Buddhism In Ancient China

China was affected tremendously by the spread of Buddhism from 300 to 900 C.E. Buddhism itself was spread to China around 100 C.E by Indian missionaries, and after taking hold during the Era of Division (300s-500s), it became a household religion (particularly the Mahayana and Chan variations . Buddhism’s popularity rose consistently from the late Han dynasty through it’s peak during Empress Wu’s rule in the late 600s and early 700s. But, the religion’s popularity fell sharply during Emperor Wuzong’s reign as the persecution of Buddhism grew common (CONTEXT). The spread of Buddhism affected all classes and people of China in different ways; Chinese peasants were able to worship this religion regardless of education or social position (though

Under Khan the Mongols were a greater threat, they were able to launch more conquest in to the south, west and even east (p 369). Mongolian presence in these areas allowed them to influence those worlds, politically and socially.In China, the Mongols were able to become the elite ruling class under the Yuan dynasty (p 372). Being in this position allowed the Mongols to take political advantage in the form of collective taxes and other resources that would benefit them.This had global implications because the Mongols could use those taxes to fund expeditions conquer other parts of the world. They were also able to add to their arsenals and get transportation to these other

When Buddhism first spread into China, it was met with mixed responses. Many people either accepted it and converted to Buddhism or respected the new religion while maintaining their own beliefs. However, many people openly proclaimed their hate towards Buddhism.

Also, politically wise, the Mongols were not respected in their high position of the Chinese governments. Despite their power in the world, they were looked down upon by the Chinese as they did not instate the examination requirement to be in office, thus preventing many Chinese scholars from holding positions in the government.

Between the years 1100 and 1350, many crucial social, political, and economic changes and continuities can be observed in Asia and particularly in Yuan China. At the beginning of this time period, the Mongols were a group of pastoral nomads in modern-day Mongolia who practiced a shamanistic religion. During this time, the Silk Road was extremely dangerous, and traders on the Silk Road were often endangered by the threat of bandits. During the course of this time period, the Mongols eventually conquered and united China. After they had done so, many of the Mongols adopted Buddhist beliefs. As the Mongols expanded their empire, they were able to secure the Silk Road and drastically reduce the amount of robbery and theft that took place on the trade route. One major continuity during Mongol rule of China was the inclusion of some Confucians in the government. Another aspect of Yuan China that remained consistent throughout this period was the separation of Mongol and Chinese cultures, shown by the fact that the Chinese were not allowed to marry Mongolian women or learn the Mongol language.

China during Mongol domination, incorporated philosophy and organization into the government, which helped it shape their cultural and political outlook. An example of an impact of Mongol rule on China’s government is their use of provinces to organize China’s cities, specifically with Yunnan. The Mongols used provinces to systemize the government and appointed governors to each district, where that governor would take care of the taxes. The reason for this method of organization is that the Mongols trusted foreigners more than the Chinese, so they appointed their tasks to foreigners such as the governor of Yunnan. The governor of Yunnan didn’t have any major positions, but he helped develop the trade in his region and promoted Confucian belief which along with the provincial organization shaped China. An example of a causation for the incorporation of Confucian belief in government was due to the Mongols

DBQ: Buddhism in China After the fall of the Han dynasty, many Chinese people converted to Buddhism. They seeked a simpler way of life among all of the chaos and political instability going on at the time. This led to a drop in productivity in China, as many Buddhists spent their time meditating. The rise in Buddhism among the lower class led to a hate for the religion by the upper-class. While some people saw Buddhism as a new form of thinking in China’s evolving social landscape, many others saw it as a threat to the traditional Chinese way of life, as they were reluctant to change.

The large swath of land the Mongols operated in during the 13th and 14th centuries contained a wide variety of peoples that the Mongols interacted with. These interactions had many outcomes and stirred differing opinions of the Mongols between peoples of Eurasia. Some of these interactions ended up in a group of people viewing the Mongols favorably, scrutinizing the Mongol expansion and being hindered by the Mongol peoples, and others being unaffected or having mixed emotions about Mongol rule. The Mongol Empire was able to expand into so many different regions due to the division in organization of similar people. For example, China was split between the northern Jin empire and the southern Song Empire. Making the empires easy to invade. The

Although the Mongols conquered most of the known world, they also helped to improve the lives of those they conquered making significant contributions to the political institutions, economic development, and cultural diversity of many lands. In China the (Mongol) Yuan emperors built canals to improve transportation and communication.(Doc J) Barbarians are frowned upon as uneducated people. It is unjust to describe the Mongols as barbaric because they made Asia more civilized and advanced . The Great Khan also developed the system of relay stations which aquired 200,000 horses stabled at posts for the special use of the messangers.(Doc L) This stupendous organization made is easier for the Great Khan to receive immediate news. Over the course, Mongol leaders often converted to the region's dominant religions- Christianity, Islam, or Buddhism.(Doc M) This clearly shows that the Mongols accepted all religions. The city of Karacorum had two districts: the Moslem's quarter where the markets are and the other district of the Chinese who were all craftsmen.(Doc G) The Mongol cities were highly organized into districts and had some kind of social hierarchy. They also traded for centuries

They allowed government officials to remain in place and keep their positions and made sure qualified people were involved with the government. The Mongols also wanted people from other religions to worship in their empire. After the death of Genghis Khan, in AD 1227, his grandson took over and started ruling. He created a new dynasty called the Yuan Dynasty and preferred a life with palaces

The Mongols changed the entire world's perspective on China during the Yuan Dynasty. The Mongols struck fear into the hearts of the entire world due to the destruction caused by their ruthlessness. The Mongols were vicious barbarians who had no mercy for any of their opponents.

Additionally, the Mongols did not trust the Chinese or their Confucian beliefs so they brought in experts from the Middle East and Central Asia to help administer China.

The Mongol Empire was a hereditary monarch governed by the Mongol nobility. In the past that Mongol only treasured gold and never thought of taxes and laws. But the Chinese convinced that Mongols that their government and taxation policies are better than their plan of stealing

The system that runs today is still based on ethnic patronage. “We’ll recognize you as ethnic minorities and, if you’ll play by the rules of the game, we’ll reward you with certain benefits. But if you resist, the boot awaits.” This is what the Qing called

In fact, Buddhism originated from India, and the founder of Buddhism was a prince from a North Indian tribe who lived in the era of 500 B.C. when Confucius lived in China (“Buddhism & Buddhism in China”). The prince’s name was Siddhartha Gautama; he was from the Shakya tribe. People often called him Shakyamuni, and his religious name was Buddha, which means “the awakened one” (“Buddhism & Buddhism in China”). Buddha said that humans’ problems are caused by confused and negative