Buddhism and Its Spread Along the Silk Road Summary

Birth of Buddha and the Development of Buddhism in India and Central Asia

The Buddha was originally a wealthy prince who lived by his family name of Gotama in northern India. Early in his life, however, he abandoned the luxuries of royal life and left home to found enlightenment. After seeing people suffer and die, he came up with the idea of the Four Noble Truths and found enlightenment. He devoted his life to spreading his teachings. When he died, he was a famous figure in India; his body was divided among eight clans and each build a memorial stupa for his body. His followers formed councils, a major one being in Pataliputra of the Mauryan Empire. The Mauryan King, Ashoka, converted to Buddhism after seeing a particularly bloody battle. He rigorously worked to spread Buddhism in his empire. He engraved edicts of the Buddha's teachings, celebrated the stupa rituals, and imprinted the Sarnath lion on India's curreny and flag. His support of Buddhism led monks into Hellenized regions of Jushan and Bactrian in the west. The Kushans controlled trade between India, China, Parthia, and the Roman Empire, which made it an ideal location for the spread of Buddhism. Under the Kushan king, the Graeco-Buddhist art form was created and affected the arts in Central Asia. Buddhism further penetrated the Parthians and Sassanians. When Bactria and Kushan became Buddhist centers, they expanded into Hadda, Bamiyan, and Kondukistan, which formed one of the greatest Buddhist monastery community in Central Asia. By 600 CE, kingdoms of the Tarim Basin were completely Buddhist, and Sanskrit had become the religious language. 

Buddhism in the Steppes and China

Buddhism penetrated the Xiongnu, a confederacy of nomads in the steppes of China. Their worship was evident in their offering of a Buddhist statue after losing to the Hans. Buddhism had a strong effect on the lives of nomads; once they adopted Buddhism, they were no longer barbaric or aggressive as before. This weakened the military strength and independence of the nomads, and they eventually assimilated with civilized empires. An example of these events happened to the Tobhatch Turkish nomads. They had adopted Buddhism faith early in history, and over time, their capital moved closer to the Turkics until the nomads and the Turkic people assimilated. The Mongols during their control of the Silk Road preferred Buddhism over Islam. Buddhism reached China when the Silk Road trade began. After that, Buddhism spread, catalyzed by Han emperor Mingdi's dream and curiosity about the Buddhism. After that, the belief in the Buddha, Buddhist scriptures, and Buddhist monks were brought to China. Buddhism reached its height during the Sui and Tang dynasties. 

Decline of Buddhism and Buddhist Art

After reaching its height in the Sui and Tang dynasties in China, it began to decline, starting from a series of persecution of Buddhists The collapse of the Tang Dynasty allowed Arabs to invade and convert their lands to Islam. They destroyed Buddhist statues, paintings, temples, and stupas, ending Buddhism in Central Asia. Though Buddhism declined along the Silk Road, its impact on art was profound. The contact of Hellenized art and Buddhism created a new art form. Before Buddhism reached Hellenized Gandhara, there were no statues or pictures of the Buddha. Greeks who used their classical art knowledge shaped Indian art and formed the Greek-featured Buddha. The rise of Buddhism allowed monasteries and stupas to be built. Cave painting was also a unique feature in Buddhist architecture. The cave art tells about the lives and cultures of the ancient people. 

Questions

1. What was the impact of Buddhist beliefs on nomads in the steppes?

Buddhism weakened the nomads' toughness and soldierly qualities, which made them lose their nomadic identity and allowed them to become assimilated into civilized empires.

2. What was Kumarajiva's role in spreading Buddhism in China?

Kumarajiva organized the first translation bureau, and he and his partners translated Buddhist scriptures into Chinese.

3. How did Buddhist art change in the 200sCE?

Greeks created the first images of the Buddha by combining their classical art sense and Indian styled art. The Buddha was dressed in a toga and sat in a yoga pose, which represents both Greek and Indian culture. 

4. What caused Buddhism along the Silk Road to decline?

The collapse of the Tang dynasty in China allowed Islamic invaders to conquer Buddhist lands and convert them to Islam.