Why did Confucianism "lose out" to more popular Eastern religions? Had it predominate

.....in science and technology today? (That is, would the Confucianist worldview have led to more aggressive history of technology and science in that culture?)
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Wow, helpful and educational replies! I have lived to see miracles.

Thanks, all. Very helpful insights.

Confucianism emphasized peace and education. And with it China stopped their emphasis on big military spending.

Christianity emphasized War and aggression and invaded China at it's politically weakest time.

A big part of why China's empire fell to northern barbarian invaders was very fact that Confucian and a prosperous economy during the Ming dynasty lead to the idea of using strict diplomacy with foreign nations. And neglected any military development. The army was not seen as necessary when China thought , with enough wealth and education , they can calmly talk out any problems they have with foreign countries.

This lead to northern tribes invading and taking over the government. Northern tribes were always at war and so had military advantage. But they did not know how to govern. This lead to a breakdown in Chinese society during the Machu dynasty.

The west also began to invade.

communism took hold of china, partly because of western invasion.


and i don't think Confucianism lose out to other religions. It was teaching virtues and ethics that crosses all religious ideas. Chinese culture did not see separate religions as exclusive of one another. all religions are blended and mixed. unlike the west where each religion tries to take a stronghold.

I personally have always had difficulty considering Confucianism to be a religion... it is more like a code of ethics that governs ones relationships with members of ones family, community and nation. Ultimately, Confucianism asserts a hierarchical worldview, in which those at the top and those at the bottom have certain rights and obligations to one another. You are incorrect in your assertion that Confucianism "lost out" to other religions; rather, it combined with them. Since both Buddhism and Taoism are non-theistic religions, that is, neither believe in a creator-god, they came into China with no set of dogmatic beliefs that clashed with the existing Confucian social structure. Thus, it was and remains fully possible for a person in China to practice Confucian ethics in their public life but Buddhist spirituality in their private one.

I doubt it. Confucianism has been influential for most of Chinese history since its development, and continues to be so today. You can't really say it has disappeared.

Confucianism advocates a rigid social hierarchy, which can cripple innovation. Yes it places emphasis on education, but without innovation it will still lead to stagnation.