The Silk Road was a trade route that spanned from what is today, Northwest China to Western Iran. This route began around 115-105 B.C. to establish trade between China and the Persian Empire, in which they traded garments of silk for tins, gems, and livestock. The Silk Road is known for bringing gunpowder to the West and changing warfare, which until then was hand-to-hand combat. Gunpowder was widely used by the Chinese by 1,000 C.E. in grenades, bombs, and rockets. Today, gunpowder is used in many things such as firearms, explosives, and fireworks. Along with providing gunpowder, the skills of silk worm breeding, silk spinning, paper making, printing, and the compass were brought along the route to the West and this sped up the development of the entire world. New ideas and religions, such as Buddhism, Zoroastrianism, and Islam, were spread to Ancient China by the merchants who traveled along the Silk Road. The opening of the sea passage between Europe and the Orient in the 15th century, eventually led to the decline of the Silk Road.
6 comments:
This is really neat, I've heard of the silk road before, but never realized just how much it was used. The moving of gunpowder was from one country to another really must have changed warfare as we know it. To be alive during those times and to see the things that happened during those times, my what stories we could tell today.
I never knew about the Silk Road before. It is amazing how long ago this started. Civilization and trade was growing rapidly. The things that was being traded were items that were needed to survive.
Great post Beth. Yeah the silk road changed the world. It spread goods and ideas across multiple continents. It allowed for almost worldwide trade as it connected Europe, Africa, and Asia. Yet with the speed of transportation in those days it was still slow going over mountains and through deserts.
I am actually somewhat familiar of the Silk Road through various, articles of readings, a non-western culture class in high school and even an old chinese-based video game. The Silk Road was pivotal in playing a part of the spreading of Buddhism ideas, of which the majority of my mother's side of the family are a part of religiously.
Beth, I had never heard of the Silk Road. Considering that this route was established so many centuries ago, it is amazing that it was utilized for such a long time. Trading with other countries helped to not only bring unusual goods from one place to another, it established communications between all the different societies.
I have known about Silk Road since in my middle school because it is part of CHinese history. We have learned this history in our textbook. it was very famous in China back then.
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