On an outline world map, mark the areas to which Buddhism spread. Trace the land and sea routes from the subcontinent to these areas.
Areas to Mark on the Map:
Buddhism spread from the subcontinent to the following areas:
- Central Asia – Spread through land routes
- China – Reached via Central Asia
- Korea – Spread from China
- Japan – Spread from China and Korea
- Sri Lanka – Spread across the seas
- Myanmar – Reached via sea routes from Sri Lanka
- Thailand – Reached via sea routes
- Indonesia – Reached via sea routes
Land Routes to Trace:
Draw a route from the Indian subcontinent going northwest through Central Asia, then extending eastward to China, and further to Korea and Japan. This land route facilitated the movement of pilgrims like Fa Xian and Xuan Zang, who travelled from China to India in search of texts, and Indian Buddhist teachers who carried texts to distant lands.
Sea Routes to Trace:
Draw a route from the Indian subcontinent going south to Sri Lanka, and then continuing eastward across the seas to Myanmar, Thailand, and Indonesia. These sea routes enabled Buddhism to spread across Southeast Asia.
Explanation
The textbook context clearly states that the Buddha's message spread 'through Central Asia to China, Korea and Japan' (land route) and 'through Sri Lanka, across the seas to Myanmar, Thailand and Indonesia' (sea route). The context also mentions that pilgrims like Fa Xian and Xuan Zang travelled from China to India, and Indian Buddhist teachers travelled to faraway places carrying texts. Students should mark all these regions on the outline world map and trace the two distinct routes as described.
Solution Steps
Step 1: Identify areas of spread from the text – Central Asia, China, Korea, Japan, Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia
Step 2: Mark these areas on the outline world map
Step 3: Trace the land route from subcontinent → Central Asia → China → Korea → Japan
Step 4: Trace the sea route from subcontinent → Sri Lanka → Myanmar → Thailand → Indonesia