The Silk Road

The Silk Road is actually a series of routes that connect Asia to Europe, and, to an extent, East Africa.

The Silk Road began during China’s Han Dynasty.

The Silk Road reached its height in the eighth century, during the Tang Dynasty.

The Crusades interrupted trade between the Muslim and Christian worlds. This also affected the Silk Road.

However, a new group emerged in the thirteenth century that reunited and restarted trade on the group. This group was the Mongols.

The Mongols, by subduing the various groups along the route, brought peace to the region.

The Mongols were also open to new ideas and religions, and this allowed those ideas and religions to spread across the Silk Road.

The northern part of the route started in the city of Xian.

In Xian (also called Chang’An), traders would buy porcelain, dried rhubarb, herbal medicine, and, of course, silk.

Xian is also where one can see the famous terra cotta warriors of Shi Huangdi.

Traders taking the northern route would next head for Dunhuang.

Dunhuang was a trading and supply center.

Dunhuang also had Buddhist caves filled with religious paintings and statues where some traders would pray for a safe journey.

Travelers taking this route had to survive crossing the Taklamakan Desert.

One translation of Taklamakan means “If you go, you won’t come out.”

The next oasis town and trading port travelers would reach was Kashgar.

Here traders would trade silk for the famous Kashgar fruit like dates, melons, or grapes. They might also trade for jade or woven wool rugs.

Next, traders would head for Tashkent.

Here traders would trade Chinese silk and porcelain for Persian metalwork, glass, and musical instruments.

Next stop on the route was the city of Samarkand.

Travelers to Samarkand could relax in its beautiful and famous gardens.

Traders could buy Samarkand paper, saddles, or silver lamps and, of course, goods that had come from other destinations along the Silk Road.

The city of Merv was an oasis stop and a gateway from Asia to Europe and the Middle East.

The next stop on this route was Baghdad.

Baghdad was considered the greatest city in the Islamic world and a center of trade.

Here merchants from Africa would bring gold, ivory, spices, and slaves.

Merchants from the Persian Gulf brought pearls, from Ceylon brought precious stones, and from India brought cotton cloth.

Travelers on this route might next end up in Damascus or Tyre.

Though the silk came from China, so many European merchants bought silk in Damascus that a certain kind of cloth became known as damask.

Tyre was a port city, and goods here would travel by sea to Byzantium, the capital of which was, of course, Constantinople.

From Constantinople traders might head to Rome.

In Rome they could sell their silks and buy wool and glass.

Travelers on the Silk Road taking other routes might head south to avoid bandits and other hazards, or they might take sea routes.

Sea routes would bring traders from Canton carrying tea, porcelain, and silk… A Chinese junk

…to the Spice Islands (Moluccas)… (The exotic spices coming from the Spice Islands helped spark European interest in exploration!)

…to Ceylon, where merchants could buy tea and rubies…

…to India for more spices and cotton…

…to Alexandria, a major trade city…

…from where traders could head back to major Silk Road ports like Tyre.

Traders used a variety of methods to traverse these routes… Camels

Horses

Dhows

Chinese Junks

Venetian Galleys

Travelers also faced a variety of hazards on the route… Bandits

Sandstorms

Shipwrecks

Disease

Although not part of the Silk Road, trade between Constantinople and Venice as well as the rivalries between them also shaped the global market at this time.

During the Crusades, Venetians actually controlled Constantinople after the siege of Constantinople in 1204.

As a result, Venice was able to control the spice trade between the Middle East and Asia and the rest of the European world.

Though the Eastern Orthodox managed to regain control of Constantinople, they nonetheless lost their supremacy in the spice trade as spice merchants were now accustomed to going from Egypt and Asia to Venice.

In Venice one could also buy renowned Venetian glass.

The Silk Road and its extension had far- reaching impacts on the Eastern Hemisphere. Those are next units!

THE END!!