Besides, archaeological findings in Beikthano situated in the western regions of modern Myanmar revealed a Buddhist s tupa (Buddhist monument) having similarities with a stupa in Amaravathi in the eastern coasts of the Indian Subcontinent.Īforementioned examples could help to see how the active trade networks and the increase of the monastic system in the Indian Subcontinent permitted both the expansion of Buddhism towards the east, and also reinforced the cultural interactions between the people living along the Silk Roads. Furthermore, images of the Dīpankara Buddha were found in diverse sites in eastern Java, some of these elements belong to the Indian Amaravati and Gupta Schools of Art. Moreover, wooden images of the Buddha dating from between the 2 nd and 7 th century CE were discovered in the Mekong Delta in south of Vietnam. The development of trade amongst merchants of the region along the Silk Roads resulted in a further expansion of Buddhism towards eastern Asian lands, especially in Thailand and Indonesia regions where excavations displayed the interactions of these lands with Buddhist institutions linked to trading groups.ĭiverse items of Indian origin with Buddhist features were also found in mainland and peninsular Southeast Asian regions such as precious stones and glass beads, inscribed carnelian and terracotta seals, ivory objects and pottery. As an example, initially 4 categories of items were permitted to be given as alms, but by the 2 nd and 3 rd centuries BC, 10 more categories were added to the list.
In return, monks provided spiritual guidance to the devotees for material gifts. Notably thanks to the Buddhist concept of Dāna (generosity), which encouraged receiving contributions from the merchants and other actors of trade along the Silk Roads. Moreover, these commercials exchanges contributed also to the improvement of the Buddhist monks’ situation. Therefore, one would say that these installations were directly linked to the economic growth of these centres, where merchants and religious communities traded together buying goods, such as cloth or incense oil. For instance, Buddhist monasteries started to set up along the developing trade routes, such as the road that was connecting Bactria (in Modern Afghanistan) in the North to Taxila (in modern Pakistan) in the Northeast, Mathura in the Northwest, and further along the Gangues Valley, until the Bengal Coast. In this respect, Buddhism practices changed on some aspects. Map showing the trade routes that made up the Silk Roads (map by Evan Freeman, CC BY-NC-SA 2. Buddhism dogma was to a greater extent in favour of trade, and encouraged the commerce and the investment. The Silk Roads were a network of trade routes that connected towns, settlements, and peoples, across Asia that flourished from about 200900 C.E. Within these growing trade route networks, Buddhism started its development from the Indian Subcontinent, and reached other regions along the Silk Roads. It is notably the case of Buddhism which had a considerable influence on the early trade routes. Religious movements and religions have had an important role on the history of the Silk Roads.
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