Islamization of the Silk Road

Richard C. Foltz's article supports the ideas in Bentley's argument, specifically the pressure, voluntary association, and assimilation.

Voluntary association was accomplished in a few different ways, the most effective was trade. Not as if the beliefs were traded along and exchanged for money or something, more in the sense of interaction by merchants leading to the spread of their beliefs. It was said that no other religions thus far had "favored trade as much as Islam did", showing how even they knew that trade was beneficial to them in multiple ways. Also, Prophet Muhammad did things like dealing with the greviances in society, which pretty much served as a follower magnet; this just about led people to tell more people, who told more people, etc.

Now for pressure, I guess you wouldn't have to do much reading about to figure out. People under Muslim rule, who had not already converted, would feel pressure from society to make the switch. Also another rapid growth factor in pressure was the raiding caravans; basically being under Islamic faith would have ensured safety.

Last, and definitely not least (not to say any of the way these spread was a "least")is assimilation; the key thing about assimilation was the mixed marriages. Because when a child was born into a mixed marriage couple, he/she would have to be raised as a Muslim in the parents' new community.








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