The Emergence of Trade Routes Left: trade during the Hellenistic Era Right: the Silk Roads, circa 200 B.C.E Classical Era Theme # 3 The Emergence of Trade Routes Left: the Taklamakan Desert, nicknamed the “Desert of Death” Right: the spread of Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism during the Classical Era

Theme # 3 Timeline (CCOT) Trans-continental trade routes were established and maintained. Trade routes helped spread ideas, technology, trade goods, luxuries, and unfortunately diseases. Trade routes had only extended across regions and consisted of mostly trading port cities that connected regions. Greek colonies facilitate communication, exchange, and interaction throughout the Mediterranean and the Black Seas (p. 195) – Chapter 10 Roman Empire engages in maritime trade throughout the Mediterranean region and its empire. Chapter 11 600 B.C.E. 600 C.E. Examples: Phoenician trading cities (map p. 38) 1200 – 800 B.C.E. dominated the Mediterranean region Trade between Egypt and Nubia along the Nile River; Egyptian trade with Punt (Ethopia & Somalia) Harrapans trade with Persians & Mesopotamians Persian Empires trade with Egypt, Phoenicia, Greece, India, Anatolia, & Arabia via the Persian Royal Road, other land routes, and waterways Chapter 7 Mauryans begin trading via the Indian Ocean Basin; traded with Indonesia, Southeast Asia, the Mediterranean (including the Romans), & lands bordering the Persian Gulf & Arabian Sea. Indians also traded by land via the Hindu Kush Mountains & the Silk Roads. Chapter 9 The Silk Roads, established between 200 B.C.E. And 300 C.E., connect Europe, the Middle East, central Asia, SW Asia, SE Asia, and east Asia via a series of land and water routes, enabling a trans-continental exchange of trade goods, culture, religious ideas, and unfortunately, disease.

Chapter 12: Cross-Cultural Exchanges on the Silk Roads Trade Networks of the Hellenistic Era The Silk Roads Cultural Exchanges Along the Silk Roads The Spread of Epidemic Diseases

Two Factors Made Long-Distance Trade Possible Rulers spent resources building roads and bridges. Large imperial states bordered one another, were close to one another, or managed to pacify surrounding lands that weren’t part of their states. Question: Speculate how these two factors would make long- distance, transcontinental trade possible.

Trade Networks of the Hellenistic Era Dramatic increase in trade due to Greek colonization (Hellenism) Maintenance of roads, bridges Discovery of Monsoon wind patterns (Ptolemaic Egypt) Increased tariff revenues used to maintain open routes Trade Networks of the Hellenistic Era Flow of Goods – Fill in at least ONE from notes given to you! Area Goods Destination India ______________ Hellenistic Ports Persia & Egypt ______________ Hellenistic Ports Mediterranean ______________ Persia & Bactria Mediterranean ______________ India East Africa ______________ Arabia & Mediterranean Arabia & Mediterranean ______________ East Africa Question: Using the larger map on the next slide, identify at least ONE more commodity that was traded.

Trade in the Hellenistic World Bactria/India Spices, pepper, cosmetics, gems, pearls Persia, Egypt Grain Mediterranean Wine, oil, jewelry, art Development of professional merchant class

Named for principal commodity from China Dependent on imperial stability Overland trade routes from China to Roman Empire Sea Lanes and Maritime trade as well The Silk Roads Key Point: Classical Empires brought stability and safety to enable long-distance trade of this magnitude.

Map of the Silk Roads, 200 B.C.E. – 300 C.E.

Route of the Overland Silk Road Linked China and the Holy Roman Empire The two extreme ends of Eurasia Started in the Han capital of Chang’an and went west to the Taklamakan Desert There the road split into two main branches that skirted the desert to the north and south

Taklamakan Desert: “The Desert of Death” The Silk Roads avoided the Taklamakan Desert and passed through the oasis towns on its outskirts

Route of the Overland Silk Road The branches reunited at Kashgar (now Kashi in the western corner of China) and continued west to Bactria There one branch forked off to Taxila and northern India while the main branch continued across northern Iran There is still a bustling Sunday market at Kashgar

Route of the Overland Silk Road In northern Iran, the route joined with roads to ports on the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf and proceeded to Palmyra (modern Syria) There it met roads coming from Arabia and ports on the Red Sea

