Synthesis Essay: It's Not Made Of The Silk Road

Similarly both trade routes had access to salt. Nevertheless, the Trans-Saharan trade route also was able to obtain gold, ivory, metal ware, textiles, pepper, dates, beads, and leather. Consequently the quantity of goods led to an increase in wealth for Ghana. The Trans-Saharan trade route was able to exchange their luxury goods for pottery, glassware, and textiles from Persia, India, and China. Additionally during the 900’s the kings converted to Islam causing wealthy merchants to also convert. On the other hand, overland trade on the Silk Road produced silk, spices, and precious stones. Meanwhile sea-lanes on the Silk Road were capable of carrying bulkier items such as steel, stone, coral, and building materials. Because China was the only country that had cultivators and weavers with an outstanding knowledge of developing techniques, they were able to produce high-quality silk fabrics in classical

The Silk Road, a series of passageways connecting China with the Mediterranean completely changed the world. These series of trade routes allowed the advancement of technology and cultural diversity like never seen before. 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?

From the view point of author James A. Millward, The Silk Road was more than caravans and tents, it was an ancient form of globalization, and it was more than just a one lane road. Millward brings up three points that solidify his point of view. Idea one is, "Yet the idea of the Silk Road-or silk roads-has come to mean many things beyond brocades and caravans, and in its broadest concept...it stands for the idea that humanity has thrived most when connected across its far-flung habits by the exchange of goods, ideas, art, and people." (Millward pg. 2) This brings to light the ideas that the Silk Road was more than just a one lane path of which silk fabric and pasta was traded along. Later in that same section Millward talks about when Hillary

David Christian proved his passion for digging deeper into history through use of writing the article “Silk Roads or Steppe Roads? The Silk Roads in World History," published in the eleventh edition of the Journal of World History, in the spring of 2000 by the University of Hawaii Press. Christian points out that trans-ecological exchanges are not fully appreciated and recognized in conventional historiography about the Silk Roads; he believes they should be—since they play an important role in the expansion of the roads in the North and were apart of the flourishing of the Silk Roads. In David’s article, he recognizes different interpretations of the Silk Roads throughout different regions and time periods and relies on a plethora of sources to do.

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

Directions: The following question is based on the accompanying Documents 1-6. (The documents have been edited for the purpose of this exercise.) Write your answer on the lined pages of the Section II free-response booklet.

One significant changes of the Silk Road is when it was first started it mainly started as a way for trade to flourish between Europe and Asia. But the purpose of this Silk Road has also expanded to transcend different culture and technologies from different places and caused cultural diffusion along the Silk Road. This happened

      The Silk Road happened around 300 BCE and happened through Europe,the middle east and Asia. The reason for The Silk Road was to trade goods and get goods. It also was a place to get knowledge and idea. I think

The Silk Road was an intricate and evolving network of overland trade routes that linked China, India, and western Eurasia for centuries. The trade route was key to the diffusion and transportation of technology, goods, religions, and language throughout Asia, the Mediterranean, Africa and southern Europe. As the strongest link between major population centers in the largest landmass on earth, the Silk Road was one of the most important of all long-distance trade routes in human history.

Long before there were trains, ships and airplanes to transport goods from one place to another, there was the Silk Road. Beginning in the sixth century, this route was formed and thus began the first major trade system. Although the term “Silk Road” would lead one that it was on road, this term actually refers to a number of different routes that covered a vast amount of land and were traveled by many different people. Along with silk, large varieties of goods were traded and traveled along this route both going to and from China. Material goods were not the only thing that passed along this path, but many religions were brought into China via the Silk Road. These topics will be discussed in detail in this paper.

Susan Whitfield writes Life along the Silk Road based on character stories occurring between the eight and tenth century, all living at different times. She writes this history for several reasons. First, she writes it to change the negative perception of the history of Central Asia that we know through the annals of its neighbors. By explaining the history of the region through the eyes of its own occupants, it rids the history of any distorted views from neighboring civilizations. She uses the comparison of trying to examine the life of the Atlantic Ocean by studying the ecology of Europe. Another perception Whitfield attempts to overcome is that of the present day Silk Road. Today, it is largely Islam, and it is occupied by Turkic

The Silk Road played a vital role in aiding the interaction between India and China and multicultural transmissions, however, its purposes were primarily used to increase trade. Ferdinand Freiherr von Richthofen created the term “Silk Road” in 1877

During the outward-looking rule of China's Tang dynasty (seventh-ninth century C. E. ), sophisticated people in northeastern Iran developed such a taste for expensive, imported Chinese pottery that they began to imitate it in great quantity for sale to people who could not afford the real thing. And in northern China there was a vogue for beautiful pottery figurines of camels laden with caravan goods or ridden by obviously non-Chinese merchants, musicians, or entertainers. Non-Chinese camel figurines found in Mesopotamia carry loads that duplicate the distinctive appearance of the loads on the Chinese figurines. So it is clear that by the time of the rise of Islam in the seventh century, contact across the Silk

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.