Bob Whyte surveys the many strands of religion in China. The article first appeared in SACU's China Now magazine. It has often been said that the Chinese are not deeply religious. It is true that they have shown a comparative indifference to metaphysical speculation; Chinese culture was perhaps the first to develop an intellectual scepticism concerning the gods.

In about 304 BC, the second emperor of the Maurya Dynasty in ancient India had a son. This son turned out to be the famous Emperor Ashoka, whose effect on history ranks first among the ancient Indian emperors, just as his popularity did. The outstanding achievements in his lifetime can be divided into two parts.