It is a well known fact that in order to survive, civilizations must change; they cannot remain stagnant forever. These changes allow a society to grow and develop which is crucial as new breakthroughs can lift up a civilization from a place of oppression and boundaries into a more equal and freeing place. However, long held customs or behaviors may be persistent with the lifespan of a society. Typical behavior can last centuries, but sometimes a small break will occur where a new change is tested out only to be reverted back to the previous arrangement. During the time period 100 C.E. to 600 C.E classical chinese civilization witnessed a change of spirituality that disrupted the traditional social system. However, despite this, China upheld …show more content…
It appealed to many people as it provided a way to live one's life and to respond to other classes (the oppressed and the ruler’s relationship). Daoism was also wildly popular. It’s main focus was on balance and nature. Daoism offered people the spirituality and answers to life’s questions which they felt Confucianism didn’t answer. This balance was very clear for many centuries which is why these two beliefs were so well preserved among the chinese. However, Buddhism became relevant in Chinese culture around the third century. Spread along the silk roads, people took to Buddhism hesitantly. The Han rulers had originally ordered the destruction of the religion, but it persisted after their dynasty had ended. Many people found it to be an appealing religion. Since translating Buddhist texts was difficult with the language barrier, the exact translation was altered so that Buddhism was was translated in Daoist terms. As a result, people accepted this new belief openly as it made sense alongside their original beliefs. Buddhism ultimately stuck around. It became the primary religion after more missionaries traveled the silk roads and further exposed China to these new teachings. At the end of the sixth century, Buddhism has spread entirely though China and has reached into Korea and Japan. While China may have originally had a sound belief system, Buddhism complimented both nicely in a way that …show more content…
One example being it’s consistent policy of a civil service test that allows a person to become a government official. This extensive test was special to China as compared to the Roman Empire -- a position of power is given to one who has the desire to help his community, not to one who has wealth and aristocratic titles. Despite going through many leaders and several dynasties, the political system remained strong and intact with this practice of choosing officials. The mandate of heaven was strong as well, giving leaders their power along with support from their followers. The political structure of Chinese culture remained persistent as well, an ode to the structure of their political system. Because their basis was so well thought out and organized, it didn’t need to be altered or changed much with each new ruler. While Chinese culture was open to some changes, it’s political system hadn’t the need to be changed. An intricate system of testing potential government officials, the civil service exam proved to be unique to chinese culture; a testament to the organization that went into their political system and future political candidates. The few changes made to the political structure is proof enough that the early Chinese civilization can be considered a resilient society that understood that a strong
Instability between religious groups was also a common issue and yet another effect of the spread of Buddhism in China, and led to the consistent repression or defense of one’s religion (Doc’s 2, 3). Though Buddhism left a large effect and influence on multiple characteristics of society, it’s most noticeable in social and political classes
This exception is the religion of Buddhism, which transformed the Post-Classical era and the history of China. Islam spread like wildfire, which was surprising due to the popularity of other Chinese religions at this time, such as Confucianism and Daoism. Trade routes began and facilitated the spread of it and were influential in spreading things other than just goods (Strayer). The diffusion of Buddhism into China is extremely important to Chinese people and Chinese history. Buddhist monasteries sprang up in cities and trade routes, and many people were converted just by immersion in the religion and by just following the crowd. Buddhism was very big for merchants and they had a big role in the spread of Buddhism to less populous villages and towns. While China was leading a massive Buddhist revival, an effort to revive Confucian values was also spreading. This effort was called Neo-Confucianism, which means new Confucianism. This new religious belief system combined Confucian values with Buddhist and Daoist influences. This new way of thinking was popular, and even slowed the Buddhist movement, but Buddhism eventually won, amassing hundreds of thousands of
China has been the home to various religions. At different times different dynasties endorsed certain religions while repressing others. While Buddhism flourished during the Sui and Tang dynasty, it faced opposition from the government during the Song dynasty. Confucianism lost government endorsement during the Sui and Tang but gained momentum during the Song as Neo-Confucianism. Yuan dynasty promoted Islam and Tibet Buddhism but ignored Confucianism. Different rulers sponsored and protected different religions but Confucianism and some form of Buddhism have always been alive in Chinese society from 600 to 1450.
