Buddhism and Islam on the Silk Road

Nonfiction, History, Asian, Asia, Religion & Spirituality, Reference
Cover of the book Buddhism and Islam on the Silk Road by Johan Elverskog, University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Johan Elverskog ISBN: 9780812205312
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc. Publication: June 6, 2011
Imprint: University of Pennsylvania Press Language: English
Author: Johan Elverskog
ISBN: 9780812205312
Publisher: University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.
Publication: June 6, 2011
Imprint: University of Pennsylvania Press
Language: English

In the contemporary world the meeting of Buddhism and Islam is most often imagined as one of violent confrontation. Indeed, the Taliban's destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in 2001 seemed not only to reenact the infamous Muslim destruction of Nalanda monastery in the thirteenth century but also to reaffirm the stereotypes of Buddhism as a peaceful, rational philosophy and Islam as an inherently violent and irrational religion. But if Buddhist-Muslim history was simply repeated instances of Muslim militants attacking representations of the Buddha, how had the Bamiyan Buddha statues survived thirteen hundred years of Muslim rule?

Buddhism and Islam on the Silk Road demonstrates that the history of Buddhist-Muslim interaction is much richer and more complex than many assume. This groundbreaking book covers Inner Asia from the eighth century through the Mongol empire and to the end of the Qing dynasty in the late nineteenth century. By exploring the meetings between Buddhists and Muslims along the Silk Road from Iran to China over more than a millennium, Johan Elverskog reveals that this long encounter was actually one of profound cross-cultural exchange in which two religious traditions were not only enriched but transformed in many ways.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

In the contemporary world the meeting of Buddhism and Islam is most often imagined as one of violent confrontation. Indeed, the Taliban's destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas in 2001 seemed not only to reenact the infamous Muslim destruction of Nalanda monastery in the thirteenth century but also to reaffirm the stereotypes of Buddhism as a peaceful, rational philosophy and Islam as an inherently violent and irrational religion. But if Buddhist-Muslim history was simply repeated instances of Muslim militants attacking representations of the Buddha, how had the Bamiyan Buddha statues survived thirteen hundred years of Muslim rule?

Buddhism and Islam on the Silk Road demonstrates that the history of Buddhist-Muslim interaction is much richer and more complex than many assume. This groundbreaking book covers Inner Asia from the eighth century through the Mongol empire and to the end of the Qing dynasty in the late nineteenth century. By exploring the meetings between Buddhists and Muslims along the Silk Road from Iran to China over more than a millennium, Johan Elverskog reveals that this long encounter was actually one of profound cross-cultural exchange in which two religious traditions were not only enriched but transformed in many ways.

More books from University of Pennsylvania Press, Inc.

Cover of the book Books Without Borders in Enlightenment Europe by Johan Elverskog
Cover of the book Censorship and Cultural Sensibility by Johan Elverskog
Cover of the book Homeland Security by Johan Elverskog
Cover of the book Mutuality by Johan Elverskog
Cover of the book Top Down by Johan Elverskog
Cover of the book Blazing the Neoliberal Trail by Johan Elverskog
Cover of the book Groundwork by Johan Elverskog
Cover of the book Political Gastronomy by Johan Elverskog
Cover of the book The Conversion of Herman the Jew by Johan Elverskog
Cover of the book The Heart and Stomach of a King by Johan Elverskog
Cover of the book The Phenomenon of Torture by Johan Elverskog
Cover of the book Preparing Today's Students for Tomorrow's Jobs in Metropolitan America by Johan Elverskog
Cover of the book A Knight's Own Book of Chivalry by Johan Elverskog
Cover of the book Mary Shelley and the Rights of the Child by Johan Elverskog
Cover of the book Reconquest and Crusade in Medieval Spain by Johan Elverskog
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy