Week 6Week 6 –– 15 February 201115 February 2011Week 6 Week 6 15 February 201115 February 2011

Influence of the Silk Road on the Influence of the Silk Road on the development of religionsdevelopment of religionsp gp g

ReminderReminderReminderReminder

Meet at Mpls Institute of Arts at 2:15pm Meet at Mpls Institute of Arts at 2:15pm on Feb. 22on Feb. 22ndnd

2400 32400 3rdrd Ave SouthAve South

Religions on the Silk RoadReligions on the Silk RoadReligions on the Silk RoadReligions on the Silk Road

Early Eurasian religionsEarly Eurasian religions

Mithraism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, Mithraism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, ChristianityChristianityChristianityChristianity

B ddhi & I l th tB ddhi & I l th tBuddhism & Islam the most common Buddhism & Islam the most common religions along the Silk Road todayreligions along the Silk Road today

MithraismMithraismMithraismMithraism“Mystery cult”“Mystery cult”y yy y

Mithras, Mithra, MitraMithras, Mithra, Mitra

Solar divinity born from a Solar divinity born from a rockrock

A Persian, Anatolian, or A Persian, Anatolian, or Roman religion?Roman religion?Roman religion?Roman religion?

Earliest archaeological Earliest archaeological evidence dates to ca. AD evidence dates to ca. AD 100100

ZoroastrianismZoroastrianismZoroastrianismZoroastrianismZarathustra, 18Zarathustra, 18thth--1010thth c. c. ,,BCBC

Ahura Mazda vs AhrimanAhura Mazda vs AhrimanAhura Mazda vs. AhrimanAhura Mazda vs. Ahriman

Purity & active Purity & active participation in the goodparticipation in the good

Savior and final battleSavior and final battleSavior and final battle Savior and final battle between good and evil between good and evil (chaos)(chaos)

Parsees 8Parsees 8thth c. ADc. AD

ZoroastrianismZoroastrianismZoroastrianismZoroastrianism

Some familiarSome familiarSome familiar Some familiar concepts:concepts:–– Good vs. evilGood vs. evil–– Angels and demonsAngels and demons–– Day of reckoningDay of reckoning–– Guardian angelsGuardian angels–– Savior/messiah figureSavior/messiah figure

ManichaeismManichaeismManichaeismManichaeismMani, ca. AD 216Mani, ca. AD 216--276276

Cathars, Albigensians, Cathars, Albigensians, BogomilsBogomilsgg

Similar to Zoroastrianism, but:Similar to Zoroastrianism, but:–– Claimed to be a correction of the Claimed to be a correction of the

misinterpretations of Zoroaster, misinterpretations of Zoroaster, Buddha, JesusBuddha, Jesus

–– God not omnipotentGod not omnipotent–– All matter created by evilAll matter created by evil–– Evil will eventually triumphEvil will eventually triumphy py p–– Favors asceticism & mysticismFavors asceticism & mysticism–– Actively proselytizesActively proselytizes

BuddhismBuddhismBuddhismBuddhism

Buddha, ca. 563Buddha, ca. 563--483 BC483 BCBuddha, ca. 563Buddha, ca. 563 483 BC483 BC

Followers andFollowers andFollowers and Followers and monasteries supported by monasteries supported by donationsdonations

Patronized by many rulersPatronized by many rulersPatronized by many rulersPatronized by many rulers

Ai KhanoumAi KhanoumAi KhanoumAi Khanoum

330330--145 BC145 BC330330 145 BC145 BC

Ai KhanoumAi KhanoumAi KhanoumAi Khanoum

Ai KhanoumAi KhanoumAi KhanoumAi Khanoum

Major Hellenistic center in Major Hellenistic center in jjAfghanistanAfghanistan

Combines Persian, Greek, Combines Persian, Greek, Indian elementsIndian elements

ZoroastrianZoroastrian--style temple, style temple, but with statue of Zeusbut with statue of Zeus

Conquered by nomads Conquered by nomads (po ibl e l K h n )(po ibl e l K h n )(possibly early Kushans)(possibly early Kushans)

Tillya TepeTillya TepeTillya TepeTillya Tepe

11stst c AD Kushan sitec AD Kushan site11 c. AD Kushan site c. AD Kushan site near Balkhnear Balkh

6 graves containing 6 graves containing some 20,000 gold some 20,000 gold ornamentsornamentsornamentsornaments

Elements from Indian, Elements from Indian, ,,Roman, Greek, Roman, Greek, Persian, and Scythian Persian, and Scythian culturesculturesculturescultures

Spread of BuddhismSpread of BuddhismSpread of BuddhismSpread of Buddhism

Kushan and Parthian Kushan and Parthian us a a d a t aus a a d a t atranslators of translators of Buddhist texts into Buddhist texts into Chinese (LokaksemaChinese (LokaksemaChinese (Lokaksema, Chinese (Lokaksema, An Shigao, An Xuan, An Shigao, An Xuan, Bodhidharma)Bodhidharma)))

Chinese Chinese pilgrim/scholars pilgrim/scholars (Faxian, Xuanzang)(Faxian, Xuanzang)

Chinese CavesChinese CavesChinese CavesChinese Caves

Mogao (Dunhuang),Mogao (Dunhuang),Mogao (Dunhuang), Mogao (Dunhuang), Qizil, Bezaklik, etc.Qizil, Bezaklik, etc.

Ca. 3Ca. 3rdrd--1010thth centuries centuries ADAD

Bezaklik, 9th-10th c. AD

Individuals who traveled the Silk Individuals who traveled the Silk d d b id d b iRoad and wrote about itRoad and wrote about it

l ( 3l ( 3thth thth ))Marco Polo (13Marco Polo (13thth--1414thth century)century)

Ibn Fadlan (10Ibn Fadlan (10thth century)century)Ibn Fadlan (10Ibn Fadlan (10thth century)century)

Ibn Battuta (14Ibn Battuta (14thth century)century)Ibn Battuta (14Ibn Battuta (14 century)century)

William of Rubruck and John of Plano Carpini William of Rubruck and John of Plano Carpini (13(13thth t )t )(13(13thth century)century)

Xuanzang (7Xuanzang (7thth century)century)Xuanzang (7Xuanzang (7 century)century)