As Buddhism spread to Central Asia, it came into contact primarily with nomadic and settled Iranian cultures, as well as with Greek and Chinese cultural influences along the Silk Route. Early Iranian religious traditions, including Mithraism and Zoroastrianism, shared certain concepts with Indian traditions, providing a cultural setting in which Buddhist teachings could readily take root. During the medieval period, other religious traditions, such as Manichaeism, Nestorian Christianity and Islam, came into contact with Buddhist communities, leading to mutual influences in symbolism, cosmology and accounts of messianic figures. Buddhist masters made skillful use of methods for adapting the teachings to different cultures, incorporating local customs, such as Zoroastrian symbolism of light, into artistic representations and explanations of the texts to make the Dharma accessible to people from different cultural backgrounds. Important kingdoms in Gandhara, Bactria, Sogdia, Parthia and Khotan facilitated the early spread of various Hinayana schools, particularly Sarvastivada, Mahasanghika and Dharmaguptaka. With the patronage of powerful dynasties, such as the Mauryans and Kushans, Buddhist monasteries flourished, becoming important centers for the study of the teachings and the translation of Buddhist texts into local languages, such as Khotanese and Sogdian. Eventually, Mahayana Buddhism became firmly established throughout much of Central Asia, demonstrating the flexibility with which Indian Buddhist philosophical systems could be adapted to the cultural settings of Central Asia.