In classical India, the religion of Buddhism was formed in reaction to the strict ways of Hinduism. Many people, mainly lower class, converted to seek a better life and be enlightened more efficiently. This new religion made its way to China where much of its population converted through trade and missionaries. The conversion of Buddhism in China caused many effects of the spread of Buddhism because of its influential impacts from 300 to 900 CE which are influencing the government, caused some people to reject it, and mainly was a unifying force for China. An effect the spread of Buddhism is the influence of its morals on China’s government in 300-900 CE (Doc’s 1, 7). On some occasions Chinese people vehemently rejected Buddhism and rather practice more Chinese driven religion (Doc’s 5, 7). The most impactful effect of the spread of Buddhism is its ability to unite the Chinese in the way of
In China during 406-221 BCE, the battling states between the Zhou and the Han Dynasties? were in a state of governmental disorder. Although the era was in a disruptive state, it ushered in a cultural opening that left a long lasting imprint on the Chinese history. As a result, three major belief systems surfaced Confucianism, Daoism, and Legalism in an attempt to achieve a sense of political order in a disorder period. There are distinctions in the way each of the belief systems approached the many problems that plagued the Chinese society. First, all of the founders were contemporaries in China. As well as considered philosophies, who studied the future, and sat out to focus on the present rather than the past. In contrast, Confucianism, Daoism and Legalism established various paths in search of an optimistic future for the success of China. Second, both Legalism and Confucianism developed a social belief system, but are considered a religion. However, both Legalism and Confucianism purpose was to create an orderly society in the hopes of prosperity. In contrast, Daoism does
“It is often said that, aside from the impact of Marxism on twentieth-century China, the only other time when the Chinese looked beyond their own borders for intellectual sustenance was during the period when Buddhism was absorbed from India” (LaFleur 23). Why did this religion appeal to the Chinese when they disregarded so many other external influences? After all, being tied to the rest of the world by the Silk Road meant they were constantly inundated with novel concepts from far and wide. The answer must lie in how Buddhism interacted with the other faiths already established in the country, namely Confucianism and Daoism (sometimes spelled Taoism). While at first glance it may appear that Confucian China would be the last place
It is believed that Buddhism spread to China through the Silk Road. When the Silk Road opened in the 2nd century BC, missionaries and pilgrims spread Buddhism to China. Chang Ch’ien was recorded to first bring Buddhism to China when he heard about India and Buddhist beliefs on his way back to China. In about the 1st century BC, a Buddhist community is said to have been living in China. But the most well-known story of the spreading of Buddhism is when Han emperor, Mingdi, had a dream about Buddha in 68 CE and sent Cai Yin, his official to learn more about it. Meanwhile, Mingdi learned from his ministers that he had seen Buddha, “the God of the West” in his dream. After 3 years Cai Yin came back to china with Buddhist teachings and
Social structure is something that has been present all over history. There are many aspects used to define the social structure of a civilization, like race, ethnicity, class, gender, social mobility, and religion. One civilization in particular, China, has had the social structure of its reason evolve over time. Chinese dynasties from the Classical Era, the Post-Classical Era, and the Early Modern Period each established their own take on these categories. The dynasties from their respective time periods each differentiated themselves from the previous time period and allowed themselves to also have similarities between them. Chinese dynasties from the Classical Era and the Post-Classical Era are able to determine the factors of social structure that remain consistent and the factors that change throughout the time periods, which are class, gender, and social mobility. In the same way, the Ming and Qing dynasties of China from the Post-Classical Era compare to the Song and Tang dynasties from the Early Modern Period in China to define the consistencies of social structure through class, gender, and social mobility.
China has changed in certain ways and remained the same in others from the early Golden Ages to the late 1900s. China has experienced a series of cultural and political transformations, shaping the lives of many Chinese citizens. Culturally, the country’s art and literature hardly changed for almost eight hundred years. Along with their culture, China remained politically the same from the beginning of the Golden Ages all the way until the 1800s. On the other hand, China’s government and society were restructured after new leaders took over. From a monarch to total communism, China’s society had a multitude of new ideas and policies they had to adapt to.
