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Silk Road
By Dylan Lembo, Mara Bennett, Sarah Galvin, Spencer
Westcott, and Jeff Petrulla
Overview:
The Eurasian Silk Road was the “greatest East to West trade route between China, Central Asia, and
Byzantium.” This ancient route between East and West was established during 206 BC to 220 AD in Han
Dynasty of China for political contact with the many Kingdoms of Central Asia and also to connect China
with the West. The Silk Road consisted of a network of both land and sea routes. Not just silk from China, but
many Eastbound caravans also brought gold, metals and stones, ivory, coral, spices, tea, and textiles along the
Eurasian Silk Road. Silk was the most prominent product because it was used as the basis of currency for
China. The religious beliefs of Buddhism and Nestorianism also were able to be exchanged among new global
areas. As the demand of merchandise increased, Europe, India, and the Far East became involved bringing
with them missionaries monks and military men that traveled the Silk Road. Myths and legends were also
exchanged from the 8th to the 10th century and lively depicted the social structures and political relationships
between countries. The Silk Road allowed people to interact which also enabled cultures, religion, technology,
and skills of art to be diffused among the world.
Periodization
120-130 BC: First person to traverse the Silk Road is Zhang Qian, an explorer sent by
Emperor Wudi of the Han Dynasty to form an alliance with a western nomad tribe.
1 AD: Silk begins becoming popular in Rome, a sure sign of Silk Road expanse.
600 AD: The Tang dynasty ushers in a two century long golden age for the Silk Road.
Connects more and more area, boosts Chinese economy.
1100-1200 AD: Genghis Khan united the Mongols, expands Mongolia and captures the
Silk Road. It flourishes again under “Pax Mongolica” with strong policing by the
Mongols, with travel being introduced to the Silk Road.
1400 AD: Mongols lose power, Ming dynasty slows trade and Silk Road no longer
trades silk.
Historiographical Perspective
Although this trade route fits into idea of world systems analysis, as
subscribed to followers of Wallerstein, Janet Abu-Lughod has a
more appropriate historiographical view on this trade route. The
Silk Road had an oriental centered view, since it thrived mainly in
the East, outside of European hegemony. Even though the Silk
Road impacted the West, it operated almost entirely in Asia,
stretching from the Eastern Byzantine Empire to the center of
China.
Significance and Importance of the Eurasian Silk Road
The Silk Road connected the east and the west through an exchange of commodities,
lasting until about 1450 CE. From the result of the increased trade and communication, there
was the import of the world’s development in invention and ideas shared throughout the
opposite hemispheres. The Mongols emerge from the Asian steppes in the early 13th centuries.
Because of this emergence, the Mongols opened the South and Southeast Asia region to the Silk
Road.
In 1330 CE, Asia had spurred the beginning of the Bubonic Plague. The plague was
spread through the Silk Road that was newly emerged in the Asian region. The plague changes
Europe’s demographics and impacts the Silk Road immensely. Because of the many people
dying from the plague, wages go up in the commerce of commodities. There are not as many
people to manufacture the goods, so there is less product. Therefore, goods become more
expensive causing less commerce and ultimately leading to the downfall of the Silk Road.
AP Theme #2
-The second AP Theme is the development and interaction of culture
-On the Silk Road, Buddhism really blossomed
-Within 5 centuries of the Silk Road being opened, about 90% of China’s population
converted to Buddhism
- Buddhism is not indigenous to China. It is a foreign import from northern India.
AP Theme #4
-AP Theme #4 is the creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems
-traders distributed goods across their region's markets in search of the best price
- China, the Indian subcontinent, Persia, Europe, the Horn of Africa and Arabia,