Silk Roads

general knowledge: When was the Silk Road created?

130 B.C.

How long were the Silk Roads used for?

130 B.C. --> 1453 A.D.

How many countries did the Silk Road pass through

40 countries

Political Impact

A large amount of political cooperation was made possible as a result of the Silk Road. The Cross-continental trade required civilizations to either commune and cooperate with one another, or be cut off from the virtual supply lines.

What areas did the Silk Roads connect?

A network of mostly land but also sea trading routes, the Silk Road stretched from China to Korea and Japan in the east, connecting China through Central Asia to India in the South, and to Turkey and Italy in the West.

Economic Impact:

At its height, the network of trade routes enabled merchants to travel from China to the Mediteranean sea, carrying with them high-value commercial goods, the exchange of which encouraged urban growth and prosperity.

What were important cities along the Silk Road?

Beijing Bukhara Bursa Chennai(Madras)

What diseases spread on the Silk Road?

Bubonic Plague, Leprosy, and anthrax.

Long-term effects

Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, Manichaeism, and Nestoriasm were all introduced to China and parts of India because of the Silk Road influence. The spread of papermaking was also influenced by the route

Humans and the Environment:

Desertification and drought has taken its toll on the Silk Road. The once great civilization dotted along the road has now been consumed by the desert and the region is home to some of China's poorest people.

Why was the Silk Road created?

Emperor Wu was eager to gain new commodities through trade with the west.

What did Genghis Khan do to the Silk Road?

Genghis Khan began controlling the norther parts of the Silk Rads during his early conquests, spreading his power and influence to the South. Destroying and occupying Arab and Turkic trade centers, he quickly gained control over the majority of the route.

How did silk change people's lives?

It became a staple source of income for small farmers and, as weaving techniques improved, the reputation of Chinese silk spread so that it became highly desired across the empires of the ancient world.

Short-term effects

Left an impact on global trade and cross-cultural boundaries.

How does the Silk Road impact life today?

Many items we use everyday would be unavalible to use if not for Silk Road trade. The exchange on the Silk Road between the East and West led to a mingling of cultures and technologies on a scale that had been previously unprecendented.

Immediate effects

One effect of trade along the Silk Road were more goods were avalible in more places Spices from the East Indies, glass bends from Rome, Silk, ginger, and lacquerware from China, furs from animals of the caucasian steppe, and slaves from many locations all traveled along the Silk Road.

How did people travel on the Silk Road?

Silk Road consisted of a sucession of trials followed by caravans through Central Asia, about 6,400 km in length, Merchants with their caravans were shipping goods back and forth from one trade center to the other. In addition to silk, major commodities traded included gold, jade, tea, and spices.

Consequences/negative effects

Silk Roads were known for often spreading diseases all throughout Asia, and even into Europe. The Silk Roads highly contributed to the Black Death Bandits and Theives were big problems since bandits would raid merchant caravans and outposts, sometimes even murdered the merchants. This made traveling across the Silk Roads dangerous, especially since there was no law enforcement to patrol the roads. There was also wealth inequality. Those who controlled the Silk Roads were often wealthy. This caused massive wealth divides in many different empires such as China. It also created conflicts between the lower and upper classes.

Why is Silk important today?

Silk is one of the strongest natural fibers and today, has many uses apart from garments. It is used if parachutes and also as blanket filling and nowadays, it is used as a material in surgical sutures and bicycle tires.

Where did it start to spread?

Started to spread in Asia, but then spread almost everywhere.

Who/What created the Silk Roads?

The Han Dynasty in China created the Silk Road.

How did the Silk Road facilitate the spread of ideas and trade?

The Idea spread along trade routes. Silk Roads worked as transmitters for people, goods, ideas, beliefs, and inventions. Paper soon supplanted other writing materials in most of Western Eurasia.

Causes

The Rise of the Mongol Empire Improved Technologies

Cultural Impact:

The Silk Road did not only promote commodity exchange but also cultural. For Example, Buddhism as one of the religions of the Kushan kingdom reached China. Together with merchant Caravans Buddhist monks went from India to Central Asia and China, preaching the new religion.

What is the importance of Silk Road to globalization?

The Silk Road generated forms of globalization because it aided in the exchange of cultures, goods, and ideas. Diffusion of religion and cultures across the Silk Road highly supported globalization.

What did the Silk Road help spread?

The Silk Road provided a network for the spread of the teachings of the Buddha, enabiling Buddhism to become a world religion, and to develop into a sophisticated and diverse system of belief and practice. Of the 18 Buddhist schools, five existed along the Silk Road.

The Spread of the Silk Road: When did the Silk Road start to spread?

The Silk Road started to really spread during the Tang Dynasty(618-907). Eventually, this time became known as the "Golden Age."

Where was the Silk Road created?

The Silk Road was created in China, specifically north-central China in Xi'an(a modern Shaanxi Province)

What were the Silk Roads used for?

The Silk Roads were mainly used for trade between the Roman Empire and China. Later between medieval European kingdoms and China.

Technology Impact:

The cultural exchange between China and the West offered mutual benefit and achieved common progress. The Chinese four Great inventions(paper making, printing, gunpowder, and the compass) as well as the skills of silkworm breeding and silk spinning were transmitted to the West.

What was the greatest impact of the Silk Road?

The greatest impact was the exchange of culture, Art, religion, philosophy, technology, language, science, architecture, and every other elementof civilization was exchanges along these routes, carried with the commerical goods the merchants traded from country to country.

Social Impact:

The spread of religion, particularly Buddhism. From its origins in Classical India, Buddhism found its way to China and other civilizations via Silk Road, where it had resounding impacts on the Chinese populace.

What are the five uses of silk

Ties and scarves Bedding Bridal and Formal wear Bicycle Tires Parachutes

How long did it take to walk the Silk Road?

Two Years

What was one effect of the Silk Road on China?

Warlods used the Silk Road as a supply route during battles. The Silk Road created a monopoly for Chinese trade. The Silk Road promoted the exchange of goods and ideas throughout China.

What desert did the Silk Road pass through?

Western Gobi Desert

What cities did the Silk Road go through?

Xi'an, China. Merv, Turkmenistan Samarkand, Uzbekistan Balkh, Afghanistan Constantinople, Turkey Ctesiphon, Iraq Taxila, Pakistan Damascus, Syria

Who made silk first?

Yellow Emperor, Leizu