Then the empires of the Song (960–1279) and Yuan (1279–1368) greatly increased the production and nurtured large-scale silk industries that helped supply the Eurasian market with quality silk. Today the Silk Road still tells many stories of ancient times and the exchange of cultures. Ancient History Encyclopedia. These criticisms did nothing to stop the silk trade with Rome, however, and the island of Kos became wealthy and luxurious through their manufacture of silk clothing. We have also been recommended for educational use by the following publications: Ancient History Encyclopedia Foundation is a non-profit organization registered in Canada. See more about What Was Traded on China's Silk Road and Why. by Whole World Land And Oceans (Public Domain). Parthian tapestries and carpets were highly appreciated in the ancient empires. Last modified May 01, 2018. Mark has lived in Greece and Germany and traveled through Egypt. The Silk Road and The African Gold-Salt Trade By Michael Mudd Silk Road and Gold Salt Trade The Gold Salt trade and the silk road were two very important factors to the growth of civilization and advancements in technology. As Durant writes, "Italy enjoyed an 'unfavorable’ balance of trade – cheerfully [buying] more than she sold” but still exported rich goods to China such as “carpets, jewels, amber, metals, dyes, drugs, and glass” (328-329). Even so, by the time of the Roman Emperor Augustus (r.27 BCE – 14 CE) trade between China and the west was firmly established and silk was the most sought-after commodity in Egypt, Greece, and, especially, in Rome. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 01 May 2018. The … Th term “silk road” was first used by German geograpist Ferdinand fon Rightghophen in 1877: The term marked the trade path that linked the ancient Rome with China. All these elements converged in the court cooking of the second Persian empire of the Sasanians (221-651 C.E. None of the religions and philosophies of China such as Taoism and Confucianism gained much of a following in western countries, but the religions of Buddhism and to a lesser extent Islam and Christianity all gained followings in the eastern empires. The Persian Royal Road ran from Susa, in north Persia (modern day Iran) to the Mediterranean Sea in Asia Minor (modern-day Turkey) and featured postal stations along the route with fresh horses for envoys to quickly deliver messages throughout the empire. (329). The Silk Road is arguably the most famous long-distance trade route in the ancient world. It was during the Han Dynasty era that the first kinds of brightly colored porcelain were manufactured and sent westwards, and especially during the Tang and Yuan eras, fine porcelain pieces were produced in massive quantities and exported. By the 1100s, silk was produced in Italy. Silk went westward, and wools, gold, and silver went east. The trade route received this name in the middle of the 19th century. The name ‘Silk Road’ was only coined in the 19th century, but the routes it refers to originated around the second century BC. The network was used regularly from 130 BCE, when the Han officially opened trade with the west, to 1453 CE, when the Ottoman Empire boycotted trade with the west and closed the routes. Rome was survived by its eastern half which came to be known as the Byzantine Empire and which carried on the Roman infatuation with silk. Early on however, during the Han Dynasty era that was contemporaneous with the Roman Empire, the Han had a near monopoly of the silk trade, and the translucent, colorful silk fabric dazzled the eyes of the people in the vast Roman Empire. The Seleucid King Antiochus VII Sidetes (138-129 BCE) opposed this expansion and, also wishing revenge for the death of his brother, Demetrius, waged war against the Parthian forces of Phrates II, Mithridates successor. The Silk Road involved three continents: Europe, Africa and Asia. From India, China imported spices, dyes, fabrics and ivory and sent back to the world Chinese paper, bronze ornaments and tea. They were surprised that people made wine from them. As the Silk Road was not a single thoroughfare from east to west, the term 'Silk Routes’ has become increasingly favored by historians, though 'Silk Road’ is the more common and recognized name. Retrieved from https://www.ancient.eu/Silk_Road/. The Silk Road: Connecting the ancient world through trade - Shannon Harris Castelo, Tea if by sea, cha if by land: Why the world only has two words for tea, The Silk Roads: A New History of the World. The Silk Road not only earned China a lot of money, but all along the route cities prospered and markets flourished. Around 60 CE the west had become aware that silk was not grown on the trees in China but was actually spun by silkworms. This let China trade with the Middle East and the Mediterranean world. When Zhang Qian came back to China, he told the emperor about the rich countries lying to the west, and he described the large and swift "winged horses" which were better than the breeds in the empire. The Silk Road. See more about