Continuity and Change-over-Time: Silk Road Trade 200 B.C.E.-1450 C.E.

Have you ever wondered what it was like to travel across the country to get what you want? The Silk Road was a treacherous journey that spanned from Asia all the way to Rome. People carried their countries goods in large caravans to exchange them with other people across the country. The Silk Road helped people get what they want by traveling there. The Silk Road took a huge part in history because it helped a number of cultures get closer to each other and share part of them, for example traditions and beliefs. The Silk Road was a difficult and dangerous trek, eventually traders found out the Silk Road increased the kingdom’s economy and the wealth of an individual. In addition, it spread culture, ideas and goods.

•    Discuss the changes and continuities in the Silk Road trading network from 600 BCE – 1450

The Silk Road was a network of trade routes that extended from the Mediterranean to China. These trade routes nurtured the spread in religion, diseases, wealth, culture, and products. Buddhism became the dominant faith

The Silk Road, a series of passageways connecting China with the Mediterranean, completely changed the world. These trade routes allowed the advancement of technology and cultural diversity like never before seen. These routes connected many different civilizations allowing the exchange of goods and ideas. This variety of nationalities made it a “Cultural Bridge between Asia and Europe. ” Before these pathways were established trade was nearly impossible, due to extreme desert conditions and high mountain tops. Many people died making the journey, even after the trade routes were established. So why make the trip? How did the Silk Road impact history?

The Silk Road was not a single road, it was an entire network of trade routes connecting China and many other countries throughout Asia and the Middle East. This network acquired its name from the beautiful, fine desired silk fabrics from China although it was not called the Silk Road till later in 1877 by Ferdinand von Richthofen. The Silk Road stenches 4000 miles from China to Europe although the path stenches that far people almost never make the whole trip for the road had varying paths to stop on and hidden dangers. The Silk Road was a major accomplishment for ancient China because it allowed the spread of culture, technologies, goods and customs to the Middle East even as far as Egypt. The same was true for customs and traditions coming

The Silk Road was a route going through Asia, Europe, and Africa. It went through mountains, rivers, oceans, hills, and deserts. The Columbian exchange was between Africa and Europe but not Asia. The Columbian exchange was operated by boats and then traded at the docks. The Silk Road traded goods by people traveling it and going

The Silk Road which started in 200 BCE and ended it in 1450 CE has its own changes and continuities. Trade flourished between the Asian and Europe at the time and as time went on its sole purpose of trading expanded to many other purposes and affect not only the area it contacted. Although there were many continuities during the time but it has more significant changes that occurred and also impact the world.

The Silk Road was a ancient trade route that was used from Asia, Europe and Africa. This was very useful to all of these places because they were able to trade items they don't need to get items back that they needed. The Silk road started at 120 Bc and lasted until 450 Ce. Since it went on for so long there were many things that had a big impact on Europe and Asia. The Silk Road had the biggest impact on Asia and Europe because of the spreading of religions, the four great Chinese inventions, trading items and by disease.

Throughout the lifetime of civilizations in the Ancient World, methods of creating a stable economy were prevalent. Such method would be the integration of trade routes between societies and a strong social class. In Han China and in the Roman Republic, the silk road was a staple in the economy of their societies. Both of these societies established routes along the silk road to increase the wealth and prosperity of their civilizations. However, though both of these countries utilized the trade of silk and other goods along the silk road, they also had differences. Han dynasty China and the Roman Republic had both utilized the silk road to trade their goods to gain prosperity and they relied on agriculture to receive some of their goods, but differences were present in the goods that they exchanged, such as China mainly trading silk and rice and Rome trading maining grapes, wine, and pottery.

Do you wonder how we went from trading with nearby countries to countries across the world.The silk road was the first superhighway that stared trade among other nearby regens.First, there had to be something to trade that other regens wanted for them self.In document A the chinese had silk,iron,bronze,gunpowder,and confucianism to trade and central asia had ferghana horse the chinese wanted the ferghana horse that central asia had and central asia want the chinese silk.In 1400 bce the queen of china was eating soup and a silk bug fell in her soup and she saw how beautifully the silk and demanded that her workers would make the silk and then werd got out that the chinese had a soft fabric and then other regions started to trade for the silk.Next,

The Silk Road had many ups and downs depending on the dynasty holding power at any given time in China. The Tang dynasty in the seventh century was in power at the height of the Silk Road trade system, for example. Conversely, by the fourteenth century under the Ming dynasty, use of the Silk Road began to diminish (Department of Earth System Science; University of California Irvine).

In the Silk Road from China, the photograph shows a long trail, known as the silk road, passing through several different well known places such as China, the Middle East, and India ( Document 8 ). Around the main are two different routes, which are the Eurasian Steppe Route, and the Main Connecting Route. All of the different courses link together, with the two routes being used to provide a passageway for different countries, create the general Silk Road. The creation of the Silk Road was influential towards mankind since it gave the different civilizations and easy and simple course to follow when in the desire or need to trade with different civilization. In addition, with the benefit of trade going smooth and easy, China was able to take in needed material in which helped them stabilize and improve the civilization. All in all, the Chinese Civilization influenced mankind from the invention of the Silk Road, and how it originated the idea of trading with far

Many thousands of years ago, upon the earliest creations of civilization, there were two thriving civilizations. Both of which knew little to nothing about each other’s existence. In this ancient world, there was no connection of the two civilizations, no trade in commerce or culture. It was not until the second century BC that Europe and Eastern Asia interacted in a significant way. What is known as “The Silk Road” was established during the Han Dynasty of China, it was a network of trade routes that created a link between these two regions during this ancient world (ancient.eu). Though these routes have history prior to the Han Dynasty, this is when many historians see the routes in full practice. This time during the second century BC was crucial in the connection of these separately thriving civilizations, connecting them through commerce, religion, and exploration.

According to Ahmad Hasan Dani’s Centre of the Study of the Civilization of Central Asia: Roads are by definition channels of communication between one place and another, one region and another, one people and another, and one civilization and another (Sugimura & Umesao 21). They provide a means of connection and while “some roads are transitory, others secure a permanent place in human history” (Sugimura & Umesao 21). One such road, known as the Silk Road, contributed inestimably to the ancient world of Eurasia and played a significant role in both “cultural and commercial advancements” (Sugimura & Umesao i). This route promoted a network of trade of not only goods and merchandise, but also new ideas and techniques all of which were brought to various regions especially during the Tang dynasty. Because of trade and the Silk Road, cultural exchanges were made possible and “western countries shared the learnings and culture that flourished in the Chinese capital” (Sugimura & Umesao i). Although there were disadvantages of the Silk Road because of banditry and spread of disease, this network of trade nevertheless connected the ancient Eastern and Western worlds through the spread of religion, culture and politics.

Well it was an ancient trade route that connected China to the West. The rest is answered in this essay. First, the Silk Road was a network of trade routes. This is stated at Brainpop.com 35 seconds into the video “Silk Road is a misleading term as it is actually a network of trade routes.” It also states it started in “East Asia to the Mediterranean.”