What role did trade and conquest play in the spread of cultures and religions?

Question

What role did trade and conquest play in the spread of cultures and religions?

Answer 1

Trade turned out to be not just a swapping of goods, but also a swapping of ideas, beliefs, etc. Look at the Silk Road. It was a huge trade route with people from lots of different civilizations working it. They didn't just silently trade with others. They got into conversations with them.

When an army conquered a group, they didn't just leave their culture behind. They spread it to the conquered group and absorbed some of the culture of the group they conquered.

cultural diffusion =

The process of knowledge, skills, and technology being spread from one culture to another.

Cultural assimilation =  the process whereby a minority group gradually adopts the customs and attitudes of the prevailing culture