![]() Don't worry, we will make your study easier. It is not easy to "follow" the Silk Road on the map, because there are several main routes that also have many branches. The maritime silk road spreads outward from the South China Sea, with several branches connecting North Korea, Japan, Ryukyu, and other countries on today's Indochina Peninsula, Southeast Asian coastal islands, South Asia, Central, and Western Asia, North Africa, and Europe. The silk road (the land silk road) was a vast network of trade routes that spanned the entire continent of Asia from China’s Chang’an, connecting parts of north Africa and the Mediterranean sea area. Generally, the silk roads include the land silk routes and The Silk Road stretches about 7,000 kilometers, connecting most lands of Asia and Europe. Ships being able to transport commodities faster and cheaper marked the downfall of the Silk Road by the 16th century.Silk Road Map 2023 - useful maps of Silk Road routes As European powers developed their maritime technologies in the 15th century, they successfully overthrew the Arab control of this lucrative trade route to replace it. The diffusion of Islam was also favored through trade, as many rules of ethics and commerce are embedded in the religion.ĭuring the Middle Ages, the Venetians and Genovese controlled the bulk of the Mediterranean trade, which connected to the major trading centers of Constantinople, Antioch, and Alexandria. At the same time, relationships between Europe and China were renewed, notably after the voyages of Marco Polo (1271-1292). The Silk Road peaked during the Mongolian Empire (13th century) when China and Central Asia were controlled by Mongol Khans, which were trade proponents, even if ruthless conquerors. They were named as such because spices such as nutmeg, mace, and cloves could initially only be found there. A significant feeder went to the ‘Spice Islands’ (Maluku Islands) in today’s Indonesia. The main maritime route started at Guangzhou, passed through Southeast Asia, the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea, and then reached Alexandria. Since ships were much less constraining than caravans in terms of capacity, larger quantities of goods could be traded. For instance, the Justinian Plague of 541 (a form of bubonic plague) is believed to have spread to the Mediterranean from its East Asian origins through trade routes.įrom the 9th century, maritime routes controlled by Arab traders emerged and gradually undermined the importance of the Silk Road. These trade routes have also been instrumental in the spread of diseases and the first pandemics. From that point, riverboats moved the goods to Alexandria, from which trade could be undertaken with the Roman Empire. Berenike) and moved by camels inland to the Nile. Goods were transshipped at towns along the Red Sea (e.g. Between the 1st and 6th centuries, ships sailed between the Red Sea and India, aided by summer monsoon winds. The initial use of the sea route linking the Mediterranean basin and India took place during the Roman Era. The Silk Road also served as a vector for the diffusion of ideas and religions (initially Buddhism and then Islam), enabling civilizations from Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to interact. Since the transport capacity was limited, over long distances, and often unsafe, luxury goods were the only commodities that could be traded. In addition to silk, major commodities traded included gold, jade, tea, and spices. ![]() Caravans did not travel for the whole distance since the trading system functioned as a chain with merchants shipping goods back and forth from one trade center to the other. It started at Changan (Xian) and ended at Antioch or Constantinople (Istanbul), passing by commercial cities such as Samarkand and Kashgar. ![]() Economies of scale, harsh conditions, and security considerations required the organization of trade into caravans, slowly trekking from one stage (town or oasis) to the other.Īlthough it is suspected that significant trade occurred for about 1,000 years beforehand, the Silk Road opened around 139 BCE once China was unified under the Han dynasty. The presence of steppes favored travel, although several arid zones had to be bypassed, such as the Gobi and Takla Makan deserts. The Silk Road consisted of a succession of trails followed by caravans through Central Asia, about 6,400 km in length. Its name is taken from the prized Chinese textile that flowed from Asia to the Middle East and Europe, although many other commodities were traded along the route. The Silk Road was the most enduring trade route in human history, used for about 1,500 years.
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