Indian Ocean and Silk Road Trade

While the Indian Ocean and Silk Road were different as trade networks with respect to the spread of Religion and the process of travel, they were similar in terms of the spread of disease through trade. The Indian Ocean and Silk Road as trade networks were different in terms of the spread of Religion. Along the Indian Ocean trade network, Islam was spread. This happened through Indian merchants who brought Brahmin priests, Arab merchants who brought Muslim scholars and Christian merchants who brought priests. Along with the Islamic religion came the 5 pillars which included the (1) Shahada: testimony and declaration of faith, (2) Salah: prayer five times a day, (3) Zakat: charity to the poor, (4) Sawm: fasting during the month of Ramadan, and (5) hajj: Pilgrimage to Mecca at least once a lifetime. In contrast, the Silk Road helped to spread Buddhism. Buddhism was first publicized in India in 528 B.C, when Siddhartha Gautama (Buddha) announced his doctrine. This religion was greatly successful in attracting merchants as converts, and later split into different types; Theravada Buddhism and Mahayana Buddhism. These merchants later carried Buddhism along the Silk Road where it first established a presence in the oasis towns. Buddhism was such a common religion to convert to because it provided a release from suffering, known as Nirvana, and the Four Noble Truths. This stated, all life is suffering, suffering comes from desire, if you end desire you end suffering, and you can end desire by following the Eightfold path. The Indian Ocean and Silk Road were different in terms of the spread of religion as trade networks because the Indian Ocean helped to spread the religion of Islam, and the Silk Road helped to spread the religion of Buddhism. The Indian Ocean and Silk Road as trade networks were different in terms of the processes of travel. The Indian Ocean had a very unique and convenient way of getting around. The people traveling along the Indian Ocean actually