Silk Road It continued west and terminated at the Mediterranean ports of Antioch (in modern Turkey) and Tyre (in modern Lebanon)

Sea Lanes The Silk Roads also provided access at ports like Guangzhou in southern China that led to maritime routes to India and Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka)

Kushan Empire & regional states in northern India Who were the major traders on the Silk Road during this time? China Han Empire India Kushan Empire & regional states in northern India Mediterranean Region Roman Empire Persia Parthian Empire

Which major commodities were traded and from where during this time? China silk ginger cinnamon India pepper cotton textiles pearls coral ivory sesame oil SE Asia cinnamon cloves nutmeg mace cardamom Mediterranean glassware iron tools Jewelry olive oil art work wine wool & linen gold Pottery silver SW Asia sesame oil Central Asia horses jade

Silk Road Trade to the East Central Asia produced large, strong horses and jade that was highly prized by Chinese stone carvers The Roman empire traded glassware, jewelry, works of art, decorative items, perfumes, bronze goods, wool and linen textiles, pottery, iron tools, olive oil, wine, and gold and silver bullion Mediterranean merchants and manufacturers often imported raw materials such as uncut gemstones which they exported as finished products in the form of expensive jewelry and decorative items

Silk Road Trade to the West Silk and spices traveled west from southeast Asia, China, and India China was the only country in classical times where cultivators and weavers had developed techniques for producing high-quality silk fabrics Spices served not just to season food but also as drugs, anesthetics, aphrodisiacs, perfumes, aromatics, and magical potions Chinese silk making

Organization of Long-distance Trade Key Point: Individual merchants usually did not travel from one end of Eurasia to the other Question: Why not????

Instead they handled long-distance trade in stages. Chinese, Parthians, Persians, Indians, Romans, and others would dominate the caravan or maritime trade routes within their empire or territory of influence So, who dominated the segments of trade along the Silk Roads? Fill these in along the arrows as you are given notes! Land Routes Mediterranean Palmyra Bactria China Persian Gulf Sea Routes Arabian Sea SE Asia Ceylon India China Red Sea

Organization of Long-Distance Trade Divided into small segments Tariffs and tolls finance local supervision Tax income incentives to maintain safety, maintenance of passage

Cultural Exchanges Along the Silk Roads Hinduism Buddhism Christianity Key Points: The spread of these religions were aided by the presence of trade routes These religions were spread by the work of various missionaries As these religions spread, they blended (sinicized/syncretized) with local religions and customs As non-favored groups were expelled, their religions and customs blended with others as well (see Theme 2 Unit 7 on diasporas)

The spread of Buddhism, Hinduism, and Christianity, 200 BCE – 400 CE

Cultural Trade: Buddhism and Hinduism Merchants carry religious ideas along silk routes India through central Asia to east Asia Cosmopolitan centers promote development of monasteries to shelter traveling merchants Buddhism becomes dominant faith of silk roads, 200 BCE-700 CE

Buddhism in China Originally, Buddhism restricted to foreign merchant populations Gradual spread to larger population beginning 5th c. CE

Spread of Buddhism Merchants carried Buddhism along the Silk Roads where it first established a presence in the oasis towns where merchants and their caravans stopped for food, rest, lodging, and markets Dunhuang was one such spot In the same tradition, today there are a growing number of truck stop ministries

Spread of Buddhism At Dunhuang, the Silk Road divides into two branches By the 4th Century A.D., a sizeable Buddhist community had emerged there

Buddhism at Dunhuang Between 600 and 1000 A.D., Buddhists built hundreds of cave temples around Dunhuang depicting scenes of Buddha Assembled libraries of religious literature Supported missionaries which spread Buddhism throughout China

Spread of Hinduism Hinduism also spread along the Silk Roads, primarily along the sea lanes This for example is how Hinduism spread from India to Malaya

Buddhism and Hinduism in SE Asia Sea lanes in Indian Ocean 1st c. CE clear Indian influence in SE Asia Rulers called “rajas” Sanskrit used for written communication Buddhism, Hinduism increasingly popular faiths

Spread of Christianity Antioch, the western terminus of the overland Silk Roads, was an important center in early Christianity “Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” Acts 11: 25-26 St. Peter’s cave church in Antioch

