a

The Silk Road24.1 Introduct ion

In the last chapter. you learnecl about thc achicr,enrents ol ' thc Han dynasty.Underthe Han. t rade routes rr ,crc oncned that al lowed thc Chincse tofade ui th othcr i rncient cul turcs. In this chapter. you' l l cxpkuc lhc grcat t r i rdemute knon n as thc Si lk Road.

The Si lk Road $as actual lv a nct\ \ork of srnal ler t radc routcs thatsuetched nrorc than -1.(XX) nrilcs tcross Asia. lt rcachcd ll'orrr Luovang andthe Han crpi tal o l Chang'an in China to Meditcrr lneln ports such as Ant iochin Syr ia. By thc t l rst ce nturv r ' . r . . . thc Mcditcrancan region was dont inatedby the Ronran Enrpirc. r.r'hose capital city wls Rontc (in prescnt-day Italy).l l re Si lk Road connected the grcat enrpircs ol ' thc Hln and (he Rortrans.(You u ill lcarn about the Rontan Entpirc latcr in this btxrk. )

Both -qoods and idcas travc- led t long the Si lk Road. Thc Chincse tradeduch things as si lk and jade. ln rcturn. thel ' aequirccl neu products such as

ices fionr India and ghssu'are ll'orl Ronre. Ncu idcas. including Budclhisnt.entered China as a resul t of th is t racle.

The Si lk Road l inkcd thc pcoplcs ol ' thc East and thc Wcst l i r l rnore thanyears. In this chaptcf . you u i l l lcarn about the opcning ol ' the Si lkYou' l l d iscorcr $hir t t favel ins the Si lk Road uas l ikc in thc t inre of

Han. You' l l a lso lc l rn about thc qoods and idcas that ucre cxch nccdthe cul turcs ol 'Asia and thc \ ! 'cst .

Thc S i lk Road 2l . l

24.2The Opening of the Silk RoadThe Silk Road was made possible by the expansion of the

empire. The military campaigns of the Han beat back nomadicpeoples in northwestem China, allowing trade routes to the we$to be oDened.

The Father of the Silk RoadA Chinese explorer named Zhang Qian is often called the

Father of the Silk Road. His travels opened the way for tradebetween China and its westem neishbors.

In 138 s.c.E., a Han emperor sent Zhang Qian west with100 men. His mission was to form an alliance with westempeoples against China's northern enemy, the Huns. Zhang Qiantraveled across central Asia to what is now the country of Iran,Twice he was taken prisoner by the Huns. Both times heto escape.

Zhang Qian was not able to form an alliance. But his tripa success in other ways as it helped the Chinese learn abouttures to the west. He brought back word of such places asSvria. India. and Rome.

Some years later, Zhang Qian went on a second journey tothe west. This time, he discovered a more powerful type ofthat was better suited for war than the smaller Chinese hone.He also discovered grapes, which were unknown in China.importantly, he was able to establish trade relationships with

some central Asian peoples.Over time, Chinese

traveled farther west.trade routes connected toform larger networks. Themost famous of theseknown as the Silk Roadthe product that tradersmost of all: Chinese silk.

si

clcals

tfarchAslerhortakrsilkvalto lingdynwasdeat

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TI

This wine cup is carved to showZhang 0ian f loating down theHuang He in a hol low log.

234 Chapter 24

the Hannadic[e west

. thenade

'ith€rnrg Qianof Iran.e managed

; trip wasbout cul-as Persia,

mey torc of horseho(se.rina. Most,s withpeoples.:se traders;t. Smallerted to<s. The,se becameRoad afterders valuedie silk.

Silk as aTrade GooUSilk is a fiber used to make

doth. Silk cloth is strong, butalso warm, light, and soft.

Silk was a valuable good forfade because at first only theChinese knew how to make it.k you learned in the last chap-t€I, the Chinese discoveredhow to make silk from fiberstaken from the cocoon of thesilkworm. To protect the tradevalue of silk, the Chinese triedo keep the process for produc-ing it a secret. Under the Handlnasty, revealing the secretwas a crime punishable by

lr

&ath.

