The theme of religion in China is an interesting topic because China has never really had a religion from the very beginning where everything is based. China is an understanding and accepting nation when it comes to religion. She has dealt with all kinds of religions. There has been Confucianism, Christianity, Buddhism, Daoism, and many more religions in China.
One perfect comparison is China, and Europe, during its Age of Exploration. China is a country that believes in monotheism, but it does not kill, shun or reject people, especially its own people. The Europe Christians took their own people in for questioning. They accused them and tortured them if they didn’t confess or accept Christianity exactly as their authorities believed.
Zheng He, a Chinese Muslim eunuch, went out to sea and traded with foreign lands. He didn’t feel the need to conquer or convert foreign lands and the foreigners, during their voyages. Zheng He accepted their beliefs, and simply let them be. Yongle, the third emperor of the Ming Dynasty, believed in a religious philosophy derived from Confucianism, where decisions were made by state officials rather than by elected representatives.
The map shows Zheng He’s voyages to different countries such as Arabia, Siam (modern-day Thailand), India, Burma and more. This shows the variety of different countries with different people, with their own, separate beliefs and religions that he traded and cooperated with.
No comments:
Post a Comment