GP Unit 8: Silk Road

What types of diseases spread along the Silk Road?

Bubonic plague, and other diseases similar to that. Smallpox, yellow fever

What were the major economic, social, and cultural consequence of Silk Road commerce?

Goods from all over Asia, Africa, and Europe were being traded around, so people got things they would not originally have had in the land. Ideas moved along it, like Islam and Buddhism. Disease also spread along the Silk Road.

In addition to goods, what else was shared throughout the trade routes of the Indian Ocean? What are some examples?

Ideas and religion, like Islam and Buddhism.

How did the Silk Road help people of Central Asia?

It boosted their economy because merchants would stop in Cental Asian cities on the Silk Road and buy stuff like water and food.

How did the Silk Road change the lives of ordinary people?

It created more jobs, like silk makers in China, and the traders brought part of their culture with them as they traveled, like Buddhism, and diseases spread so a lot of people died. Policies were created to help the merchants trade

What made silk such a highly desired commodity across Eurasia?

It kept people warm in the cold, but cool in the warmth, was soft, showed how wealthy you were.

What are some of the reasons the Indian Ocean trade took off and was so popular?

It was cheaper, places who didn't have as many natural resources could get the things they needed, the monsoon winds made travel easy, and the countries were all close to each other.

Why did China keep the process of silk making secret and for what purposes did they use silk?

It was expensive and essential to their economy and they wanted to have a monopoly on silk production. People used silk as fishing lines, to write, and mostly for clothing.

What was the Silk Road if not a road made of silk?

It was many trade routes that connected Asia to Eurasia and Africa and then Europe.

How did the operation of the Indian Ocean trade networks differ from the Silk Roads? In what ways were they similar?

It was similar because people would trade for goods ad luxuries they didn't have in their native lands for goods and luxuries that were common in their homeland. It was different because the trade was over water and not land.

How did trade in the Indian Ocean determine the geography and demographics of the region?

It's spread religion and different ideas...not disease.

How are merchant centers throughout the region further influenced by trade?

Many of the towns and cities by the Indian Ocean would not have existed or flourished without the trade.

How did the Silk Road change the social and political hierarchy of some areas (like Rome)?

Merchants became a social class of their own and gained a considerable amount of money. Merchants also gained political power.

How did trade on the Silk Road lead to the formation of new cities?

Merchants would stop along the Silk Road because they couldn't travel for long periods of time. Over time, people would form cities where many merchants would stop.

What lay behind the emergence of the Silk Road and commerce and what kept it going for so many centuries?

People wanted the goods from far away lands to display their wealth and power. It continued for so long because people always bought the stuff and traders could gain a great wealth from it.

What was traded along the Silk Road?

Silk, tortoiseshell, silver, cotton, spices, incenses, etc.

Why did the Roman government try to ban the importation of silk?

Some people thought it was indecent, and it ruined the Roman economy because people weren't supporting local businesses and instead others.

What was the Silk Road?

The Silk Road was a network of trade routes that connected Asia to to Africa, Eurasia, and Europe. Silk, cotton, silver, tortoiseshell, and spices were traded along it.

What are some additional examples of how the Indian Ocean trade was different from the Silk Road?

The government monitored trade more on the Silk Road, the goods traded on the Silk Road were for people of higher class, whereas the goods traded on the Indian Ocean were more essentials and natural resources for everyone.

When was the height of the Indian Ocean trade and who was involved in the trade?

The height of the Indian Ocean trade was between 1000 CE and 1200 CE. China, Swahili coast cities, Malaysia, the Islamic Empire in the Arabian peninsula, and India.

Who dominated trade in this region? How was this possible?

The merchants dominated trade because the traders were pretty safe, so no government needed to create laws to protect them, the traders had lots of power and freedom when they traded, and the traders were very wealthy.

How were terms of trade determined and by whom?

The terms of trade were determined by merchants and by the demands of the market, rather than political rulers.

In what ways did monsoons assist and determine trade?

The wind blew one direction for one part of the year, and another direction for another part, so traders knew they had a way back to their home. It determined when people would go as well.

How does the trade throughout the Indian Ocean differ from that along the Silk Road?

Trade throughout the Indian Ocean is different than that of the Silk Road because it was over water, was more peaceful, did not include Europe, and different goods were traded along it. It was bigger and had more diverse people.

What accounted for the spread of Buddhism along the Silk Roads?

Traders from India would tell people of their religion, Buddhism, and people would learn about it and maybe convert. This allowed for people from Eurasia to become Buddhism.

What was the impact of disease along the Silk Roads?

Traders would bring diseases with them as they traveled, and the people that were from the places they went didn't have any antibodies built up for those diseases, making them more susceptible. The Black Death spread along the Silk Road.