Name:
Block: _
Date:
Directions:
Annotate the reading & answer the summary question
Focus questions:
. What is the Silk Road? How did it start?
. How did the Silk Road change over time?
. Whatwas traded along the Silk Road besides goods?
East Meets West: The Silk Road (Overview)
llistory ofien seems to be all about the rise and fall of governments and shifts in political
and military power, Llow'ever, many of the most important developments of history the
ones w'ith a lasting irnpact on human lit-e and culture-come out of the peaceful exchange
of goods ancl idears along trade routes. One such important historical trade route is the
romantically named Silk Road, which linked the East to the West and pla-,ved a signilicant
roie in the transfer of l<now.ledge liom China to Europe.
What Is the Silk Road?
'l'he "Silk Road" is a name historians use
to describe the first trade route that connected
China with the Mediterranean region in ancient and medieval times. It would probably be
ntore accurate to use the term "Silk Roads" because the Silk Road was a 4"000-mile
network of routes that passed through the entire Asian continent. 'fhe routes began in the
ancient C'hinese capital of Xi'an, split as they moved west to go around the l'al<limakan
Deselt in Central Asia, and then came together again in the Near East. They ended at
cities iike Antioch and Tyre on the
Mediterranean Sea.
Since most of the Silk Road passed through
desert or mountains, travel was diflicult and
dangerous. Travelers journeyed in caravans and
made their u,ay fi'om one desert oasis to the next.
Goods traveled along with the people liom
Central Asia across the Mediterranean Sea into
uurope. Sicle routes ran into the Indian
subcontinent.
Over hundreds of years, trade and travel along the Silk Road grelv and declined based on
the conditions in the numerous regions through which it passed.
Who Paved the Way?
The Silk Road was probably lrrst used as eariy
as 300 BCE, but the eariiest recorded
traveler was Chinese general Zhang Qian in the second century BCE. At that time, tracle
of silk and other luxtries between central China and its borders was common, but the
nomadic tribes who lived on the northern ancl western fi'ontiers oflen raided tr"ading
parties. In 13 8 BCE, Han dynasty emperor Wudi sent Zhang to the $,estet'n nomads to
attempt to create an alliance r,',ith thern against the northerners. Althor-rgh that mission
was unsuccessful, Zhangtraveled as far west as modern-day Afghanistan and returned to
China with information about trade routes and new products.
The Chinese were especially interested in Zhang's descriptions of the fine horses that
were raised in Central Asia because of their military value. With Chinese silk, a valuable
luxury, to be tracled in exchange. the Chinese government launched w'estern trading
parties with military escorts for security. Since they could now travel in relative safety,
private rnercharnts oilen taggecl along. They traded not only silk but also Chinese herbs,
pup.r, spices, tea, and jade carvings lbrraw jade, gold, silver, w'ool, glass, ivory, glapes,
and bamboo. All sorts of exotic animals were also exchanged betr.veen eastern and
western Asia, As the t{an dynasty began to decline in the early third century CE, so did
state-sponsored tracle along the Silk Road, although it trever died out completely.
Because the routes passed through such dif'ficult terrain, early traders were unable to
travel the entile length. Instead, they wor-rld travel a certain distance. trade their wares at a
trading post or oasis. and then return home. In turn, traders at the oasis would travel
farther on to the next oasis to trade their new items. Little by little, goods from the llast
anci tl-re West made their rvay to the other end of the trade routes. In that way, the West
eventually learned of such Chinese inventions as paper'
Heavy Tratfic on Cultural Highways
Once China was rer-rnited under the Tang dynasty in 618 CE, trade along the Silk Road
began to grow again. The Tang not only encouragecl trade but also protected and
extendecl the routes. They imported new styles of clothing, such games as polo, new
nrusical instruments, exotic plants, and spices.
Under the Tang dynasty, merchants, claftsmen, missionaries, religious pilgrims,
ente(ainers, cliplomats, entrepreneurs, artists, and adventurers traveled the Silk Road.
'['ang capital of Changan,
1'owns began to grow up around the main oases, and the
located at the eastern end of the Silk Road, became a culturally diverse, br-rstling city. A
census taken in754 in<Jicates the presence of Turks, Persians,Indians, and 20,000 other
non-Chinese residents. In Changan. music. literature, poetry, calligraphy. painting. and
dance fiom many cultures thrived.
Beliet's also tlaveled the Silk Road. During the latter period of the Han dynasty. Buddhist
temples, shrines, and sculptures were built along the C'hinese portions of the Silk Road.
Buddhism continued to spread as monks carne to teach in China and students of
Uuddhism traveled to India to learn more about the faith. During the'['ang dynasty, Islam
spread fiom the Near East into Persia and Central Asia, with outposts in China and India.
Christianity also arrived in China by 635,
As tl-re Tang dynasty weakened in the late ninth century, so did trade along the Silk Road.
The Song dynasty" which followed, controlled a much smaller amount of territory and
therelbre never controlled the trade routes either.
Silk Road trade rebounded during the time of the Mongols following the conquests of
Genghis Khan in the early 13th century. Although the invading Mongols initially
destroyed many oases and tracling centers along the routes, the relative peace that
fbllowed the establishment of the extensive Mongol Empire meant that the Silk Road was
once again comparativeli, saf-e fbr travel.
Genglris'grandson Kublai Khan brought China under his control by 1279. The secr"rrity of
tracle routes was extremely important tcl the Mongols. Trade between segments of the Silk
Road grew as a result, and travelers could make their way flom one end all the way to the
other. The most famons lluropean to make the journey was Marco Polo, who traveled to
tl.re coutl of Kublai. In addition to goods and people, new ideas, art, and liter"ature
traveled the Silk Road dr"rring Kublai's reign.
The End of the Road
By the late 1400s, the Silk Road was no longer the only avenue connecting the East and
the West. Europeans and Asians both began making greater use of maritime routes,
which u..ere faster and theretbre less expensive. Meanwhile, the Ming dynasty, which
regained control of China in 1368, established a policy of isolationism that meant less
contact with the West. Some trade via the Silk Road persisted, but it never was as active
as it once had been.
MLA
"East Meets West: The Silk Road (Overview)." LVorld l{io^tor1,; Ancient and Medieval
2017". Web. 3 Dec. 2012.
Eras. ABC-CLIO,
Summary question:
Why is the Silk Road sometimes referred to as the "internet of antiquity (ancient
times)"?