Cultural Diffusion Research Paper

Words: 703
Pages: 3

An enduring issue is a long-lasting problem or important development faced by humans and regions across history. One example of an enduring issue is cultural diffusion, which is the spread, absorption, and possible blending of religion, technological advancements, and goods between two cultures or civilizations, done mostly through trade. Cultural diffusion aided in the evolution of civilizations and merged multiple cultures and beliefs to form modern versions. This is exemplified through trade across the Silk Road, trade during Abbasid caliphate in Baghdad, and trade in Timbuktu during the height of the Mali Empire. The Silk Road was a network of trade routes that connected China, Southeast Asia, India, Middle East, and Rome, while also promoting …show more content…
Since these innovations were exposed to multiple countries, they led to wars and explorations becoming more advanced and developed. Gunpowder led to the creation of new weapons and it made war even more destructive. The compass led to the discovery of new worlds and immensely helped with navigation. Gunpowder and compasses are still items that are largely used in combat and journeys today. Lastly, religions such as Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism were also exchanged. The spread of Buddhism eventually led to it becoming the main religion of China, which it still is today. In all, this allowed for the assimilation and conversion of many communities along the Silk Road. Without this trade network, these religions would not have been as widely spread, and would not be as popular as they are today. The Silk Road promoted cultural diffusion through the exchange of these various imports and exports, major religions, and ideas that promoted technological advancements (Doc 1). During the Abbasid caliphate, Baghdad (the capital) was a very prosperous and wealthy city that doubled as a trading and learning center that promoted cultural …show more content…
This allowed for the cultural diffusion of products (specifically spices and silk) between China and Baghdad. New ideas and inventions such as Arabic numerals, credit, partnerships originated in Baghdad and were traded. Therefore, many people during this time adopted them and used them in their economic practices. Partnerships and credits are still used today as a way to facilitate economic development. After the Arabic numeral system was exchanged, other regions took this numeral system and used it as a model for their numeral system. Today, the modern western numeral system has many similarities compared to the Arabic numeral system. Lastly, many scholars were welcomed in Baghdad since it was a center of learning. Many of the scholars observed the scripts in Baghdad’s libraries and brought in their own ideas and findings. Together, these scholarly discoveries created many achievements in the fields of mathematics, astronomy, and literature. Much of this knowledge is used and seen in schools of modern times. Baghdad during the Abbasid caliphate promoted cultural diffusion through. i.e.