Benjamin Of Bagdad Research Paper

The Major religions spread across Eurasia and Africa through trade routes and conquest. Along with the religions came ideas and practices to new and distance places, changing local populations and create new traditional beliefs and customs.

Beliefs and religions ebbed and flowed through the Silk Roads that was “an artery that for nearly a thousand years was the primary commercial network linking East Asia and the Mediterranean world. This trade route extended over 5000 miles and took its name from the huge quantities of precious silk that passed along it.” Nomads, monks and traders survived on these open roads selling goods, services, and ideas to other people and traders to pass on. These people were wide and diverse since commerce went in

Benjamin of Tudela described the city of Bagdad’s years of religious cross over which apart some rather high taxes did not seem to be to observably focused of one core belief. The city had hospital, housing, prisons, and to most eyes a civil society. The ruler in the mind of Benjamin of Tudela is rather positive as he describes the city of Bagdad “There the great king, Al Abbasi the Caliph (Hafiz) holds his court, and he is kind unto Israel, and many belonging to the people of Israel are his attendants; he knows all languages, and is well versed in the law of Israel. He reads and writes the holy language (Hebrew). He will not partake of anything unless he has earned it by the work of his own hands. He makes coverlets to which he attaches his seal; his courtiers sell them in the market, and the great ones of the land purchase them, and the proceeds thereof provide his sustenance.” New religious items seem to appear to cross over into the homes of others. Sundiata emphasizes “the tabala was the royal ceremonial drum, one of the insignia of Muslim kingship” as the tabala proves the further acceptance of Islam especially since it was often presented by the cities many merchants who spent more time with the nobility then those of lower class. The reason for this was that “In the case of Christianity and Buddhism, empire was the main vehicle for their growth.in the case of Islam. Thought it that it was religion that created empire Muslim leaders had to form their own institutional system; and as their spiritual aspirations spread, the political imagination evolved into an imperial one. Whereas Christianity, Buddhism, and Zoroastrianism converted already existing empires to their own views, Islam created its empire from