Lesson 24: The Silk Road

How did the Silk Road promote exchange of goods and ideas?

Under Han rule, new trade routes allowed the Chinese to trade with other ancient cultures. In this chapter, you will explore the great trade route known as the Silk Road.

The Silk Road was actually a network of smaller trade routes. It stretched for more than four thousand miles across Asia— from Luoyang (lwaw-yahng) and the Han capital of Chang'an (chahn-ahn) in China to Mediterranean ports such as Antioch (AN-tee-ahk) in Syria. By the first century C.E., the Roman Empire, and its capital, Rome, dominated the Mediterranean region. The Silk Road connected the Han and Roman empires.

Both goods and ideas traveled along the Silk Road. The Chinese traded silk and jade for spices from India and glassware from Rome. Ideas, like Buddhism, entered China with this trade.

The Silk Road linked the peoples of the East and the West for more than a thousand years. In this chapter, you will learn more about the exchanges between Asian and western cultures.

The Silk Road

The Silk Road: Connecting the Ancient World through Trade

Traditional Silk-Making

History - The Silk Road

Mista Hill's History - History of the Silk Road

Summary:

The Opening of the Silk Road The Silk Road was opened during the Han dynasty and remained a major route of trade for more than one thousand years. The eastern and western parts of the Silk Road presented many dangers and hardships for those who traveled along it. To make a profit from trade, goods had to be valuable and easy to carry. Silk and ornaments traveled from China to Rome, India, and central Asia. Gold, horses, cotton, and spices traveled back to China.

The Eastern Silk Road The Eastern Silk Road connected the capital of China to Kashgar. Travelers formed camel caravans for protection from bandits and the harsh conditions of desert travel.

The Western Silk Road From Kashgar, the Western Silk Road crossed mountains and a desert on its way to Mediterranean ports like Antioch. Travelers faced high, slippery mountain trails and dangerous desert wildlife, such as tigers and lions.

Cultural Exchanges Along the Silk Road Many goods were exchanged along the Silk Road, including both silk from China and glassware from Rome. In addition to new products, ideas and knowledge were exchanged. In this way, trade brought cultural changes to both East and West. One of the most important examples of cultural diffusion was the introduction of Buddhism to China.

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