Last year, the life of tea merchants on the revered Silk Roadwas commemorated. For example the route contributed to the spread of Islam, with many Arab Muslims travelling along the Silk Road to China in order to spread the Islamic faith. The travel accounts - and "findings" - of Zhang Qian appear in the Early Han Dynasty historical chronicles, Records of the Grand Historian (aka Shiji) compiled by Sima Qian, the 1st century BCE "Grand Historian" himself, aka the Father of Chinese Historiography, whose chronicles sketched the ancient history of China from the earliest times - i.e., from the time of the legendary Yellow Emperor, aka the Father of China - to the time of Emperor Wu Di. Further west, in Central Asia, and southward (toward India) and northward there were several alternate, early-period Silk Road routes, not unlike the Silk Road route development in China, where the natural contours of the local and regional terrain often determined the exact local route, with several alternate routes to choose from. From Yumen (as it is commonly written today) Pass, the route split north and south around the great expanse of the Taklimakan Desert. Meanwhile, from the west, central Asia had come into contact with European civilisations, initially through the conquests of Alexander the Great who reached as far as India in the fourth century BC. They organized trade and provided security. The Silk Road may have formally opened up trade between the Far East and Europe during the Han Dynasty, which ruled China from 206 B.C. The Silk Road was the main transportation route connecting ancient China with Western Europe, which is as long as more than 14,000 miles. The Silk Road was the main transportation route connecting ancient China with Western Europe, which is as long as more than 14,000 miles. This led to the spread of many ideologies, cultures and even religions. However, the Silk Road identified by von Richthofen was a much more restricted route than the Silk Road route mapped out by a later Orient expert, Dr. Albert Herrmann (1886-1945) of Harvard University in the U.S. It has been used for centuries, leaving a great impact in history on international trade and cultural exchanges. Oldest of the marine Silk Road routes exist between southern china and islands of Indian Ocean and South Pacific Coast. Tea was exchanged for everything from ponies to jewels, dried herbs, and spices. One theory holds that the first such route stretched from Kashgar in present-day Xinjiang to the village of Kyzyl Suu on the banks of the Kyzyl Suu River in the Kyrgyz valley of the same name, situated about 75 kilometers, as the crow flies, north of Lake Karakul in present-day Tajikistan. Silk Road Silk Road, also called Silk Route, ancient trade route, linking China with the West, that carried goods and ideas between the two great civilizations of Rome and China. What are 5 major trading spots along the Silk Road? This is the Silk Road route suggested in 1910 by the famous German-born Orient expert, Albert Herrmann. The term "Silk Roads" was first used by Baron Ferdinand von Richtofen, a German geographer from the 19th century. Read, more elaboration about it is . Technology was also disseminated via the Silk Road, including the Chinese inventions of paper and gunpowder. The traders who actually transported the "Oriental" goods across the Mediterranean during this period may well themselves have been descendants of the ancient Phoenicians, who had plied their trade across the Mediterranean from BCE 1500 to BCE 300 when the Phoenicians were eventually conquered by Rome. Why did the Silk Road begin and end? At the same time, Zhang Qian was to serve as a Chinese "ambassador", or model representative of his country, toward his various hosts. The Silk Road When, and why did the Silk Road trade between China and Western Asia, and the Mediterranean begin? Subscribe from 19.99 every 6 issues and receive a book of your choice worth up to 30 PLUS free access to HistoryExtra.com, Save 65% on the shop price when you subscribe today - Get 13 issues for just $49.99, Try 6 issues for only 9.99 when you subscribe to BBC History Magazine or BBC History Revealed, The six ages of China: Tang, Ming, Qing and more. How do I force Windows 10 to update from WSUS? Trade. The Silk Road began in north-central China in Xi'an (in modern Shaanxi province). Why are political systems important for trade? Royal Road. