THE age of confusion which followed the fall of the Han Empire
was a period of great importance in the history of religion in
China. The 3rd and 4th centuries A.D., an era of turmoil and
war, saw the rise and development of the two religious systems
which henceforward offered the only alternatives to Confucian
orthodoxy. The introduction and spread of Buddhism is described
in a later section; here a brief survey of the progress made by
its chief rival, Taoism, will be made.

The transformation of Taoism into a religion was one result
of the triumph of the Confucian school, now established as the
state protected orthodox philosophy. The new Confucianism, as it
emerged at the hands of the Han scholars, was entirely divorced
from the ancient magical rites of the wu magicians. The scholars
who exalted the moral virtues and placed them under the
patronage of the supreme deity, T'ien, Heaven, grudged any
favours shown to the heterodox deities worshipped by the wu
priests. Taoism, with its doctrine of non-action, its mysticism, and
its disregard of the rites and ceremonies esteemed by the Con-
fucians, was equally frowned upon by the orthodox scholars.
Both Taoism and the cults of the wu priesthood were deeply
rooted in the cultural life of the Chinese. The rather and doctrines
of the Confucian scholars had little appeal for the mass of the
people. It was not unnatural, therefore, that the principal
heterodox philosophy, Taoism should join forces with the popular
religion which Confucianism had rejected.

This alliance, from which later Taoism, a religion more than a
philosophic school, was born, was stimulated by the appearance
of a new rival, Buddhism. Both Buddhism and Taoist philosophy
denied the value of the world of appearances, and directed their
appeal to the mystical side of human nature. Since this religious
instinct was neglected by Confucian orthodoxy, it was inevitable
that the new creeds should awaken a widespread response.

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