24.3 RomeTradesGlassware for Silk

When people of other cultures leamed about silk, it became aprized material. The Romans. in panicular. eagerly traded

goods for silk.The first time the Romans saw silk was durins a battle nearEuphrates River in Mesopotamia. At a key moment, the

unfurled many colorful silk banners. The Romans lostbatde. but this exoerience led them to want to acquire this

new material.Chinese silk was a luxury item. It was rare and expensive.

the richest Romans could afford to wear onlv a striD orof silk stitched to their white togas. But silk was so

prized that traders willingly went on the dangerouseastward to trade for it.

Ihe Romans had eold to trade and somethins else the Chineseglassware. The Romans knew how to blow glass into

delicate shaoes. Just as the Romans had never seenfte Chinese were unfamiliar with glass production. The

These women are making si lk.The Chinese closely guarded thesecret of how si lk was made.

toga a loose robe worn bymen in Rome

|:r f < ' , [ .F t -rd ,i. : i |4 ,..;l! : i+. + t: ,11?att \ i l t t t , t) i { ts ' . ; : t . .tLLrI t tu ' . t

J{1t

were happy to trade glassware for silk.

The Silk Road 235

Traders often formed long cara-vans to cross the TaklamakanDesert. Some caravans had asmany as 1,000 camels.

mlrage an image of some-thing that isn't really there,such as watercaravan a group of peopletraveling together

24.4The Eastern Silk RoadThe Silk Road was not one continuous route. Instead it

a network of shorter trade routes between various stops.traders traveled between these stops rather than over theroute. Goods changed hands many times before reachingfinal destination.

The two major parts of the route were the Eastern Silkand the Westem Silk Road. The Eastem Silk RoadLuoyang to Kashgar, in the western part of the TaklamakanDesen. The Western Silk Road ran from Kashgar to Antiochand other Mediterranean ports.

Traveling the Eastem Silk RoadFrom Luoyang, the Silk Road led west along the Gobi

to Dunhuang, in northwestern China. This part of the routeprotected to the north by the Great Wall.

From Dunhuang, travelers could choose either aa southem route across the desert to Kashgar. Many chosenorthem route, where the distances between oases likeand Kucha were shorter.

Several dansers faced traders crossins the Taklamakan,Bandits often attacked travelers on the northern routeDunhuang and Kucha. Throughout the desert, suddensometimes buried travelers in sand. Travelers may havelured off the main path to their deaths by mirages.

Before entering the desert, travelers formed long camelvans for protection. One type of camel was especiallydesert travel. Bactrian camels have double evelids andthat can close to keep out blowing sand. They could canyfood and water for a traveler to make it to the next oasis.

236 Chapter 24

i t wxs

Goods Exchanged Along theEastern Si lk Road

It uas rcn crpensire 1o carrr gtxrds0\er the Si lk Rold. [ :0r ' l l ldcrs to rr) l rke i rprofit. gtxrds hld to bc valuablc untl casvto car l . That u rv l r r rcrchlnt corr l t l t lkcmorc goods orr le* cr uninlr ls.

Si lk wts thc per lcct t rading gtxr t l .becluse i t l as both l ight and r a l t r i rh l t ' .Hugc qLnnt i t ic .s ol : i l l t rur e lcd I i rnrChina r long the Elstcnl Sr lk Roird. r \ l tcrbeing tr ldct l l i l l othcl srxr t ls . t l rc s i lketentul l l r [cachct l thc sho|cs 0l t l rctr lcdi terranclur Sea. ' l 'hcn i t r r rs t i rkcrr bt l){)irl t() Rorne irntl othcr'.lLl I

hcrng

N{ ostcnt l rctheir

Si lk Roat l)nr lcctedrlli lktn' \nt ioch

Cobi Dcscrti r()utc wils

irortltern ol'c l rose thekc Loulan

IitKitu.tc bet$ cen

-'n satrdst()rmsravc bcct.t

r catrtcl cara-rull-v suited tbri lnd nostr i lstl carrv cntlughoi ts is.

