Why Did The Silk Road Connect China
The Silk Road is not one large road that connected the Mediterranian to East Asia, but instead it is multiple interconntected trade routes that connected multiple worlds through land and sea. The Silk Road did not just connect China to Europe, it connected many areas that contributed to selling their goods that would travel to other places like Japan, India, and Egypt. Sometimes goods would travel on ship through the Arabian Sea, the South China Sea, and the Medditteranian. The Silk Road connected East, South, Central, and West Asia to India, Europe, and Africa. It is so vast that it covers about 4,000 miles from Europe and China (SilkRoutes.net, 2010).
One of the famous good that was traded in the Silk Road is silk, which was created in China
using silk worms. Other goods that were transported across the Silk Road are ceramic, glass, precious metals, ivory, gems, medical herbs, exotic animals, livestock, and spices (SilkRoutes.net, 2010). Europe had food and wine transported to Asia and Africa. India transported cotton, and Africa traded ivory. Arabia traded essence, spices, and tortoise shells (CrashCourse, 2012). Nomads were usually the ones who transported goods from one place to another with professional Merchants that sold the goods (CrashCourse, 2012). Nomadic cities profited greatly from traveling Merchants with nomads since they needed to stop their caravans frequently to get food, water and other needs (CrashCourse, 2012). An example of these nomadic cities is Palmira, where Silk Merchants usually stayed before selling silk in Europe (CrashCourse, 2012).
The Silk Road did not only affect rich people who could afford to by the goods, it also affected everyone else. It increased jobs since there was more demand to make goods, and those that could not afford to buy luxury goods would work to make these goods to be sold CrashCourse, 2012). Another reason how the Silk Road affected everyone, is the ideas that were exchanged. As the idea of Buddhism traveled around Asia and many cultures, Buddhism beliefs changed drastically from original Buddhism. An example of a new belief is viewing Buddha as divine, and the idea of Nirvana from the release of suffering and desire to something like heaven (CrashCourse, 2012). Also, the new Buddhism religion taught followers through the worship of the Buddha, they could obtain a good afterlife- this idea seems similar to the beliefs of Christianity, which would have traveled to Asia and Africa (CrashCourse, 2012). Painting techniques, Algebra, astronomy, Arabic numerals, and medical techniques are some other ideas that traveled through Eurasia and Africa (SilkRoutes.net, 2010). Chinese printing and papermaking also traveled to Europe, and construction techniques and seafaring methods traveled to the East (SilkRoutes.net, 2010).
Along with the goods and ideas that traveled between the East and West was diseases. Europe received new diseases that already existed in Eastern Asia like the black plague, measles, and smallpox (CrashCourse, 2012). The black plague had a great impact in Europe that killed nearly half of Europe’s population in about four years (CrashCourse, 2012).
One of the famous good that was traded in the Silk Road is silk, which was created in China
using silk worms. Other goods that were transported across the Silk Road are ceramic, glass, precious metals, ivory, gems, medical herbs, exotic animals, livestock, and spices (SilkRoutes.net, 2010). Europe had food and wine transported to Asia and Africa. India transported cotton, and Africa traded ivory. Arabia traded essence, spices, and tortoise shells (CrashCourse, 2012). Nomads were usually the ones who transported goods from one place to another with professional Merchants that sold the goods (CrashCourse, 2012). Nomadic cities profited greatly from traveling Merchants with nomads since they needed to stop their caravans frequently to get food, water and other needs (CrashCourse, 2012). An example of these nomadic cities is Palmira, where Silk Merchants usually stayed before selling silk in Europe (CrashCourse, 2012).
The Silk Road did not only affect rich people who could afford to by the goods, it also affected everyone else. It increased jobs since there was more demand to make goods, and those that could not afford to buy luxury goods would work to make these goods to be sold CrashCourse, 2012). Another reason how the Silk Road affected everyone, is the ideas that were exchanged. As the idea of Buddhism traveled around Asia and many cultures, Buddhism beliefs changed drastically from original Buddhism. An example of a new belief is viewing Buddha as divine, and the idea of Nirvana from the release of suffering and desire to something like heaven (CrashCourse, 2012). Also, the new Buddhism religion taught followers through the worship of the Buddha, they could obtain a good afterlife- this idea seems similar to the beliefs of Christianity, which would have traveled to Asia and Africa (CrashCourse, 2012). Painting techniques, Algebra, astronomy, Arabic numerals, and medical techniques are some other ideas that traveled through Eurasia and Africa (SilkRoutes.net, 2010). Chinese printing and papermaking also traveled to Europe, and construction techniques and seafaring methods traveled to the East (SilkRoutes.net, 2010).
Along with the goods and ideas that traveled between the East and West was diseases. Europe received new diseases that already existed in Eastern Asia like the black plague, measles, and smallpox (CrashCourse, 2012). The black plague had a great impact in Europe that killed nearly half of Europe’s population in about four years (CrashCourse, 2012).