Change Over Time : The Silk Road

2 Pages 591 Words

Elizabeth Kim, H3X, period 11
Change-over-Time: The Silk Road (100 B.C.E. – 500 C.E.)
Throughout history, trade has always brought an economic growth and spread of culture and ideas. Some trade routes stand out as major points in history. One example is the Silk Road which linked China to the West from the 2nd century B.C.E. to the late 15th century C.E. The global importance of the Silk Road was that by successful trading, the economy grew and rich cultural exchange took place. Patterns of economic exchange shifted and altered in the Silk Road from 100 B.C.E. to 500 C.E. in that, trade was at its peak from 100 B.C.E. until the fall of the Han Dynasty in 220 CE when it began its gradual decline and wasn’t revived until the 7th century during the Tang Dynasty.
Successful trading meant high profits for the trader and also for the towns along the Silk Road trade routes. Local town people profited from trade by catering to the needs of the passing traders. The regional governments made a profit as they imposed taxes on foreign traders passing through their regions. In addition to silk, the route carried many other precious commodities. Caravans heading towards China carried gold and other precious metals, ivory, precious stones, and glass. In the opposite direction, silk, furs, ceramics, jade, bronze objects, lacquer and iron were carried.
While the economic significance of the Silk Road was limited, its cultural impact was great. Ideas, technologies, and religions such as, Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, and ancient Persian Zoroastrianism were also brought along the Silk Road. In the late 2nd century CE, when the Han dynasty was declining and China was in chaos, the Chinese people found stability and comfort in a new religion introduced to them by Silk Road travelers, Buddhism. Pilgrims and monks traveled along the trade routes to spread their beliefs. Traders and other travelers gathered at the marketplaces, caravanserais, and te...