\ ledi lcnancln c i t ics.Bc: ide: : i lk . thc ( ' l t i r rcsr also t l ru lcd l inc t l ishuar-c (rrhich

became knot n ls ( / / i / r ( i ) . orniurcnts. . ic \ \ c l r . \ ' . east i lon plodrrcts.anddecorat i \c hores. In rcturn. l l lc \ r 'cccirct l a \ i l r ic t \ o l goot lsl r0m oth! ' r tnrdcrs. ' l 'hcr part iculur l r r i l l r rct l h0rses l i )n l Ccntr i l lAr i l . Othcl l txr t ls l ixn ( 'cntnr l . , \s i l incl t r t lcd. jat lc. l i r ls . andgold. Indi i r scnt r r r iorrs goot ls rrorth to KrLshqar. inclrr t l i r rg cot ton.\piccs. p! 'ar l \ ( l lonr o\ \ tcr \ ) . lnt l i ron t l l rnr c lcphlnl lLrsks).Frum Krshqar ' . lhc ! . : rxr t ls r rnt lc t l rc i r ' \ \ i lv c i ls l to Chi l r r r .

Strong horses from Central Asiawere traded and highly va lued.Th s hronze statue depicts aspir i ted horse sLrch as thosethe Han Chinese adrnired.

Thc Si lk Road l . l7

Crossing the Pamir Mountainspresented many chal lenges. lnwintet travelers could be caughtin snowstorms and freeze todeath.

238 Chapter 24

24.5The Western Silk RoadKashgar was the central trading point where the Eastem

and Western Silk Roads met. Goods from various areas wenexchansed there and sent in both directions alons the tradeGoods traveling westward went by yak rather than camel. ThWestem Silk Road ended in Mediterranean ports like Antioch.

Traveling the Western Silk RoadThe joumey west from Kashgar began with a difficult tek

across the Pamir Mountains. Some peaks rose over 20,000Travelers often experienced headaches, dizziness, and ringingin the ears caused by lack of oxygen in the thin air of themountains.

Many of the mountain passes were narrow and dangerousThis part of the route was sometimes called the "trail ofbecause of the many animals and people who died there.animals such as donkeys could slip off the narrow trails andtumble over cliffs. Sometimes traders unloaded their animalsand carried the goods through the passes themselves.

After the Pamir Mountains, the route took travelersfertile valley in what is now Afghanistan. Then it headedthe Iranian Plateau, passed south of the Caspian Sea, andMesopotamia. A major stop along this part of the route wasCtesiphon (in modem-day Iraq). Ctesiphon was located oneastern bank of the Tieris River. north of ancient Babvlon.

From Ctesiohon. the Silk Road turned north and crosscdSyrian Desert. Travelers across the desert faced manyThey were threatened by tigers, lions, and scorpions, andwere tormented by flies.

The goods finally reached Antioch and other Mediports. From there, they were transported by ship throughontMediterranean world.

fn\ crcdc route.l . Thct ioch.

Goods Exchanged Along theWestern Si lk Road

Mltnv grxrt ls t r i tvc l ! ' ( l i t ionLt the We stcrrr Si lk Roiultnd! ' \cntuir l l \ cnt lct l r rJt in ( 'h i r r t r . ' l laders l i r r r r r El tyt t .Arabi l . lnd I )crs i t r brorr lh l ytcr ' lLrrrres. cosrrrc l ics. andcarpcl : . ( 'c l l r i r l , . \s i ln lnrdcls brorr tht r r rc l i r l i tcrrrs i rnt lr l rcs. l 'het r r l :o sort tct inrrr l t i r t let l s larcs.

Rott tc scrr l a nrrrrrbcr ol p lot lucts to bc crchangct llorChinesc sr lk. ' l l rc ( 'hrncsc hi- : rh l r r l r l r rcd l l t r r r l rnshss producls. inelLrdins In l \ s. \ i l \c \ . ncel l t rccs. r r r r r l\ntal l bol l lcs. l 'hcr l r lso l t r izct l t rsbcstos. r ih ich thclured Ibr nraking l i lcpl txr l c loth. lnt l eonr l . C' l t incscdoctor 's uscd cor. l r l t0 hclp thcnl locl t lc i l l l rcss. i rs i l $ ' l rst id thut col l r l lost i ts color u hcn l l lucct l on lhc skin ol 'iomeonc u lto rr iLs sick.

