Classical Empires of India’s Hinduism and Han China’s Buddhism

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The Classical Empires of India’s Hinduism and Han China’s Buddhism religiously influenced culture through offering spiritual traditions such as the bhakti movement and Mahayana. India’s bhakti movement became a way for individuals to focus on one of the many gods Hinduism had. Han China missing the idea of gods also had a similar movement as Buddhism changed in China to offer him as a god through Mahayana the Great Vehicle. As the bhakti movement and Mahayana Buddhism spread throughout there respected areas pockets of communities develop. In India people would build temples to certain gods and live near those locations. The same can be said for Han China as people move into pockets of Buddhist families. The reason why culture is influenced is because like minded people gather together in areas like Chang’an. In India it gave people a common practice of worship and in Han China it gave people communities of hope during a declining empire.

The Classical Empires of India’s Hinduism and Han China’s Buddhism religiously influenced culture differently as Buddhism in Han China offered women a greater role in society through monasteries versus India’s Hindu Caste System that limited the role of women through The Laws of Manu. Women in Han China were able to participate in monasteries and find freedom and independence in a strict patriarchal society. This allowed women to leave the home and change the culture of Han China. Buddhism also changed the family dynamic and gave a little more freedom even within Filial piety as some of the roles put more value on the women’s jobs and more appreciation in the family. However, in The Laws of Manu Hinduism was a strict patriarchal society that limits each woman’s roles and freedoms in the Caste System which established the cultures social laws. The reason for the sharp contrast in the role women played was the consistency of the regions. While India may have changed empires, the Hindu Caste System was a strong functioning domain within society. As Han China started to decline, hope was being lost and China became unstable versus India, which gave Buddhism a strong hold in China, which changed the roles for many women in society.

The Classical Empires of India’s Hinduism and Han China’s Buddhism religiously influenced culture through both having religious based art such as statues and paintings as well as offering spiritual traditions such as ceremonial worship however, differed as Buddhism in Han China offered women more freedom and roles versus India’s Hindu Caste System that limited the roles because of the Caste System.