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How Did Marco Polo Use The Silk Road?

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The Silk Road began during the Han Dynasty to trade goods to and from China. “ The network was used regularly from 130 B.C.E., when the Han officially opened trade with the west, to 1453 C.E., when the Ottoman Empire boycotted trade with the west and closed the routes.” The Chinese started using the Silk Road to mainly transport and trade their precious silk. It ran from China to the Mediterranean Sea and lasted about 1,583 years. It branched out and extended in different ways all across West Asia and Europe, and was named by the Silk Road by Ferdinand von Richthofen, a German geographer.

There were many goods that went to and from China. “Foods such as pomegranates and carrots also were traded. While from the opposite direction came lacquer …show more content…

The Silk Road had many stops and trading posts. People came all over Europe and Asia at different stops. They talked and exchanged ideas, goods, and metals. Marco Polo was a famous traveller that used the Silk Road. He took notes and published what he saw. Marco Polo was born in Venice in 1254. At age 17, Marco Polo travelled to China with his father and his uncle on the Silk Road. Along the trip Marco Polo took notes and kept a journal. Marco Polo was attracted and loved the jade stone. They met the emperor Kublai Khan in China. Marco Polo, his father, and his uncle served in Kublai Khan court for 17 years. When he got back home to Venice, he described to the Venetians all about China and astonished them. He later published a book called “The Travels of Marco Polo”. Another famous person that travelled along the Silk Road was Ban Chao. He was a famous general leader during the Eastern Han dynasty from 25 C.E.- 220 C.E. “Ban Chao was born in Pingling (present Xianyang in Shaanxi Province) in 32 AD. His father, Ban Biao, was an official compiling history. His brother, Ban Gu, was the author of Han Shu, a book about the Western Han Dynasty. However, Ban Chao was uninterested in writing history. He respected Zhang Qian and Fu Jiezi very much and wanted to live a military life.” He did what he wanted and was very successful. Ban Chao was a brilliant military leader. He helped defeat the Northern Huns that were invading China. He helped secure the Silk Road and provided safety for all people using

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