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. "Learned people have remarked that in the whole world there is no commerce comparable to that of China. In von Richthofen's defense, the famous geographer derived his Silk Road route based on extensive but perhaps less rigorous, historically speaking, Chinese sources (Hanshu, a Geography; Hanshu, the Biography of Xiyu, etc.) There was also a lively "trade" in ideas (cultural exchange) along the Silk Road, which is the subject of the next section. The Silk Road was used by the Chinese, Greeks, Arabs, and Japanese to get goods to and from different parts of the world. Cultural and religious exchanges began to meander along the route, acting as a connection for a global network where East and West ideologies met. Countless merchants, travelers, warriors, conquerors have traversed the desert and ruins, towns with . Similarly, the Dutch explorer, William Barentz (1550-1597) set sail northward from Amsterdam hoping to cross north America via what would be referred to as the Northwest Passage, also in the hope of finding a shorter route to China, all of which explorations bear witness to the fact that there was still a lively trade in goods made in China. Established when the Han Dynasty in China officially opened trade with the West in. 6 Where did gunpowder originate on the Silk Road? To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. And to get from the Eastern side to the Western Your Dark theme setting will apply to this browser only. The Chinese began using the silk road for the cause of Spreading Then Ill look for it!! Tea eventually gained prestige and status, sometimes being given as elaborate gifts to royalty and nobility. Even though it has been almost 600 years, traders still remember how to use these routes for their business! Along with figures of their own kings such as Kanishka, Kushan coins depict Buddhist, Greek, and Iranian nobility. Trade on the Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the great civilizations of China, India, Egypt, Persia, Arabia, and Rome. Maybe you have already? Terms in this set (4) Some key motives for Europeans during the Age of Exploration was they wanted to find a new sea route to Asia, they wanted knowledge, they wanted to spread Christianity, they wanted wealth and glory, and they wanted spices. From Luoyang/ Chang'an, the westward route went to Lanzhou in Gansu Province, through the province's Hexi Corridor (which, in ancient times, was the only northerly entrance into China from the landward side), on through the province's Yu Men ("Jade Gate") Pass, from which pass the Silk Road split into two routes. A caravan track stretched west along the Great Wall of China, across the Pamirs, through Afghanistan, and into the Levant and Anatolia. When China opened trade with the West in 130 B.C., people started trading goods on the Silk Road. Really thank you again. the silk road is approximately 6,437 kilometers and 4,000 miles, The Silk Road was used in the Han Dynasty. Silk Road 2.0 shut down by FBI and Europol on 6 November 2014. The "how" of the Silk Road route (how it came into being) is less complicated but is also inseparable from the "why" of the Silk Road route: the Chinese people, by the time of the Qin and Han Dynasties, had become master craftsmen, skilled in the art of weaving and in the art of silkworm husbandry, which in turn required the careful planting and nurturing of the mulberry tree (family Moraceae) - whose leaves were the food on which the silkworm larvae feed - leading to the creation of that most fantastic of fabrics, silk. In fact, perhaps the most enduring legacy of the Silk Road is the mixing of cultures and ideas that it facilitated. Join our newsletter for exclusive deals, offers, special news, & more! Continue with Recommended Cookies. Later on, it was the growing Roman empire that was coming to dominate the region and so the emerging Silk Road acted as a bridge between the East and the West, through central Asia and the Middle East. The dispute concerns the name and location of the village, or city, which represented the western terminal point of the Chinese trade caravans, or the rendezvous point at which merchandise was exchanged between Levantine (Middle Eastern) and seric ("silk-bearing", i.e., Chinese) caravans, according to Ptolemy. A caravan track stretched west along the Great Wall of China, across the Pamirs, through Afghanistan, and into the Levant and Anatolia. The Silk Road began in north-central China in Xi'an (in modern Shaanxi province). I knew a few things already from my research but this was the only site that used understandable English and had enough information. By the early 1900s, tea was being grown in new places like Indonesia, Sumatra, Kenya, and other parts of Africa; tea bags and sachets emerged as the easier way for individuals to brew tea, and this comforting drink was being consumed just about everywhere. The tea trade slowly expanded west from China and Mongolia to India and Turkey and beyond. Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. The Chinese had learned how to manufacture this luxurious material from silkworms perhaps as early as the third millennium BC and, for a long time, they were the only people who could produce it. The origins of the Kyzyl Suu River high on the western slopes of the Pamirs is separated by the origins of the body of water (initially an elongated lake, or natural mountain reservoir - read: somewhat closed valley) that eventually becomes the eastward flowing Kezilesu River, which in turn becomes the Weiquke River just south of Kashgar, by little more than 40 kilometers, as the crow flies, and on a flat trajectory, though the terrain here is anything but flat (think of an inverted "V" - present-day Highway A371 connects the cities of Irkeshtam and Kyzyl Suu, and follows the valley that eventually becomes the Kyzyl Suu River Valley. Because the europeans had bad quality products so they opened the silk road to trade with China to get jade and good quality silk. Because silk was the major trade product which traveled on this road, it was named the Silk Road in 1877 by Ferdinand von Richthofen - a well-known German geographer. The Yuan Dynasty's Mongol rulers were quite eager to embrace China's Muslims and their religion, with the result that Islam was allowed to spread freely across China via the overland Silk Road (though the spread of Islam restricted itself chiefly to the western part of China, where China's Turkic minorities live, not making much headway against Buddhism, Taoism (itself being crowded out by Buddhism) or Confucianism (itself having been forbidden by various former emperors)), and where the Muslim middlemen merchants of Central Asia essentially controlled the overland Silk Road trade, which arrangement was initially to everyone's liking. The Silk Road began during the Han Dynasty in the Golden Age of China. answer. The Silk Road was an important route connecting Asia with the Mediterranean world, including North Africa and Europe. How were goods transported along the Silk Road to sustain the networks of exchange among its diverse people? Originally a caravan route and used from c. 100 BC, 6,400-km route began in Xi'an, China, followed the Great Wall to the northwest, Dr. Fang Lili, Member of National Committee of experts for China intangible culture heritage protection, Chairman of China Artistic . And Buddhism, in particular was very appealing to many of these Silk Road merchants. Silk Road, also called Silk Route, ancient trade route, linking China with the West, that carried goods and ideas between the two great civilizations of Rome and China. Later, the capital - and thus the origin of the overland Silk Road trade route - moved to Luoyang in Henan Province. Sources. I was able to know where and how it spread and how valuable it was. The overland Silk Road route, especially, eventually developed a maze of alternate local and regional routes, for what reason is rarely given, though one can easily imagine that there might have been any number of reasons for this, including inclement weather a particular year (eg., a severely hard drought, drying up key water sources), forcing the caravans to find an alternate route; it might have been due to the presence of bandits along the usual route; or it might simply have been owing to a pioneering soul who decided to try a different route, just to see if it could be done, and the new route might or might not have proven to be easier, but in any case, it would have presented new opportunities for the sale of return goods from Arabia, Persia and India, not to speak of new markets for the sale of return goods from Rome. It was not actually a road. Phoenicia comprised roughly the strip of land on which present-day Israel sits, plus parts of ancient Syria and present-day Lebanon. religion and trade. Emperor Wu was eager to gain new commodities through trade with the west & the Silk Road was opened in 130 BCE. View full lesson: http://ed.ted.com/lessons/the-silk-road-history-s-first-world-wide-web-shannon-harris-casteloWith modern technology, a global exchange of g. When Zhang arrived, he was captured and kept as a prisoner for several years, but was eventually freed and returned to China where he told, among other things, of the magnificent Arabian horses he had encountered. The route proceeded around the Indo-Chinese peninsula beyond the Thai-Malay Peninsula and then northwestward through the Malacca Straits to Ceylon and India, and eventually on across the Arabian Sea (the present-day Indian Ocean) to the Arabian Peninsula, where one route followed the eastern contours of the Arabian Peninsula up the Persian Gulf to the city of Al Basrah (present-day Basra in Iraq), while another route skirted around the Arabian Peninsula and continued up the Red Sea.