<P> Buddhism has long been characterized by some scholars as an other - worldly religion, that is not rooted in economic and political activity . That is in part due to the influence of German sociologist, Max Weber, who was a prominent scholar of religion that has had a significant impact on the way Southeast Asian Buddhism is studied . Many contemporary scholars of Buddhism in Southeast Buddhism are starting to move away from the Weberian school of thought and identifying the role Buddhism has played in economic, political and every - day life in the region . Buddhism has also played a role in the consolidation of power and political resistance to throughout history, dating back to as early as the 10th and 11th century . Buddhist resistance has been a part of many significant historical moments, from the resistance to colonization and colonial powers, the creation of nation - states and the consolidation of political power within kingdoms and states . </P> <P> Some of the earliest accounts of religious conflict that trace back to the 11th century took place in modern - day Burma . There was tension between Buddhist kings looking to create a more uniform religion and different sects of Buddhist worship . In particular, there was resistance from the cult of Nat worship, a religious practice that predates Buddhism in Burma . Buddhist kings of the time attempted to unify the different sects of Buddhism by the elimination of heretical movements . This was done so in order to maintain their power over their people and in an effort to purify the faith . </P> <P> During the Nguyen dynasty of Vietnam in the 19th and 20th century, there was a strain between Confucian rulers and practitioners of Buddhism monks during the early unification of the empire . The rulers had a fear of potential rebellions emerging from monastic sites in the countryside and heavily criticized the spiritual practices of Buddhist sects, including a belief in invulnerability based on merit . After an attempt to de-legitimize Buddhist faith in the eyes of Vietnamese people through this criticism of their practices, they declared a war on Buddhism to squash any resistance to the consolidation of their empire </P> <P> During the late 19th century and early 20th century, there were Buddhist resistance movements in the kingdom of Siam . These resistance movements were led by holy men or phu mi bun who had great power due to a high accumulation of merit . Some of these men claimed to have powers of invulnerability to enemy bullets and shared their powers through bathing others in holy water . An early phu mi bun rebellion was led by a former Buddhist monk, Phaya Phap, who resisted increased taxes in the province of Chiang Mai and proclaimed he would be the new, ideal Buddhist king of the region . These movements were not associated with mainstream Buddhism of the time, but many of the leaders had been ordained monks and utilized some Buddhist symbolism and philosophies . </P>

Identify and explain two ways that buddhism spread throughout south asia