During Classical period (600 B.C.E - 600 C.E), religion and beliefs had a big impact on society and culture development. They helped the societies create more special characteristics, and bring social order in the societies. Hinduism in India, and Confucianism in China, both did help to influence and improve the societies deeply. Both of them introduced their moral rules, and added classes system, but they both had differences on their goals of people’s individual responsibilities, and also individuals focus.
New agricultural techniques, porcelain, metallurgy, printing, and naval technology were few of the technological elements that reinforced the established features of social order. New agricultural techniques helped in the expand of their agricultural potential, the dynasties gained reputation from porcelain technology which moderately diffused to other societies producing porcelain in large quantities, metallurgical techniques as well diffused to lands beyond China, printing produced texts quickly and popular works appeared in huge quantities, and naval technology included of the magnetic compass which soon became common for mariners to use. Population growth, patriarchal social structures, and gunpowder were technological elements reinforcing established features of political order. Population growth reflected the capacity of economy and distribution of food, patriarchal social structures included of concern to preserve family fortunes and foot binding, and gunpowder was an element used for military effectiveness. These aspects provided a fundamental change in traditions because they changed their whole concepts of how to use goods as in previous Chinese eras.
Buddhism for centuries, has long been influencing the population all over the world, specifically in China . Buddhism first came to China as a result of merchant traders from India. From there it spread within the merchant community. It mainly expanded because it gave people a sense of hope and faith with the chaos they were experiencing from the collapse of the Han Dynasty. It also spread because it covered what Confucianism lacked; a more spiritual and emotional approach that appealed to many people of different classes. It is because of this that Buddhism spread and was able to influence and greatly affect China during the period of 300-900 CE. Buddhism influenced philosophy and moral teachings, kept the Chinese society peaceful and orderly, as well as affecting the overall economy. Buddhism had strong religious teachings that appealed to the lower class with the idea of afterlife and nirvana as well as an emphasis on following your own path that transformed Chinese beliefs causing a large portion of the population to convert (doc’s 1,4). Buddhism kept the Chinese society orderly by reminding all of Buddha’s life and teachings with statues and the influence it had on monks to spread charity and missionary work (doc’s 2,3,6). Buddhism also had an effect on the economy of China. As it spread from other regions, it caused more farmers and silk producers to convert and spread the religion as monks and nuns. (doc 7,5).
There are multiple reasons why and how Buddhism spread in China. I feel that factors like, religion, politics, and social, played a major part in spreading Buddhism throughout China. The factors mentioned are usually a contributor in global changes and has definitely played its part in China’s adapting a new belief. Of course there were other reasons, like economic, that caused the people of China to gravitate to the Buddhist ways. People reconsidering their faith, due to many of life downfalls or the weight of participants in something that’s new, gained recognition and spread due to popular demand. During the political chaos from 221 to 589 that came with the collapse of the Han Dynasty, Buddhism started to become a strong existence in
History has shown us, that Daoism and Confucianism have many things in common as well as many differences, let me start with what is Daoism and Confucianism. Daoism is also known as Taoism, is a religious tradition originated from China in the 550 B.C.E, it was founded by Lao Tzu, a great philosopher and the author of the “Dao De Jing” .The “Dao De Jing” or “Tao Te Ching” is a Chinese text that contains 81 chapters explaining the “ways” of Chinese life, it is often used by the monks or persons that practice the Daoism. Daoism’s main focus is on nature, and not on the social world. Compassion, moderation and humility are also focuses
Confucianism and Daoism have influenced China for many centuries with conflicting and agreeing ideas. Confucianism consist of the very famous texts called “The Analects” and one very famously known as ‘Mengzi” named after its writer. Similarly, the Daoists also have important text, such as the “Daodejing” which are compartmentalized into different sections. Differing in texts is a minimal distinction; Confucianism and Daoism differ in what their main concepts are. First, Confucianism focused on filial piety and benevolence (Poceski 2009: pg. 43).