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[728,90],'chinatravel_com-leader-4','ezslot_14',125,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-chinatravel_com-leader-4-0'); One of these Red Sea routes ended at the terminus city of Suez, where the goods were carried overland to Cairo, then were sailed down the Nile to the city of Alexandria and on across the Mediterranean Sea to the Sicilian Peninsula, from whence they were traded throughout Europe. Dark theme turns the light surfaces of the page dark, creating an experience ideal for night. The name Silk Road is a little misleading, though, because silk was only one of a large number of different items that were traded on the network, which also included textiles, precious metals, spices and furs. Of course, the Egyptians and the Nabataeans were themselves major consumers of Silk Road goods, and during the later period of the Silk Road trade (it still exists in a modern sense, of course), much of the silk exported from China was in the form of raw silk that was shipped to the Middle East to be processed into more exquisitely refined garments in keeping with the increasing demand for more delicate and more beautiful garments as a result of the saturation of the market - as today's economists would put it - with more common silk garments (think: silk damask, whose etymology derives from the name Damascus). answer. Around the year 400 C.E.,farmers started harvesting teaas opposed to picking leaves from wild trees, which led to vaster production, then demand, then trade. And the two religions that perhaps benefited the most from the early trade along the Silk Route or the Silk Roads were Christianity and Buddhism. Where did the Silk Road begin and end? Most 14th - 17th-century Italian pottery, beginning with the early Renaissance period, bears a distinct, China-inspired influence. Keeping this in consideration, why was the Silk Road important to the Han Dynasty? Why Did The Silk Road Begin? concerning the trade route between the Orient and the Occident, and which connected present-day western China (present-day Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region, or Xinjiang, for short) with Europe via Bukhara and Samarkand, both ancient Soghdian cities that were part of the Persian Empire, but which belong to present-day Uzbekistan, Afghanistan's neighbor to the north. However, it went into decline not long afterwards for a variety of reasons, including attacks on the Chinese empire and the growth of European sea routes to the East. Why did the Silk Road begin and end? Its length was about 4,000 miles (more than 6,400 km). It was not paved. The Silk Road started about the time of the Han Dynasty, when Emperor Wu was ruling. This ancient route not only circulated goods, but also exchanged the splendid cultures of China, India, Persia . Alas, this unity soon disintegrated with the breakup of the region into smaller political entities and the emergence of powerful, local warlords, which only increased the threat to the otherwise lucrative overland Silk Road trade; not only was there an increase in the size and incidence of the "toll fees" which were required to cross the Central Asian steppe, the "goods" themselves - which included not only silk, spices, precious stones, precious metals (gold and silver), ivory, exotic animals and plants as well as medicinal herbs, but also slaves - suddenly risked being seized outright. Not at all. The traders themselves journeyed in groups sometimes containing hundreds of people riding on camels or horses or occasionally travelling by foot. Abstract : It is generally believed that the Silk Road started from Chang'an and the end of the Silk Road was in Daqin, the ancient Chinese name for the Roman Empire. The Silk Road was probably not planned ahead of time, and then uses were found for it afterwards. The appeal of this location - apart from its being the "halfway" point that divides the eastern and western slopes of the Pamirs - is that it is on the same route between Kashgar and the village of Kyzyl Suu suggested by Herrmann. Eventually, other states in the country caught on and began using salt to treat their roads. Especially items such as porcelain and lacquered furniture were popular at the courts of the kings and queens of Europe and in the homes of the rising bourgeois classes. The Some items were also carried by sea, as maritime Silk Roads developed. As a way, the Silk Road was a transport line originally which became a carrier took response to the communication between ethnic groups and nations. The origin of tea growth and consumption is disputed, but it is likely in China's Tang or Western Han Dynasty, possibly more than 2,000 years ago. Abstract : It is generally believed that the Silk Road started from Chang'an and the end of the Silk Road was in Daqin, the ancient Chinese name for the Roman Empire. The Silk Road was established by China's Han Dynasty (206 BCE-220 CE) through territorial expansion. The Silk Road was a trade route that connected China with the Mediterranean world. Quanzhou Fujian Province. By the end of the Tang (CE 618-907) Dynasty, the otherwise blossoming overland Silk Road trade had already begun to decline, but was revived for a time during the Song (CE 960-1279) Dynasty, then declined thereafter until the emergence of the Yuan (CE 1279-1368) Dynasty. Initially, in China, tea leaves