Silk road
Silk Road
The Silk Road (pronunciation: /sɪlk roʊd/) is a historically significant trade route that connected the East and West from the 2nd century BCE to the 18th century.
Etymology
The term "Silk Road" comes from the lucrative trade in silk carried out along its length, beginning in the Han Dynasty in China (207 BCE–220 CE). The word "road" translates to "route" in this context, as the Silk Road was not a single thoroughfare, but a network of interconnected trade routes.
History
The Silk Road was a significant factor in the development of the civilizations of China, the Indian subcontinent, Persia, Europe, and Arabia. It opened long-distance, political and economic interactions between the civilizations. Though silk was certainly the major trade item from China, many other goods were traded, and religions, syncretic philosophies, and various technologies, as well as diseases, also traveled along the Silk Routes.
Related Terms
- Trade route: A logistical network identified as a series of pathways and stoppages used for the commercial transport of cargo.
- Silk: A natural protein fiber, some forms of which can be woven into textiles.
- Han Dynasty: The second imperial dynasty of China (206 BC–220 AD), preceded by the Qin dynasty (221–206 BC) and succeeded by the Three Kingdoms period (220–280 AD).
- Caravan (travellers): A group of people traveling together, often on a trade expedition.
- Marco Polo: A Venetian merchant, explorer, and writer who travelled through Asia along the Silk Road between 1271 and 1295.
This WikiMD.org article is a stub. You can help make it a full article.