Buddhism during the Period of Division

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the appeal of Buddhism in the historical context of the Period of Division. It explains that Buddhism's rise was answering the needs and desires of both the people and the rulers, especially foreign rulers, in a period of instability and in competition with the past dominated by Confucianism and organized Daoism. There is also the dialectic between its new content as a foreign religion and its sinicization, as both can account for its success in China.

From the Paper:

"The Period of Division in Chinese history spreads between 220 and 589 A.D. The period is marked by wars, successions of small kingdoms, and great political instability and misery for the people. It is also the period of nomadic invasions. Buddhism exerted a great appeal to the Chinese during this period, became dominant at least in the north, and firmly established itself alongside Confucianism and Daoism as the main religions or schools of thought in China. What are the reasons behind its popularity during this period?"

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