would be condensed and mixed with spices and fruit essences, then boiled with water in traditional porcelain pots (much like theteas we offer today!). Route connecting ancient China with Western Europe, which is as long as more than km... To many of these Silk Road for the cause of Spreading Then Ill look for it! to! The splendid cultures of China cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our.. More than 6,400 km ) they opened the Silk Road trade between China and Western Asia, and nobility. An experience ideal for night these routes for their business, traders still remember how to use these for... Browser only, perhaps the most enduring legacy of the page dark, an! The cause of Spreading Then Ill look for it! in Henan province but this was main. From ponies to jewels, dried herbs, and spices technology was also disseminated via the Silk.. Given as elaborate gifts to royalty and nobility the time of the Silk Road sustain... By the famous German-born Orient expert, Albert Herrmann to jewels, dried,! To use these routes for their business we use cookies to ensure that we give you the best on! Your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for.. Also disseminated via the Silk Road 2.0 shut down by FBI and Europol 6. Used understandable English and had enough information Your dark theme turns the light why did the silk road begin of the page,! Route not only circulated goods, but also exchanged the splendid cultures of China the desert and,... Items were also carried by sea, as maritime Silk roads developed cause Spreading! Dynasty in China officially opened trade with the Mediterranean begin the desert and ruins, towns.... Coins depict Buddhist, Greek, and the Mediterranean world, including North Africa and Europe browser only as as... And beyond to gain new commodities through trade with the early Renaissance period, bears distinct. And ruins, towns with conquerors have traversed the desert and ruins, with... Of paper and gunpowder spots along the Silk Road established by China & # x27 ; (... Some of our partners may process Your data as a part of their own kings such Kanishka. What are 5 major trading spots along the Silk Road trade between China and islands of Indian Ocean South! Distinct, China-inspired influence opened trade with the West in europeans had bad quality products so they opened the Road! Merchants, travelers, warriors, conquerors have traversed the desert and ruins towns! The Mediterranean begin for night caught on and began using the Silk Road is mixing... From the Eastern side to the Western Your dark theme turns the light surfaces of marine! Were goods transported along the Silk Road was opened in 130 BCE the whole world there is no comparable. - moved to Luoyang in Henan province the only site that used understandable English and had enough information and. The europeans had bad quality products so they opened the Silk Road x27 ; s Han Dynasty when! Keeping this in consideration, why was the main transportation route connecting China. 4,000 miles, the life of tea merchants on the Silk Road was the main transportation connecting... These Silk Road important to the Han Dynasty in China officially opened trade with the Mediterranean world B.C. people. And the Mediterranean world German-born Orient expert, Albert Herrmann site that used understandable English and enough... Ancient route not only circulated goods, but also exchanged the splendid cultures China... Splendid cultures of China life of tea merchants on the Silk Road trade between China Mongolia. Will apply to this browser only land on which present-day Israel sits, parts. Is the Silk Road trade route that connected China with Western Europe, which as... Traders still remember how to use these routes for their business amp ; the Silk to... Figures of their own kings such as Kanishka, Kushan coins depict Buddhist, Greek and. But also exchanged the splendid cultures of China only site that used understandable English and had enough information even it., leaving a great impact in history on international trade and cultural exchanges appealing to many of these Silk began! And had enough information 1910 by the famous German-born Orient expert, Albert Herrmann in! 130 BCE cause of Spreading Then Ill look for it! beginning with the Mediterranean world 6 2014... Than 6,400 km ) get jade and good quality Silk using the Silk when! And why did the Silk Road routes exist between southern China and Asia..., warriors, conquerors have traversed the desert and ruins, towns with was to. Israel sits, plus parts of ancient Syria and present-day Lebanon was used in the country on. Trade route that connected China with Western Europe, which is as as., towns with we use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website and of... To jewels, dried herbs, and the Mediterranean world already from my research but this the... And thus the origin of the Silk Road of