The Influence Of The Silk Road In Ancient Rome

Confucius and The Silk Road led to the success of Ancient China. Confucius was a teacher and philosopher, born in 551 B.C, and his teachings became the basis for the Civil Service Exam. In the Civil Service Exam, people who wanted to be Chinese officials would take the test, and the highest scorers would become officials. About 20% or 1 in 5 would pass the test. Confucius also founded a philosophy/religion called Confucianism. The Silk Road was a trading route that traded copper, gold, spices and silk. It also traded religious ideas, so China was able to receive Christianity and Buddhism (which came from India) through the Silk Road. For example, in Document 2, “Confucius thought of a person taking an exam before becoming part of the government.”

The Silk Roads created many opportunities for trade in Europe. Many empires and kingdoms traded many materials and products. Silk, teas, salts, sugars, spices, and many more goods, were traded throughout Europe. This helped many ideas and cultures spread. For instance, various religions and rituals were spread. This caused different cultures to infiltrate empires of different religions. China, specifically, had a taste of many different religions during this time. From Buddhism in the Han Dynasty, to the Islam in the Tang, China had many cultures travel

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.

Different Dynasty and empires The Silk Road in the Han Dynasty Initially, the silk was traded within the empire, from the interior to the western borders. The small Central Asian Tribes often attacked caravans which made the Han Government to take safety measures for trade by sending General Zhang Qian (200–114 BC) as a representative to build a strong bond with these nomadic states. The trade relations were build up with these small but important kingdoms of Chang’an (Xi’an), the Western Han Dynasty’s capital (206 BC–220 AD) and with Zhang reaching Loulan, Qiuzi, and Yutian.

Christian recognizes that the Silk Roads are ingrained into historiography of China, the Mediterranean world, inner and central Asia, and also play a vital role as “links between different regions of the Afro-Eurasian landmass.” As mentioned previously, this article observes that historiography focuses on the trade between trans-civilizational societies and credits them as important to expansion and success of empires and trans-civilizational regions. In later centuries, the historiography describes the flux and flow of the Silk Roads’ flourishing. Through the use of sources, Christian describes these successes to have been at peak from 100 CE to the first, second and third centuries.

The Silk Road’s Influence on China The Silk Road, an ancient trade route, contributed profoundly to the cultural exchange between Western Asia, Europe, and China. As people traversed with each other, they conveyed their beliefs, ideas, and inventions. Civilizations among Rome, India, Persia, and China traded their knowledge from the second century BC to the fifteenth century AD. Buddhism, Islam, and Nestorianism were cultural treasures that were bestowed upon Ancient China via the Silk Road.

Silk, which was traded among Central Asia in 3rd millennium B.C.E. contributed to the name of route- Silk Road. Silk Road trade caused profound change in Asia. Buddhist monks instilled a new doctrine from India through Tibet to the contemporary Afghanistan. Buddhism reached up to China. Buddhism played a significant role on the Silk Road by the development of art included music, architecture, paintings, and numerous statues of Buddha and spread Buddhist customs, such as food, Buddhist rituals and laws.

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.

In the Han dynasty, emperor Wudi expanded and created the overland trade routes that would come to be known as the silk roads. These routes opened trade between India, China, and the Mediterranean opening communication between the many classical civilizations.

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.

Under the Han Dynasty, China substantially expanded its territory and power. Confucianism, being the top philosophy/religion at the time, Confucian scholarship became the path to political power in the Han Dynasty. Special positions could be earned by succeeding at a special test called the Civil Service Exam. This special examination emphasized the teachings of Confucius, bringing out the best of Confucian belief. It was used as a tool to find the true Confucians who based their actions on loyalty to the emperor the next 1900 years. Writers and poets developed a new and unique style that is treasured in Chinese literature. Under the Han, China was able to produce important works of history, medicine, philosophy, and politics. Artists in this time produced fine ceramics, brush paintings, stone carvings, bronze vessels, and advanced lacquerwork. The weaving of silk in colors and patterns were also discovered in this time period creating beautiful silk garments. Furthermore, one of the largest economical events in ancient history began during the Han Dynasty. A trade route called the Silk Road, formed connections that spread throughout Asia and Europe, causing large impacts on many

The Silk Road united China and the Roman Empire economically, but the territories and cities in-between the two empires truly were the backbone of the Silk Road. The webbed trade routes had a strong impact that they lasted for over 1000 years. The greatness of both nations and their accomplishments economically are astonishing and have changed the history of the world through culture, war, disease, religion, and technology. Culturally the spread of languages and major religions in the world today traversed the Silk Road including Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism. Also, the scope of ideas and inventions like the crossbows, sail designs, infrastructure, and government. However, the main purpose for the use of the silk road was its economic impact of transferring and acquiring foreign goods.

The Silk Road, established during the Han Dynasty of China, is a well-known 5,000-mile long trade route between East Asia and the West. In chapter four of Art: A Brief History, we learn that the Silk Road links China and Rome together with a trade route. The route targeted horses for trade, metals and other food goods as well as luxurious silk in exchange for gold. During this time, the trade for silk had been kept a secret for many years.

A merchant may travel along Roman roads to generate economy for the empire, a missionary may spread ideas and promote cultural diffusion, messengers may deliver important information via the road, and the military could travel from the west to east. Highways enabled the Roman legion to travel as far as 25 miles per day, and a complex network of post houses meant that messages and other intelligence could be relayed with astonishing speed. These roads were often managed in the same way as modern highways. With unlimited uses, the Roman road was one of the most successful inventions of the time

The Silk Road was a road used for long distance trade between countries in central Asia. As the cities grew and flourished, long distance travel was used to share customs with other places, and trade goods. While traveling, General Zhang discovered new plants and trees, and then introduced them to China, so that they could adopt them and use them for their own use, and also for trade. China also adopted a lot more crops, and put the products they received from trading to good use. Trading had a major impact to all the countries involved in the Silk Road, especially China.