Week 4 Lecture Chapter 9
HIST410
Dr. Males
Spring 2022
SSU
Learning Objectives
Why did Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam become world religions?
How did commerce spread religion in parts of Eurasia and Africa?
Why did missionaries seek to convert rulers and elites?
How did Christian and Muslim rulers deal with religious minorities?
Why was monasticism more important in Buddhism and Christianity than for Islam?
What role did women play in the spread of world religions?
How did world religions accommodate themselves to local cultures?
Why did Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam become world religions?
Islam
In Muhammed’s day the community he led was constantly at war
“Jihad” or Holy war against all “polytheists” and “idolaters”
After the prophet’s death, his successors turned this doctrine against the ”apostates”
“Apostates” were those who abandoned Islam because they considered their obligation to Muhammed had ended with his death
During the first couple of centuries of Islamic expansion , victorious Muslim armies aimed at wiping other religions and taxing other peoples
Eliminated of traditional priesthoods and the destruction of former places of worship opened places for Islam to replace
Why did Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam become world religions? Cont.
Christianity
Christian conquerors also used faith to justify war
In the 8th century, the Frankish King Charlemagne told the Saxons they had a choice to convert or die
Charlemagne was not the only king to impose this choice
9th century Alfred the Great of England imposed this choice on defeated pagans
Throughout the spread of this religion, it was done so under a king’s flag and choices were become baptized or die
However, even though the choice was not free to make by many this religion would grow widespread
Why did Buddhism, Christianity, and Islam become world religions? Cont..
Buddhism
Buddhist rulers practiced remarkable intellectual contortions to justify the imposition by violence of a doctrine of peace and love
King Ashoka was one such king who prided himself on conquests to achieve “dharma” meaning the teachings of Buddha
Kaniska, King of Peshawar, enforced Buddhism on his own subjects
King Anuruddha in the mid-eleventh century introduced Buddhism to Burma
He showed his piety by waging war on the neighboring Mon kingdom to gain possession of holy scriptures
How did commerce spread religion in parts of Eurasia and Africa?
Trade was as important in spreading religion as was war
The Silk Road
Buddhist monasteries along this route would allow travelers to stay and share with them their beliefs further spreading the religion
This religion was quite successful in converting merchants along this route
Christianity was only moderately successful along this trade route
Few Christians engaged in long-range trade
Islam found its success along the trade sea routes
These routes included Asia and the Sahara
Why did missionaries seek to convert rulers and elites?
The main goal of missionaries was the conversion of kings
Buddhist and Christian missionaries were employed to spread their faiths
This was not practiced much by Muslims during this period
The belief was through the conversion of the king, this king in turn would convert his kingdom to his religion
This then would continue to spread the religion throughout his kingdom and colonies
How did Christian and Muslim rulers deal with religious minorities?
Christian and Muslim rulers utilized multiple approaches to religious minorities such as:
Forced baptism or death
Heavy taxes on those who did not convert after forced baptism
Expulsion from the kingdom
Later acceptance of other religions were allowed, however, key positions in society were not open to the people with different religions
Why was monasticism more important in Buddhism and Christianity than for Islam?
Christianity
The church became the great upholder of Roman standards of learning, art and government
There is no scholarly consensus on the origins o f this religions monasticism
Perhaps it was adapted from Buddhism, or it rose independently
Earliest Christian monasteries emerged in Egypt in the 2nd century among ascetics seeking to imitate Jesus’ period of self-exile in the desert
Buddhism
Monasticism was important in Buddhism
Most Buddhist clergy were subject to monastic discipline
These monasteries performed particular functions such as transmitting learning through the business of retrieving, translating, editing and purifying the best written evidence of the Buddha’s teaching
What role did women play in the spread of world religions?
In Christianity, Buddhism and the Islamic world women acquired new roles
Inside the home as guardians of religious traditions for their children
Outside the home as members of the religious orders
Nuns played the same role as monks in prayer and scholarship
These nunneries played an important part in Buddhist life in China and Japan as they became places of education for women
In the Buddhist world, the nun’s vocations was often a stage before returning to the secular life, in households where husbands had several wives
In Islam, men were allowed to four wives, so fewer were available for monastic life, thereby, monasticism never developed
How did world religions accommodate themselves to local cultures?
By around 1000, all three religions demonstrated their ability to adapt to different cultures and climates
Buddhism had large followings in China, Japan, Tibet and Southeast Asia and had spread into Central Asia
Christianity had a near monopoly in western Europe and spilled north and east into Scandinavia and the Slav lands
Also, retained the allegiance of communities scattered through Asia
Islam dominated the Middle East and North Africa
The bases from which all three religions would expand further and their competitive advantages with religions they displaced were already evident.
Question?
Reference: Fernandez-Armesto, F. (2011). The World: A History. Prentice Hall.
