Universalizing Religion

The fall of Rome usually marks the beginning of the "Dark Ages" in European history. Its impact left a vacuum throughout Eastern Europe and Eurasia. In this vacuum many different religions began to spread and expand exponentially, taking advantage of the cultural haven that was Constantinople and the Byzantine Empire. Located on the Bosporus, it was the middle ground in trade that would hold together the vastly different cultures and ways of life after Rome had collapsed. Islam had sprung up from the Arabian peninsula and had a large void in which to expand, until eventually they collided with Byzantium and took Constantinople in 1453. The collapse of the Han dynasty left China in pieces, and the religions of the East spread and branched out; the situation was similar to the fall of Rome in Europe. Religions took advantage of the vacuums created by the fall of two major empires and spread throughout the eastern hemisphere; unchecked and with no barriers in their way, they proliferated and became universal.

~Charles Bronson