DBWI: Buddhism falters in Roman Empire

[BootOnFace]

OOC: I'm assuming the latter two paragraphs were IC?

IC:

Perfectly fair. [*]

Concubinage in China is, AIUI, something very different from the practice of *open adultery* in the *West*, even as it is also different from polygyny as practiced by, for example, Persia. And while influence between Buddhism and Confucianism in China has been a two way street, the former can at least take credit for ending the practice of concubinage and *plural marriage* for the nation's elite... which does proffer evidence for the some of the arguments I mentioned above.

I've read sources that argue that the decline of polygyny in Judaism and *Hinduism* can be chalked up largely to the inuence of Buddhism. Mind you, at least a few of these writers do seem to have a strong anti-Iran axe to grind, so I suppose I should be taking their analyses with a grain of salt, but I can't help but find it interesting to think about nonetheless. After all, it also should be remembered that sub-Saharan Africa also has a long history of plural marriages (though they're also distinct from West Asian practices), as do several native societies in the western hemisphere (which are a whole other kettle of fish).

OOC: [*]note, words with asterix quotes (*example*) are approximations

The presence of plural marriage and concubinage among the elites of China was largely confined to the very elite of the country and the vast majority of even the elite would not have multiple wives. I believe that the phasing out of concubinage was due to Bodhism, but I don't think that a very rare practice such as that is a good measure of the general treatment of women in the culture.

The sub-Saharan African societies you mention are a good example, but you must not forget that most of East Africa is Zoroastrian, thanks to Persian and Arab traders and the Yemen's colonial empire. And many of the West African societies that practice polygyny have had Bodhist presence for centuries to little effect. Although Bodhism is a more feminist religion than most, I'd still argue it's republicanism that's the main factor in women's liberation. And in a TL with no Bodhist Rome, the philosophy of republicanism could still experience a revival.