Article Constitution which he wrote in 604 A.D. (The Constitution of Prince Shotoku) The prince however, did not just borrow the ideas of China in his work. Buddhism was begun in India and the entire empire was converted to Buddhism by the emperor Ashoka. Buddhism was one of the main ideas to travel along the Silk Road. The merchants along the road took to it easily. It made the people feel connected with the wealth and the prestige of the Mauryan Empire in India, which attracted them further to conversion. The major change to the religion was the split of ideas into Mahayana and Hinayana Buddhism. Mahayana Buddhism traveled more easily than the original, stricter Hinayana Buddhism because it was easier for people to follow and was relatable to more people and they way they wanted to live their lives. It is also easier for a group of people to be able to believe in someone as a god, which they believed was Buddha. It was also more universal than Indias other religion at the time, Hinduism. Buddhism was able to make it through Asia but was stopped by the Sassanid dynasty in Persia, who had strong roots in Zoroastrianism. (Ansary) Some Buddhist ideals also could be seen in the Constitution of Prince Shotoku. His second article refers to the Buddha, the Law and Priesthood. (The Constitution of Prince Shotoku) These three things are to be respected because they are the truth in life. (The Constitution of Prince Shotoku) This government work not only was able to adapt the ideas of Chinese Confucianism and Indian Buddhism but to combined the two, to create a system of articles that would quell the turmoil Japan had seen.

Islam was started by the Prophet Mohammad in the rich city of Mecca and traveled to the city of Medina as he and his original followers fled from assassination attempts and persecution. The people of Mecca did not want Islam in their city because they felt it would hurt their economic prosperity if Mohammad kept speaking against the very things that Mecca gained money from. After the death of the Prophet, the leaders of the Islamic state expanded the holdings of the community, which is known as the Umma. (Ansary) They never forced conversion on everyone but during the leadership of Omar, the economic benefits and the ease of the conversion process were so immense that many people willingly joined the Islamic faith. Islam was more a theocracy than a religion which allowed it to integrate with politics and the leaders more easily. There was the idea of the one God, Allah and that everyone was below him. It was also a social project. The rulers of Islam were responsible for day-to-day responsibilities of the community. Everyone who is Muslim has a shared experience, like the five Pillars of Islam, despite little differences they may have in their actual lives and backgrounds. These differences come from the movement and the adaptation of the ideals, almost similar to the idea of evolution. One of these Pillars is the pilgrimage to Mecca that each Muslim must make at least once in their life or have someone go in their place. (Constance) Such a pilgrimage was made by Mansa Musa of Mali from Africa. (Kati) His huge entourage that accompanied him made his journey immortal in the pages of history. This shows the spread of the Islamic idea through Africa as well as Middle Eastern areas. The leader however, did coerce people to follow him back to Africa with the promise of gold, which was not a normal Islamic practice, but this leader was able to change and use the system to gain what he was after. The

result was men and their families from the Quraysh, the tribe of the Prophet Mohammad, joined Mansa Musa. (Kati) The leaders of the world at the time, adapted, borrowed and used these ideas to create harmony and balance in the lands they ruled. People needed to be able to coexist without violent action and under one banner of unity. Although there were differences in these methods, they are meant to interpret the will of whom the people felt was their God or how their society should be run. The Yunus Emre write in a poem that the ultimate goal of learning was to be able to determine Gods will but also to understand it, because without understanding, it is just letters and words. (Emre) The source also implies that violence is not necessary for expansion. (Emre) This was a policy seen by the followers of Islam felt after Mohammad, as they did not force conversion on anyone. These ideologies and social structures that originated in Asia and the Middle World moved through regions and time. They were modified not only to be relatable, but helpful or profitable to those who followed them as they made their way through time and region. Each ideology, whether family structure, theocracy or religion was able to find and take root in more area and the hearts of many more people than just the place of its birth.

Bibliography
Ansary, Tamim. Destiny Disrupted: A History of the World Through Islamic Eyes. New York: Public Affairs, 2009. Constance, Rachel. "Class Notes History 100." Emre, Yunus. "Poem." 27 November 2010. <http://www.library.cornell.edu/colldev/mideast/emre.htm>. Kati, Mahmud. "The Chronicle of the Seeker." n.d. "The Constitution of Prince Shotoku." 12 November 2010. "The Jesus Sutras in China." <https://vista.nau.edu/webct/urw/lc41703596672071.tp41703899157051/RelativeResourceManager/4 1703899157051/The_Jesus_sutras_in_China.pdf>.