Diffusion of Cultures Trade, Beliefs, and Goods - PowerPoint Presentation

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Diffusion of CulturesTrade, Beliefs, and Goods(+ Disease)Slide2

Diffusion of cultures

spread of ideas from centralpoints adaptation of ideas to local

needs creative additions Innovation, Diffusion,AcculturationSlide3

Major Trade Routes

Six Major Routes on or crossingthree continents.•Africa

•Asia•Europe Trade routes connected most majorcivilizationsSlide4

Overland and Maritime

All of these routes would connect withothers at certain points.

This meant the world was connected bytrade, even if most people never knew it.These trade routes are one of the biggestreasons cultural diffusion took place. These routes helped ideas, technologies,Etc spread across the entire world.Slide5

Identify: Silk Routes, Indian Ocean, Trans-Sahara, Mediterranean, Black SeaSlide6
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Spread of Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity 200 B.C.E-400 C.ESlide8

Spread of Buddhism

The spread of Buddhism was facilitatedboth by royal sponsorship and by the

travels of ordinary pilgrims andmissionaries. In India, the Mauryan king Ashoka andKing Kanishka of the Kushans activelysupported Buddhism. Two of the most well-known pilgrims whohelped to transmit Buddhism to Chinawere the Chinese monks

Faxian

and

Xuanzang

. Both have left reliable narrative accounts

of their journeys.Slide9

More Buddhism spread

Buddhist missionaries from Indiatraveled to a variety of destinations:west to Syria, Egypt, and

Mesopotamia, as well as to SriLanka, southeast Asia, and Tibet. Buddhism was changed and furtherdeveloped in the lands to which itspread. Theravada Buddhismbecame dominant in Sri Lanka,Mahayana in Tibet, and Chan (Zen)in East Asia.Slide10

Buddhism in China

Originally, Buddhism restricted toforeign merchant populations Gradual spread to larger population

beginning 5th century CE Monasteries provide it with a baseSlide11

Popularity of Buddhism and Taoism

Disintegration of political order castsdoubt on Confucian doctrines Buddhism, Daoism gain popularity

• People turn to their inward needs; seekharmony in a time of turmoil Religions of salvation enter China aswell but aren’t as popular asBuddhism.Slide12

Buddhism and Hinduism in SE Asia

Sea lanes in Indian

Ocean 1st c. CE clear Indian influence in SEAsia• Rulers called “rajas”• Sanskrit used for written communication• Buddhism, Hinduism increasinglypopular faithsSlide13

Christianity in Mediterranean Basin

Gregory the Wonderworker, centralAnatolia 3rd c. CE Christianity spreads through Middle East,

North Africa, Europe Sizeable communities as far east as India Judaism, Zoroastrianism also practicedSlide14

Spread of Christianity

Armenia was an important entrepot. An

entrepôt (from the French "warehouse") isa trading post where merchandise can beimported and exported without payingimport duties, often at a profit. for the SilkRoad trade. Mediterranean states spread Christianity toArmenia in order to bring that kingdomover to its side and thus deprive Iran ofcontrol of this areaSlide15

Christianity in SW Asia

Influence of ascetic practices from India Desert-dwelling hermits, monasticsocieties

 After 5th c. CE, followed Nestorius• Emphasized human nature of Jesus• Rejected by the churches of theMediterranean Sea, so followers departfor Mesopotamia and Iran• Provide framework for SW AsianChristianity and spread on the Silk RoadSlide16

Spread of Manichaeism

Mani - Zoroastrian prophet(216-272 CE) Influenced by Christianity and

Buddhism Dualist• good vs. evil• light vs. dark• spirit vs. matterSlide17

Sinicization of Nomadic Peoples

“China-fication” Adoption of sedentary lifestyle

• Agriculture, urban living Adoption of Chinese names, dress,intermarriage, ruling customsSlide18

Where does disease fit in?

Malaria, bubonic plague, smallpox, influenza, tuberculosis,cholera, etc.

Where did they originate? Concentrated Population,Domesticated Animals,Warm, Wet Climates“Civilization may have been grand andglorious, but it also waded inmanure.”Slide19

Emergence of disease poolsSlide20

Trade transportation and disease

Over thousands of years diseasesbecame endemic in different societies

When they came into contact with“virgin” populations, disease oftenspread like wild fireDisease helped the spread of civilization• Greco-Roman civilization in theMediterraneanDisease also tended to hold populationsin checkSlide21

COMP Theses: Trade Networks

In the Classical world both the Silk Route and Mediterranean served to facilitate the spread of state sponsored religions (Christianity) and cultures (

sincizatons), both spread disease leading to the decline of great classical empires like Rome and the Han dynasty, however the Silk route would gain influence spreading Eastern culture to the Middle East whilst the Mediterranean would maintain its influence as a Roman lake (Mare Nostrum)The Indian Ocean and Trans-Saharan would differ in the technologies employed to transmit connections (dhow and latten sail vs. caravanserai) , the Indian Ocean would facilitate the spread of Hinduism and Buddhism while the only religion spread across the Sahara in the Classical Age was Christianity in the East to the Kingdom of Axum. Both trade networks, however would connect major classical Empires through trade

.