Why Buddhism? Why did Buddhism become so powerful in ancient history? How did this occur? What helped this happen? This essay was written by an AP World History Student.

Through many religious documents including the Arthashastra, Therigatha, Bhagavad-Gita, Upanishads and the Laws of Manu, Buddhism began to develop, spread and influence many. People including the Aryans, Vedic Age, Mauryan Dynasty, Asoka, Chandragupta, Darius I, Siddhartha Guatama and Alexander the Great also helped to influence the spread and creation of a strong Buddhist civilization. Most important was Siddhartha Guatama, Buddha himself. Throughout his life, his father took all possible care to keep him in a …

…wars and tyrannous empires that caused the Indian people to reach out for a peaceful religion destroying the caste system and warfare. There were some people including Asoka Maurya and Darius I who either converted to Buddhism or carried on empires with views similar to those of the Buddhist religion, causing a conversion to this religion. Over all, Buddhism came into place because of harsh past experiences that created a need for peace and meditation.