The Silk Road is the oldest and most historically important land trade route in the world. The name evokes images of caravans crossing the desert, and smelling of exotic spices. All of which continue to fascinate travelers.
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When was the silk road discovered?
The Silk Road wasa network of trade routes连接the region of the Ancient world in trade, formally establishedduring the Han Dynasty of China. The term‘Silk Routes’was preferred by historians, although‘Silk Road’is the most common and recognized name. Both termswere coined in 1877 CE, by Ferdinand von Richthofen, a German geographer, and traveler,who designated them‘Seidenstrasse’ (silk road) or‘Seidenstrassen’(silk routes). The network was used when theHan officially opened trade with the west, in130 BCE, until theOttoman Empire boycotted trade with the west and closed the routes, in 1453 CE.
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What were the routes of the Silk Road?
The ancient trade routecarried goods and ideasbetween the two great civilizations of Rome and China.The 4,000-mile (6,400-km) road, originally fromXi’an (Sian), followedthe Great Wallof China to the northwest,绕过了Takla Makan沙漠,爬上了帕米尔高原s (mountains), crossed Afghanistan, and went on to the Levant;from there the goods were shipped across theMediterranean Sea. The Silk Road became increasingly dangerous and unexplored following the gradualloss of Roman territory in Asia and the rise of Arab power in the Levant. In the 13th and 14th centuries,the route was resumed under theMongols, and theVenetian Marco Polo used the road to reach Cathay (China).
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In Asia, the road passed fromSamarkandto the Fergana region,where a stone tower marked the symbolic watershed between East and West. From Fergana, the road crossed the valley betweenthe Tien Shan and Kunlun Mountains through Kashgar, where it divided andskirted both sides of the Takla Makan Desert to rejoin Yuanquan. The road then snaked east toJiayuguan (Suzhou),where it passed throughthe Jade Gate, or Yumen, of the Great Wall of China.Then it headedsoutheast on the Imperial Highway to Xi’an and east to Shanghai on the Pacific Ocean. FromKashgar, the trade routes to the south passed through the mountains to the great commercial center ofBactria and into northern Kashmir.
The road currently exists in the form of a paved highway connectingPakistan and the Uygur Autonomous Region of Xinjiang, China.
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Travelling along Silk Road
The process of traveling the Silk Roads developed along with the roads themselves. Inthe Middle Ages, caravans consisting of horses or camelswere the standard means oftransporting goods across the land.Thecaravanserais were large pensions or innsto accommodate traveling merchants and facilitated the passage of people and goods along these routes. Found along the Silk Roads from Turkey to China,in addition to providing merchants to eat, rest, and preparefor their outward journey, it also allowed them totrade goods, trade with local markets and purchase local produce,and meet other travelingand allowing anexchange of cultures, languages, and ideas.
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With the development of trade routes,caravanseraisbecame a necessity, and their construction intensified acrossCentral Asia from the 10th centurythroughthe 19th century. This led to a network of caravanseraisfrom China to the Indian subcontinent, Iran, the Caucasus, Turkey, and as far as North Africa, Russia, and Eastern Europe, some of which still exist today.
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The caravanserais were positioned within a day’s travel from each other,to avoid the merchants and their precious cargoes from spending days or nights exposed to the dangers of the road. On average, there was a caravanseraievery 30-40 kilometers in well-maintained areas.
Maritime traders faced several challenges on their long voyages.The development of sailing technology, and the knowledge of shipbuilding,增加了海上旅行的安全Middle Ages.Ports grew on coastsalong these sea trade routes, offering merchants the opportunity to trade, disembark, and embarkon freshwater supplies.Pirates were another riskfaced by merchant ships along the maritime Silk Roads, due to their lucrative cargoes.
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Which precious goods were transported?
Goodstransported on the Silk Roadmoved from East to West.According to the street name,silk was the main commodity.Thanks to itslightweight, compactness, huge demand the high price it was ideal for trade and long-distance transport.
The Chinese,in the initial phase of the development of the Silk Road,receivedexpensive horses and the seeds of lucerne and grapes, which was new to them being separated from other civilizations. The ancient world cultivated vines and produced wines from immemorial. The Chinese envoys were surprised when they discovered that it was possible to make wine not only from rice but also from berries unknown to them. Subsequently, the Chinese discovered other crops for themselves– string beans, onions, cucumbers, carrots, pomegranates, figs, etc.
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From Central Asia and the Eastern Mediterranean, various wool production, carpets, curtains, blankets, and rugs, arrived in China.These products made a great impression on the Chinese who were unfamiliar with themethods of wool and linen processing, carpet making, and weaving.Parthian tapestries and carpets were highly valued inancient China.
Central Asia exported camels,military equipment,goldandsilver, semi-precious stones, and glass fromSamarkand,valued for its high quality and considered aluxury item. Other goods wereskins, cotton fabrics, wool, gold embroidery, exotic fruits西瓜,桃子,西瓜;fat-tailed sheep and hunting dogs, lions, and leopards.
From China, caravans brought Chineseporcelain: snow-white vases, glasses, bowls, and plates with graceful patterns. The Chinese held the secret to making the thinnest and most resonantporcelain, soit was very expensive in European markets.Bronzeornaments, decorated bronze mirrors, umbrellas, products of the famousChinese paint,medicines, and perfumery were also popular. One of the most notable inventions of the Chinese technical genius was theChinese paper.Gold, skins, and many other things were exported includingtea and rice, wool and linen fabrics, corals,amber, and asbestos. The merchants’ sacks were filled withivory, rhino horns, turtle shells, spices, enamel, cinnamon, and ginger.
Indiawas famous for its textiles, spices semiprecious stones, dyes, and ivorywhileIran– for itssilver products.Rome sent European paintings and luxury goodsandreceived spices, perfumes, jewels, ivory, and sugar.
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Eastern Europeimported rice, cotton, wool, and silk fabrics from Central Asiaandexportedhides, furs, fur animals, bark for leather processing, cattle, and slaves to Khoresm.Northern Europe was the source of skins, furs, slaves, and honey.
Effects on western civilization
Theexchange of culturewas the greatest value of the Silk Road. Every element of civilizationwas traded through the Silk Road along with the commercial goodscarried by the merchants. The disease also traveled along with the network of routes, testified bythe spread of the bubonic plague of 542 CEwhich probablyarrived in Constantinople through the Silk Road, decimating the Byzantine Empire.The closure of the Silk Road forced merchants to go to sea, thus starting theAge of Discovery (1453-1660 CE)which led tothe beginnings of a global community.
Info sources:
https://www.britannica.com/technology/road#ref592024
http://www.advantour.com/silkroad/goods.htm
http://en.unesco.org/silkroad/about-silk-road
http://www.ancient.eu/Silk_Road/
