Essay Central Asia Changes and Continuities

Change and Continuity in Central Asia
Matthew Priebe The Silk Road in Central Asia influenced major civilizations for many years as goods moved around the Eurasian world. In Central Asia, two Eras both affected the region in their own ways. From the Buddhist period to the Islamic period in Central Asia during the Post Classical Era some things that continued as supported by Dr. Liu’s
Article were the use of monasteries, value of silk as a commodity, Greek culture, and the spread of Buddhism and Islam on the silk routes. Some things that changed were the diversification of Central Asia through religious conversion and the languages that were spoken in Central Asia. In the Postclassical Era, regions such as Persia, Greece, the Mediterranean sea area, China, and India all had an effect on Central Asia. For example, Persians influenced Central Asia because Zoroastrian drawings in Buddhist graffiti were found on the Karakorum highway. This shows that the Persians influenced the central Asians by introducing Zoroastrianism to central Asia. The Sogdians also played a large role in the lives of the central asians. Wine, a Greek drink was widely consumed throughout Central
Asia. The Sogdians brought the Greek culture deeper into Central Asia. They were the middle men, trading with all the nearby countries, and spreading culture to central Asia and beyond. China contributed silk to Central Asia, which helped Central Asian trade cities to grow throughout the time period. India is the birthplace of Buddhism, so in the
Buddhist Era, India strongly influenced the religious beliefs of the central Asians. In the Islamic Era many regions that influenced Central Asia stayed the same.
Greek culture continued to influence the region as well as Chinese, Persian and Indian.
Buddhism also continued to influence central Asia. Wine continued to be consumed into the Islamic Era. The Arabs did not destroy the trade cities in Central Asia, so the silk

road infrastructure remained largely the same. Many of these regions that influenced
Central Asia remained the same as in the Buddhist Era. In Central Asia in the post classical era, during both the Buddhist and Islamic periods, religious institutions, were continually used for similar reasons such as hotels and rest stops for travelers as addressed in Dr Liu’s Article. In the Buddhist Era, monasteries were not only places of worship for monks, but hotels for travelers. For example, in
A Record of Buddhist Kingdoms
Faxian, a Chinese Buddhist teacher, writes that “There is a Buddhist hostel for guest monks and other travelers. The king settled
Faxuan and his companions at Sangharama. This Sangharama, called Gomati, is a
Mahayana monastery.” This clearly states that Buddhist monasteries were not only places of worship, but were hotels for travelers. Additionally, in
The Silk Road: A New
History
Dr. Valerie Hansen writes that “A Handful of Inscriptions are in other Iranian languages, Chinese, and Tibetan. One of the latest, in Hebrew, records the names of two men, evidence that Jewish merchants also used the Karakorum highway.” She describes inscriptions on a Buddhist monastery in many different languages which shows that travelers from many different places stopped at the monastery, and inscribed things into the Stupa there. Therefore, monasteries were not only places of worship in the Buddhist
Era, but also served as hotels and rest stops for travelers. In Central Asia in the post classical era, during both the Buddhist and Islamic periods, religious institutions, were continually used for similar reasons such as hotels and rest stops for travelers as addressed in Dr Liu’s Article. In the Islamic period, one of example of this is in The Hudud al’Alam when it states “Herat, a large town with a very strong shahristan, a citadel, and a suburb. It has running waters. Its cathedral mosque is the most frequented in

Show More

Essay on CCOT And CC

How Did Latin America Change Over Time

China And Japan

AP WOR S1 05 02 GA Essay

Cont Change Essays

Assertions Of Self: The Nascent Women's Movement In Central Asia

Indian Ocean Trade Changes

Unit 4: 1450-Renaissance In Europe

Toward Ngos: A Relationship Of Dependent Autonomy, Allegiance And Antagonism

Christian Mission: How Christianity Become A World Religion