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. The name "Silk Road", first coined in the late 19th century, has fallen into disuse among some modern historians in favor of Silk Routes, on the grounds that it more accurately describes the intricate web of land and sea routes connecting Central, East, South, and Southeast Asia, the Middle East, East Africa, and Southern Europe. Spanning over 6,400 kilometers (4,000 miles), it played a central role in facilitating economic, cultural, political, and religious interactions between the East and West. The Silk Road ( Chinese: 絲綢之路) was a network of Eurasian trade routes active from the second century BCE until the mid-15th century. Silk Roads: the Routes Network of Chang'an-Tianshan
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |