Long Distance Trade and the Silk Roads Network:

The spread of economic activity, religion, & disease through trade

What are Impacts of Long-distance Trade?Provides wealth to civilizations

Gives civilizations access to foreign products

Enables people to concentrate their efforts on economic activities best suited to their regions

Facilitates spread of religions

Made transmission of disease over far distances possible

Classical China, India, & Rome: Linked by Trade

The Classical powers of Rome, India, and China provided internal stability to large territoriesImproved transportation infrastructureTheir expanding size brought each of these into closer

contact with one anotherCosts of long-distance trade were reducedMerchants began establishing an extensive network

of trade routes that linked much of Eurasia and northern Africa

These overland trade routes are known as the “Silk Roads”

INDIA

CHINA

ROMAN EMPIRE

INDIAN OCEAN

Route of the Silk RoadsConnected the two extreme ends of EurasiaLinked China, India, the Roman Empire, and other cultures

in betweenStarted in the Han capital of Chang’anSkirted the Taklamakan DesertPassed through oasis towns on the edge of the desertContinued west to Bactria (modern-day Afghanistan) and then

forked, heading in two different directions: to northern India or to northern Persia (modern-day Iran)

In northern Persia, the route joined with roads to ports on the Caspian Sea & Persian Gulf

Route proceeded to Palmyra (modern Syria) in the Middle EastMet roads coming from Arabia & ports on the Red SeaContinued west & terminated at Mediterranean ports that

linked to other Roman ports

Route of the Silk RoadsThe Silk Roads also provided access at ports like

Guangzhou in southern China that led to maritime (sea) routes to India & Ceylon (Sri Lanka)

Organization of Long Distance Trade on the Silk RoadIndividual merchants usually

did not travel from one end of Eurasia to the other

Instead, they handled long-distance trade in stages using camel caravansThere were many merchants

serving as middle-menChinese, Persians, Indians,

Romans, & others would dominate the caravan or maritime trade routes with their empire or territory of influence

Economics of the Great Silk Road

EconomicsSilk & Spices traveled west

from southeast Asia, China, & IndiaChina was the only country

in classical times where cultivators & weavers had developed techniques for producing high-quality silk fabrics

Spices served not just to season food, but also as drugs, anesthetics, aphrodisiacs, perfumes, aromatics, & magical potions

EconomicsCentral Asia produced large,

strong horses & jade prized by Chinese stone carvers

The Roman empire traded glassware, jewelry, works of art, perfumes, bronze & iron goods, wool & linen textiles, olive oil, wine, & silver

However, Europe offered things of less value compared to Asian goods. As a result, Europe had a huge trade imbalance with Asia. It lost money because it imported so many rare luxury goods from Asia.

Religions onthe Great Silk Road

Religion: BuddhismSiddhartha Gautama (Buddha)

first announced his teachings publicly in India in 528 BCE

By the 3rd Century BCE, Buddhism was well-established in northern India

Buddhism was especially successful in attracting merchants as converts

Religion: BuddhismMerchants & monks carried Buddhism along

the Silk Roads where it first established a presence in the oasis towns where merchants & their camel caravans stopped for food, rest, lodging, & markets.

Dunhuang, in China, was one such spot.

Religion: Buddhism at DunhuangBetween 600 & 1000 CE,

Buddhists built hundreds of cave temples around Dunhuang depicting scenes of Buddha

Leaders at Dunhuang… assembled libraries of

Buddhist literatureSupported missionaries

which spread Buddhism throughout China

Silk Road Art: Buddhists at Dunhuang

Who is depicted in these sculptures?

What cultures may have influenced the artistic style of these sculptures?

Silk Road Art: Buddhists at Dunhuang

Religion: ChristianityAntioch, in modern-day Turkey in the

Middle East, at the western end of the overland Silk Roads, was an important center in early Christianity

Antioch is mentioned many times in the Bible as a site of conversion to Christianity after Jesus’ death:

“Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year, Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” Acts 11: 25-26

St. Peter’s Grottos Church - Antioch

Saint Paul, an early convert to Christianity, began his missionary journeys at Antioch

45-67 CE

Religion: ChristianityLike other religions,

Christianity followed the trade routes and expanded east throughout Mesopotamia, Iran, & as far away as India

However, Christianity’s greatest concentration was in the Mediterranean Sea area, where Roman roads, like the Silk Roads, provided ready transportation

Disease onthe Great Silk Road

The Antonine Plague (165-180 CE) was a plague of either smallpox or measles brought back to the Roman Empire by troops returning from campaigns in the Near East after traveling the Great Silk Road.

The disease broke out again 9 years later & the Roman historian Dio Cassius reported it caused up to 2,000 deaths a day at Rome

Total deaths of the Antonine Plague have been estimated at 5,000,000

One of the reasons for the collapse of the Roman Empire and the Han dynasty in China was a terrible plague that spread along the Great Silk Road due to merchant activity.

Disease