Daoism was an ideology of cosmic harmony that advised its adherents to stay out of worldly affairs. Legalism is a theory of centralized, autocratic governance with harsh consequences. Early Chinese empires were influenced by these three philosophies, and some of them even became official state ideologies.
Around 200 AD, Daoism began to evolve into a religion, with Buddhist traditions profoundly influencing texts and rituals. Daoists contributed to Chinese medicine, science (the development of gun powder), and martial arts in later millennia as a religion in quest of eternal life (Taiji, Wudang).
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