Made because of the Han Empire Military of the Han didn’t allow people in Northwestern China Allowed trade routes to the West to be opened.

CHAPTER 24:THE SILK ROAD

OPENING THE SILK ROADMade because of the Han

EmpireMilitary of the Han didn’t allow people in Northwestern China

Allowed trade routes to the West to be opened

ZHANG QIANKnown as “Father of the Silk Road”

138 B.C.E. a Han emperor sent Zhang west with 100 men

Goal was to form an alliance with Western menAlliance against Northern enemy, The Hun

ZHANG QIANZhang Qian traveled all the way to present day IranTaken as a prisoner 2 times

Able to escape both times!Was not able to form an alliance

The trips were still successful though

ZHANG QIANHelped Chinese learn about Western cultures

Discovered places like, Persia, Syria, India, & Rome

Went on a second journey to the West

ZHANG QIANDiscovered a horse, much more powerful for warAlso discovered grapesAble to develop trade relationships with central Asian peopleOvertime, many trade routes developed, traders mostly valued Chinese silk

BY A SHOW OF HANDS, HOW MANY LIKE TO

WEAR SILK?

STILL WANT TO WEAR SILK!?

SILK!Silk is a fiber used to make cloth

Silk is strong, warm, light, & soft

Very valuable for trade, for a while Chinese were the only ones to know how to make it

Fibers come from cocoon of a silk worm!

SILK!Chinese tried to keep the way to make silk a secret

Under Han Dynasty, the release of the secret was punishable by…DEATH!

TRADE WITH ROME!Many other cultures wanted silk

Romans were the most intrigued by silk

First time Romans saw silk was during a battleEnemy waved a silk banner, Romans lost the war

TRADE WITH ROME!Chinese silk was a luxury item

Very expensive item, status symbolRichest Romans could only afford one patch of silk on their togas

TRADE WITH ROME!Silk was so highly valued, traders went on the dangerous trip eastward to get silkRomans would trade gold and glassware for silkRomans could blow glass into all shapes

Glassware was new to the Chinese

THE EASTERN SILK ROADSilk road was NOT

one continuous route

Network of shorter trade routes between stopsGoods would change hands many times before reaching their final destination

THE EASTERN SILK ROADTwo major parts of the

route: Eastern and Western Silk Road

Eastern Road: Luoyang- Kashgar in the Western part of the Taklimakan Desert

Western Road:Kashgar- Antioch and other Mediterranean ports

THE EASTERN SILK ROADSeveral dangers

faced travelers

Bandits would attack Encounter severe sand storms while crossing the desertTravelers would even get buried in the sand on the Northern route

THE EASTERN SILK ROADTravelers were lured

off the main path to their death by miragesAn image of something that is not really there such as waterBefore entering the desert, travelers formed long camel caravans for protection

THE EASTERN SILK ROADCertain types of camels

survive better in the desertBactrian camels have double eyelids, and nostrils they can close to keep sand outCarry enough food & water for the traveler to make it until next stop

GOODS EXCHANGED Very expensive for travelers to carry goods over the silk roadTravelers to profit: goods had to be valuable & easy to carrySilk was perfect: light, valuable

Silk eventually reached the Mediterranean Sea

GOODS EXCHANGED Chinese also traded fine dishware (China)

Ornaments, jewelry, cast-iron products, decorative boxes

Chinese would receive: (Central Asia) horses, jade, furs, & gold

GOODS EXCHANGED From India through Kashgar: cotton, spices, pearls, ivory

WESTERN SILK ROADJourney from Kashgar began with a difficult path across Pamir MountainsTravelers suffered headaches, dizziness, & ringing ears

Mountain trails were narrow and dangerous (trail of bones)

WESTERN SILK ROADPeople and animals were known to slip off cliffsAfter Pamir Mountains, trail took travelers through present day AfghanistanMajor stop: Modern day Iraq, eastern bank of Tigris river

WESTERN SILK ROAD

From Iraq, trail went North to Syrian DesertTravelers threatened by tigers, lions, scorpions, and flies everywhere

Goods were finally shipped throughout the Mediterranean Ports

GOODS EXCHANGED Traders: Egypt, Arabia, and Persia

Perfumes, cosmetics, carpets, metal items, dyes, even slaves to ChinaRome greatly valued silk so they traded glass products, vases, necklaces, small bottles

GOODS EXCHANGED

Romans traded a lot of gold for silk

So much gold traded, Roman emperor Tiberius banned gold from leaving

Tiberius believed wearing too much silk would make people too soft or weak

CULTURAL EXCHANGESTrade between East & West changed cultures

Learned how to make products themselves, trade slowed downBy 500 C.E. Chinese learned to make glass & west learned to make silk

CULTURAL EXCHANGESDiets, gardening, & agriculture changed

China started to grow grapes, alalfa, cucumbers, figs, walnuts, chives, sesameWest imported roses, camellias, oranges, peaches, and pears

CULTURAL EXCHANGESSilk road also spread Buddhism

Religious travelers used the Silk Road to spread Buddhism

Buddhism is still dominant in Asia today