Compare The Spread Of Islam And Buddhism
Olivia Long
11.15.14
AP World History/Period 7 Mr.
Houck
Essay
While both the Islamic and Buddhist religions attained a large following, the Islamic religion diffused much more vastly and used more forceful tactics. Originating in India may have acted as a barrier for the spread of Buddhism, while the Arabian peninsula had an extensive amount of accessible land and water that would be used to help spread the Islamic religion. It can be reasoned that converts to Islam had much more transitioning to withstand than those of the Buddhist religion, primarily due to the required understanding and following of the Five Pillars of Islam. While both the Islamic and Buddhist religions attained a large following, the Islamic religion diffused much more vastly and used more forceful tactics. The spread of
Buddhism was extremely reliant on trade for the development of the faith, unlike Islam, which is known to have spread using tactics such as war and conquest. However, the
Islamic religion was not always spread by force. Under the Abbasid Caliphate, and similar to the spread of Buddhism, conversion to Islam was not forced, but promoted.
The silk roads allowed for Buddhist ideas and teachings to be peacefully spread to territories stretching from China to Mesopotamia. In difference, it was not uncommon for the territories Islam conquered to become intolerant of polytheistic religions as well as those with no faith, and would either force them to convert or end their lives. One popular idea as to why the Islamic religion spread so quickly is the weakness of their enemies. Not many were able to resist the advances of the religion, and even those who practiced religions that Muslims were tolerant of, such as Christianity and Judaism, often converted simply to avoid the increased taxation and tributes they would have to pay otherwise, and
11.15.14
AP World History/Period 7 Mr.
Houck
Essay
While both the Islamic and Buddhist religions attained a large following, the Islamic religion diffused much more vastly and used more forceful tactics. Originating in India may have acted as a barrier for the spread of Buddhism, while the Arabian peninsula had an extensive amount of accessible land and water that would be used to help spread the Islamic religion. It can be reasoned that converts to Islam had much more transitioning to withstand than those of the Buddhist religion, primarily due to the required understanding and following of the Five Pillars of Islam. While both the Islamic and Buddhist religions attained a large following, the Islamic religion diffused much more vastly and used more forceful tactics. The spread of
Buddhism was extremely reliant on trade for the development of the faith, unlike Islam, which is known to have spread using tactics such as war and conquest. However, the
Islamic religion was not always spread by force. Under the Abbasid Caliphate, and similar to the spread of Buddhism, conversion to Islam was not forced, but promoted.
The silk roads allowed for Buddhist ideas and teachings to be peacefully spread to territories stretching from China to Mesopotamia. In difference, it was not uncommon for the territories Islam conquered to become intolerant of polytheistic religions as well as those with no faith, and would either force them to convert or end their lives. One popular idea as to why the Islamic religion spread so quickly is the weakness of their enemies. Not many were able to resist the advances of the religion, and even those who practiced religions that Muslims were tolerant of, such as Christianity and Judaism, often converted simply to avoid the increased taxation and tributes they would have to pay otherwise, and