Spread of Christianity Paul began his missionary journeys at Antioch

Spread of Christianity Like other religions, Christianity followed the trade routes and expanded east throughout Mesopotamia, Iran, and as far away as India However, its greatest concentration was in the Mediterranean basin, where the Roman Roads, like the Silk Roads, provided ready transportation

Spread of Christianity A good example is Paul’s visit to Thessalonica (Acts 17: 1) Thessalonica was the principle city and primary port of Macedonia (part of present day Greece) It was located at the intersection of two major Roman roads, one leading from Italy eastward (Via Egnatia) and the other from the Danube to the Aegean

Christianity in Mediterranean Basin Gregory the Wonderworker, central Anatolia 3rd c. CE (St. Gregory) Christianity spreads through Middle East, North Africa, Europe Sizeable communities as far east as India Judaism, Zoroastrianism also practiced Saint Gregory of Neocaesarea

Christianity in SW Asia Influence of ascetic practices from India Desert-dwelling hermits, monastic societies After 5th c. CE, followed Nestorius, a Greek theologian Emphasized human nature of Jesus Nestorian Schism

Spread of Manichaeism Mani, a devout Zoroastrian (216-272 CE) Viewed himself a prophet for all humanity Influenced by Christianity and Buddhism, was a Gnostic faith Dualist good vs. evil light vs. dark spirit vs. matter

Manichaean Society Devout: “the Elect” Laity: “the Hearers” Ascetic lifestyle Celibacy, vegetarianism Life of prayer and fasting Laity: “the Hearers” Material supporters of “the Elect” More conventional lives, but followed strict moral code and provided food and gifts to support the “Elect”

Decline of Manichaeism Spread through silk routes to major cities in Roman Empire Zoroastrian opposition provokes Sassanid persecution Mani arrested, dies in captivity Romans, fearing Persian influence, also persecute

The Spread of Epidemic Diseases Smallpox Key Points: Role of trade routes in spread of pathogens Limited data, but trends in demographics reasonably clear Smallpox, measles, bubonic plague Effects: Economic slowdown, move to regional self-sufficiency, instability and decline of Classical Empires Measles Bubonic Plague

Spread of Disease The Antonine Plague (165-180 A. D.) was a plague of either smallpox or measles brought back to the Roman Empire by troops returning from campaigns in the Near East Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was among the victims The disease broke out again nine years later and the Roman historian Dio Cassius reported it caused up to 2,000 deaths a day at Rome Total deaths have been estimated at five million

Epidemics in the Han and Roman Empires

Question: Speculate the specific effects that a drastic drop in population, such as those seen in the Roman and Han Empires, would have.

Learning Check Which of the following is NOT true with regard to the silk roads? The silk roads actually had nothing to do with silk. Because of the silk roads, silk garments became popular among wealthy Romans. The silk roads linked much of Eurasia and north Africa. D) The silk roads also included sea lanes. E) The silk roads also carried fine spices.

Learning Check Which of the following would NOT have been on a ship carrying goods in the classical era? pepper and cotton from India B) silk from Bactria C) olive oil and wine from Rome D) spices from Southeast Asia E) slaves from Africa

Learning Check The principal agent(s) for the spread of Buddhism over the silk roads was/were the Buddha himself. merchants. Indian monks. missionaries of the emperor Ashoka. mariners.

Learning Check With regard to epidemic diseases on the silk roads, which of the following is NOT true? A) The most devastating diseases were smallpox, measles, and bubonic plague. B) The diseases seriously weakened the Han and Roman empires. C) The diseases caused the greatest population loss in India. D) The largest outbreaks occurred in the second and third centuries C.E. E) A Roman emperor died during one of the epidemics.

Trade Routes Interactive Map Activity Directions: You will use this exercise as a review opportunity Go to the following link and visit the interactive maps for each of the following topics: ttp://www.eduplace.com/kids/socsci/ca/books/bkf3/imaps/ Topics: Persian Empire 500 B.C. India – Physical Geography and Resources Han China Greek Trade 500 B.C. The Empire of Alexander 325 B.C. The Roman Empire at its Height Be prepared to discuss the following question in class: What conclusions can you make about the development of trade routes during the Classical Era (600 B.C.E – 600 C.E.)?