Thc Ronr;rns also sct t l n) l l \ \ i \c i l l l ( ) r l l ls o l gold lot t rde lor s i lk . In I ; tc l . :o rrruch sol t l utrs shipper l orr l o l 'Ronrc lhat in lhc l i rst ccntLrry ( . l : . t l )c R() ln i ln c lnpcr() [Tiber iur p lsscd I l r r r r l i r rh i t l t l i r r r . : n lcn t ( ) \ \c i t r r i lk . [_c: ]cnr l sursthe enrpcror * tLs l r l l - t r i t l thut ueirr i r r r . r so rrrrrch l incrt r roul t l tnakclhe Ronr lns sol t lnt l r rc i rk. N. lorc ' l rkclr . hc u;rrr led to rc( luec thcmount ol gol t l t lut t \ \ i ts l louin-: . t out o l 'h is crnpirc.

r tfck(X) lcct .ngr ngc high

10us.bones". Packirndn) i l ls

rrougn a,-l rcrttssd crosscdrV ilS

on thc)l l .

.:\ed thsi l l icul t ies.d thcy

'rilnean1()Ut thc

Carpets l ike thrs orre f rom Persrawere traded along the Si lk Road

Ihc S i lk I l , 'u, .1 l . le

24.6 Gultural Exchanges Alongthe Silk Road

Goods weren't the only things to travel along the SilkThe trade between East and West also resulted in culturalexchanges.

For example, China and Rome didn't just learn about newproducts from each other. In time, they learned how to makethese products for themselves. By 500 c.r., the Chinese hadleamed how to make glass. About the same time, the Westleamed how to produce silk.

Buddhism entered China by wayof the Silk Road. This is the earli-est Chinese statue of Buddha thathas been found.

240 Chapter 24

i.oad.

Dicts. gurdert ing. ant l asl icul tLrrc r lso chi tngcr l i rs ncuplant\ \ \erc intr-odLrccr l into di l lc lcrr t i r lcrLs. ( ' l r inrL i r r r l . ror ' tet lmant netr l ixrds l rnt l spiecs. . \ntong thcrrr \ \crc gr i rpcs. i t l l l l t i r .cucunthcts. I ins. p() t ) ]c ' t r i tn l r tcs. $ alDtt ts. chircs. :csarDc. l i r tdcor iander. ' l 'hc West inrpor lct l roscs. r . r t u lc i ls . ehl t sanlhcrrr t r r r rs.

Fonie\ . c l rncl l i i ts . or i lngc\ . l ) ! ' i rehr ' : . i tnt l pcrrrs.Thc Si lk Roat l r t l :o l tc lpcd to \ l ) rc ld l lLrc l t lh isrrr . As r ou

hare le l lncd. Budt lh isrrr bcglLn in I r r t l i l . I ' |ccrLLrsc thc Si lk Road

Pas\cd thlough rnunr di l lc lcnt r r l l ions. r 'c ] ig iou\ l ra\c lcr \ u\c( lhe r(rulc l , r \Plel l ( l l l t ( ' i r hcl ic l \ .

Buddhisrn t i rs introt l r rccr l to ( 'h inrr l r loLrnt l thc rni t ld lc ol lhcf int ccnturt . Sonrc ( 'h inesc I lut l t lh ists . joLrrncr ct l on l i rot i rcro: :Central Ar i l to India to lcarrr nrorc al . roLrt thci l ncrr rc l ig iorr .I lev retutned to China u i t l r copics ol s i rcrct l But l t lh ist ter t : .Buddhisnr uoul t l c \ dntual l \ becort tc u nlr jo l lc l i l ion in C'hinr.

7 Chapter Summaryln this chapter, you explored the Silk Road,network of trade routes between China andWest. The Silk Road was opened undcr theand remained a major route of trade tilrthan I.0(X) years.

The eastem and western Darts of the Silkpresented many dangers and dilficulties to

The Eastern Silk Road connected theof China to Dunhuang. on the edge of the

Desert. Fronr there. the northcrntook travelers across the desert throught0 Kashsar. From Kashgar. the Western

Road crossed the Pamir Mountains andthrough Ctesiphon on i t : way to

ports l ike Ant ioch.goods were exchanged along the Silk

including silk tiom China and glasswareRome. In addition to new products. trade

cultural chanses to both East and West.of the most important changes was the introductionot

to China.the next unit. vou'll return to lhe MediterraneanexDlore ancient Creece. a civilization that has

This f ragment of ancient Chinesesi lk was probably part of a valu-able garment or piece of c loth.

ewksrd

world.had a

and lasting inf'luence on our own culture.

'IIte Sil l Roltl l- l I