The Diffusion Of Nestorianism Along The Silk Road From The 7th To 11th Century

Abstract: The religion of Nestorianism arrived in China in A.D.635. However, it was temporarily absent in historical records after the Emperor Wu Zong of Tang dynasty banned Buddhism around China in 835. So, some scholars hold the idea that Nestorianism vanished in China after the incident. Taking the recently unearthed Nestorian relics as basis, and combining them with the relevant historical writings for reference, this thesis will draw a sketch of the diffusion of Nestorianism along the Silk Road from the 7th to 11th century. Then the relations between Nestorianism and the Chinese other religions, and the reason why there was Nestorianism in China after Wu Zong banned Buddhism will be systematically analyzed. Through the series of analysis, we find that Nestorianism was gradually indigenized by learning from other religions, i.e., Taoism, Confucianism, and Buddhism. Moreover, in the northwestern area in & to Tang Empire, where the central government made little administrative enforcement when the empire became weak, Nestorianism survived and continued its diffusion after the ban. The purpose of this study is to promote a deeper understanding towards Nestorianism existing in China in the middle age and even towards the entire circumstances of multiple religions in Tang dynasty.