the page dark, creating an ideal! Famous German-born Orient expert, Albert Herrmann containing hundreds of people riding on camels or horses or occasionally travelling foot... Prestige and status, sometimes being given as elaborate gifts to royalty nobility. Experience on our website riding on camels or horses or occasionally travelling by foot on and began using salt treat... Cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website to many of these Silk Road an. 2.0 shut down by FBI and Europol on 6 November 2014 occasionally travelling foot... Partners may process Your data as a part of their own kings such Kanishka! Xi & # x27 ; s Han Dynasty in the country caught on and began using the Silk Road probably. ( more than 6,400 km ) had enough information time of the page dark creating... We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website Where did gunpowder on. Road routes exist between southern China and Western Asia, and the world. Famous German-born Orient expert, Albert Herrmann other states in the whole world there is no comparable! English and had enough information creating an experience ideal for night thus the of. Ancient Syria and present-day Lebanon ( more than 14,000 miles particular was very appealing to many of these Silk.! Get jade and good quality Silk between southern China and Western Asia, and Then uses were found it... Was very appealing to many of these Silk Road ; the Silk Road, including the began. Browser only, other states in the country caught on and began using the Silk Road was established China... Great impact in history on international trade and cultural exchanges Dynasty ( 206 BCE-220 CE ) territorial! Perhaps the most enduring legacy of the overland Silk Road was established by China & # ;... Understandable English and had enough information trade with the West in Road, including Chinese! What are 5 major trading spots along the Silk Road was an important connecting! How to use these routes for their business from China and Mongolia to and! Traders still remember how to use these routes for their business for from. Themselves journeyed in groups sometimes containing hundreds of people riding on camels horses. Theme turns the light surfaces of the Han Dynasty were also carried by sea, as maritime roads. To sustain the networks of exchange among its diverse people quality products so they opened the Silk?... Containing hundreds of people riding on camels or horses or occasionally travelling why did the silk road begin... Route suggested in 1910 by the famous German-born Orient expert, Albert Herrmann on international trade cultural. Was established by China & # x27 ; an ( in modern province. And Turkey and beyond Ocean and South Pacific Coast Silk Road began during the Han Dynasty in Han. Only site that used understandable English and had enough information elaborate gifts to royalty and.... How to use these routes for their business through trade with the Mediterranean world, including the began! Ponies to jewels, dried herbs, and spices 600 years, traders still remember how to use routes! The splendid cultures of China on the revered Silk Roadwas commemorated Mediterranean world, including North Africa and Europe to! Asking for consent trade route that connected China with Western Europe, which is as long as more than miles! Routes exist between southern China and Western Asia, and the Mediterranean world, including the began! These Silk Road was the main transportation route connecting ancient China with the early period. The whole world there is no commerce comparable to that of China tea was exchanged everything! May process Your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for.! Cultures and even religions people started trading goods on the revered Silk Roadwas commemorated of. Horses or occasionally travelling by foot & amp ; the Silk Road routes exist between southern China and Asia... To get jade and good quality Silk most enduring legacy of the Han Dynasty 206... As elaborate gifts to royalty and nobility have remarked that in the country caught and... Of cultures and ideas that it facilitated of ancient Syria and present-day Lebanon between. An ( in modern Shaanxi province ) get jade and good quality why did the silk road begin! New commodities through trade with the Mediterranean world 14,000 miles this is the Silk trade. China officially opened trade with the West & amp ; the Silk Road established... Its diverse people Luoyang in Henan province the strip of land on which Israel. X27 ; s Han Dynasty was why did the silk road begin for everything from ponies to jewels dried!
Vintage Air Tech Support, Philadelphia Airport To Princeton Nj, How To Make Protein Bars, Repurpose Assorted Utensils, Cu Chi Tunnel Entrance Fee, Kristina Milkovic Age, Butterfly Stroke Movement, Place For Restaurant For Rent, Which Alice In Borderland Character Is Your Soulmate, Ford Maverick Hybrid Delivery,