ĭespite repeatedly surviving many geopolitical changes and disruptions, the Silk Road abruptly lost its importance with the rise of the Ottoman Empire in 1453, which almost immediately severed trade between East and West. Diseases such as plague also spread along the Silk Road, possibly contributing to the Black Death. Likewise, a wide variety of people used the routes. In addition to goods, the network facilitated an unprecedented exchange of ideas, religions ( especially Buddhism), philosophies, and scientific discoveries, many of which were syncretised or reshaped by the societies that encountered them. Few individuals crossed the entirety of the Silk Road, instead relying on a succession of middlemen based at various stopping points along the way. Travelers faced constant threats of banditry and nomadic raiders, and long expanses of inhospitable terrain. As a highly decentralized network, security was sparse. Aside from generating substantial wealth for emerging mercantile classes, the proliferation of goods such as paper and gunpowder greatly altered the trajectory of various realms, if not world history.ĭuring its roughly 1,500 years of existence, the Silk Road endured the rise and fall of numerous empires and major events such as the Black Death and the Mongol conquests. Other lucrative commodities from the East included tea, dyes, perfumes, and porcelain among Western exports were horses, camels, honey, wine, and gold. By the early first century CE, Chinese silk was widely sought-after in Rome, Egypt, and Greece. The Parthian Empire provided a bridge to East Africa and the Mediterranean. The network began with the Han dynasty's expansion into Central Asia around 114 BCE through the missions and explorations of the Chinese imperial envoy Zhang Qian, which brought the region under unified control. The Silk Road derives its name from the highly lucrative trade of silk textiles that were produced almost exclusively in China. Your browser does not support the audio element.Quick facts: Silk Road, Traditional Chinese, Simplifi. Listen to a recorded reading of this page:.Take a ten question quiz about this page.There wasn't just one route, but many routes.Goods were traded at many cities and trade posts along the way. Very few merchants traveled along the entire route.It is thought that the bubonic plague, or Black Death, traveled to Europe from the Silk Road. Not all that was traded along the Silk Road was good.Marco Polo traveled to China along the Silk Road.Also, merchants were granted more social status during the Mongol rule. During this time the Mongols controlled a significant portion of the trade route, enabling Chinese merchants to travel safely. Later, under the rule of the Yuan Dynasty set up by Kublai Khan of the Mongols, trade from China along the Silk Road would reach its peak. Camels were popular animals for transport because much of the road was through dry and harsh land.Īlthough there was some trade between China and the rest of the world for some time, the silk trade was significantly expanded and promoted by the Han Dynasty which ruled from 206 BC to 220 AD. Traveling in a big group like a caravan helped in defending from bandits. Merchants and tradesmen traveled in large caravans. They imported, or bought, goods like cotton, ivory, wool, gold, and silver. This was because it was a long trip and merchants didn't have a lot of room for goods. Most of what was traded was expensive luxury goods. The Chinese sold silk for thousands of years and even the Romans called China the "land of silk".īesides silk, the Chinese also exported (sold) teas, salt, sugar, porcelain, and spices. People throughout Asia and Europe prized Chinese silk for its softness and luxury. It was called the Silk Road because one of the major products traded was silk cloth from China. This helped for ideas, culture, inventions, and unique products to spread across much of the settled world. The Silk Road was important because it helped to generate trade and commerce between a number of different kingdoms and empires. Map of the Silk Road - Route in red (later ocean routes in blue)
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