Describe the factors influencing the spread of Buddhism and Islam in Central Asia
The region of Central Asia has been a witness to various cultural, social, and religious interactions during the course of time. Central Asia has been subjected to the influence of two of the greatest proselytising religions after Christianity, Buddhism and Islam. ... The spread of Buddhism was marked by a peaceful propagation with absolutely no force on the part of those who propagated it. The spread of Islam came about, on the other hand, as a consequence of Arab invasion and expansion in Central Asia. Buddhism originated somewhere between the 4th and the 7th century B. ... The main reason for its spread in Central Asia was the silk roads. Buddhism basically spread through the trade routes passing from India to present day Afghanistan and from there to the central Asia, especially the Tarim Basin region which was the bottle-neck of trade routes. The Parthians who displaced the Seleucids greatly propagated the spread of Buddhism in 2nd century C. ... Buddhism seemed to have made its way to Central Asia ‘through small groups of Sogdian converts associated with Diaspora merchant communities.