Porcelain History. In time, these Macedonian warriors intermarried with the indigenous populace creating the Greco-Bactrian culture which flourished under the Seleucid Empire following Alexander’s death. Most of what was traded was expensive luxury goods. The Romans thought [silk] a vegetable product combed from trees and valued it at its weight in gold. The Han Dynasty of China (202 BCE – 220 CE) was regularly harassed by the nomadic tribes of the Xiongnu on their northern and western borders. A freelance writer and former part-time Professor of Philosophy at Marist College, New York, Joshua J. The items where traded from mainly Central Asia. During the Tang and Song eras, the Tea Horse Trade Route to Tibet was also used to bring in horses. In particular, the technology for silk fabric making, stained glass, paper, books, gunpowder and guns production were important innovations that spread to the west. Please note that content linked from this page may have different licensing terms. –1324 C.E.). As the prime middlemen controlling the Silk Road, they taxed and no doubt enjoyed exotica arriving from east and west. Answer and Explanation: Xian traded many of the goods that found their way across the Silk Road, including silk itself. The Silk Road (or Silk Route) is one of the oldest routes of international trade in the world. The silk trade hit as far as the Indian subcontinent, the Middle East, Europe, and North Africa. Along this network disease traveled also, as evidenced in the spread of the bubonic plague of 542 CE which is thought to have arrived in Constantinople by way of the Silk Road and which decimated the Byzantine Empire. The Silk Road. It was called the Silk Road because silk was traded along it. See our silk road tour designs for inspiration (they can all be customized): Interested in something different? However, once the trade routes were closed by the Mongol invasion, the Song used the ships along the Maritime Silk Road to export their goods. By the time of Seneca the Younger (4 BCE – 65 CE), conservative Romans were more ardent than Augustus in decrying the Chinese silk as immoral dress for women and effeminate attire for men. Recommended Tour Itineraries for China Expats, China Silk Road Destinations and Top Things to Do, The Top 12 Silk Facts for China Travelers, Why China's Silk Road Is So Significant — 10 Reasons that Changed the World. Greco-Buddhist art represents one of the most vivid examples of this interaction. Many artistic influences were transmitted via the Silk Road, particularly through Central Asia, where Hellenistic, Iranian, Indian and Chinese influences could intermix. Zhang Qian’s expedition led him into contact with many different cultures and civilizations in central Asia and, among them, those whom he designated the `Dayuan’, the `Great Ionians’, who were the Greco-Bactrians descended from Alexander the Great’s army. The various empires always had a need for horses. Besides silk, the Chinese also exported (sold) teas, salt, sugar, porcelain, and spices. Europeans did not learn how to make porcelain until the 1700s. (2018, May 01). The island of Kos became wealthy & luxurious through their manufacture of silk clothing. The Parthians then became the central intermediaries between China and the west. For over two thousand years the Silk Road was a network of roads for the travel and dissemination of religious beliefs across Eurasia. Persian Royal Roadby Fabienkhan (CC BY-SA). Then as the Mongols slowly occupied the Western Xia, Jin and Southern Song territories, Han Chinese engineers and weapons makers were also sent to help in attacks against the Middle East and Europe. The Byzantine emperor Justinian (527- 565 CE), tired of paying the exorbitant prices the Chinese demanded for silk, sent two emissaries, disguised as monks, to China to steal silkworms and smuggle them back to the west. They also sent military equipment, gold and silver, and semi-precious stones. For technological imports, in the 5th century, glass making technology reached China, and later it was applied to make colorful cloisonné. The consequences of Zhang Qian’s journey was not only further contact between China and the west but an organized and efficient horse breeding program throughout the land in order to equip a cavalry. The plan was successful and initiated the Byzantine silk industry. The Silk Road was a trade route that started in China and went west. The Silk Road. See more about the History of the Silk Road. For only $5 per month you can become a member and support our mission to engage people with cultural heritage and to improve history education worldwide. China also received Nestorian Christianity and Buddhism (from India) via the Silk Road. See The History of Silk Road — Routes and Chronology. Much of Eurasia had cultivated grapevines and made wines from time immemorial, but the Han, separated from other civilizations, by seas, extreme deserts and high mountains, thought it was novel. Sheep were largely unknown in the eastern empires. Web. 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